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Central Asian Games

(Text below is original from the International Games Archive, if you see this text on other pages such as the Asian Squash Federation, it was copied without permission)

Jeux Central Asiatique

 

Five Central Asian nations, the former Soviet Republics of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan joined together to participate in twelve sports the Central Asian Games in September of 1995.

A competition was held in Tashkent in October of 1920, as part of the Soviet system of Spartakiads and was also called at that time the first Central Asian Games.

The games have languished after the 1999 edition, with no nation stepping up to host the next games.

The 4th Central Asian Games were cancelled.

Tajikistan has announced that they will be hosting the next games in October of 2003.
  • 1995 Tashkent Uzbekistan
  • 1997 Alma Ata Kazakhstan
  • 1999 Bishkek, Kyrgystan
  • 2003 Dushanbe, Tajikistan
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    to: Children of Asia International Sports Games

     
    Central Asian Games News

    Typhoid epidemic hushed during Central Asian Games?

    November 6, 2003

    Eurasianet is reporting that an epidemic of typhoid has been sweeping through Dushanbe, Tajikistan and that Tajik health officials decided not to disclose that an outbreak was occurring because of the Central Asian Games that were being held in Dushanbe from October 14-20.

    Announcements were made immediately after the games closed. Thousands have been affected by the epidemic and hundreds hospitalized.

    Over 700 athletes from the five central Asian nations of Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan competed in athletics, boxing, football, judo, kurash, taekwondo, shooting, wrestling, and volleyball at the games, with visiting Kazakhstan taking home the most medals.

    Athletes from Tajikistan were to be rewarded with $500 dollars for gold medals, $300 for silver and $200 for bronze medals at the games.

    2003 Central Asian Games Medals

    Nation Gold Silver Bronze Total
    Kazakhstan 48 31 33 112
    Uzbekistan 36 35 20 91
    Tajikistan 18 22 17 56
    Kyrgyzstan 5 14 40 59
    Turkmenistan 0 5 18 23

    Nations worry over Central Asian Games

    October 7, 2003

    The Central Asian Games, with participation from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, scheduled to run from October 14 - 20 in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, have some in the host country and some of the participating nations expressing concern. The games are being called the fifth edition, though the fourth edition, scheduled to be held in 2001, were never held.

    Asia-Plus weekly expressed concerns last month with an article headlined, "Should Tajikistan host Central Asian Games?" and quoted Rahim Masov, the Director of the Institute of History, Archeology and Ethnography of the Tajik Academy of Sciences, who said that he does not feel it is the right time to hold the games. "On the whole, I consider such events ought to be held when a normal life of people in the country returns to the normal." He also expressed concerns about the state of the facilities.

    Others, including Tuyghun Karimov, Secretary of the Communist Party of Tajikistan, Political scientist Suhrob Sharipov, the Deputy Chairman of the Islamic Revival Party of Tajikistan and Muhiddin Kabiri, the Chairman of the Majlisi Namonyadagon Committee for Energy and Construction and the Tajik Sports Committee have all gone on the record that they are in favor of Tajikistan holding the games. The sports committee last month reported that there was still some work to do on some facilities, including the Central Republican Stadium, but the venues will be ready on time.

    In Kyrgystan, worries of another sort were expressed in the Vesherniy Bishkek newspaper.

    "Are we going to be defeated?" asked the paper. The article claimed that the development of sports was much more advanced in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan and that athletes from Kyrgystan had little chance of competing against these two nations. Money that was supposed to be set aside by government sources for training purposes (three million soms, about $70,000 US dollars) has not been provided.

    Dushanbe, Tajikistan to host Central Asian Games in October 2003

    January 10, 2003
     
    The government of Tajikistan has announced that the the next Central Asian Games will be held in the capital city of Dushanbe, October 14-21, 2003.
     
    Organizers have said that these games will be called the "5th Central Asian Games" thought the 4th Central Asian Games were postponed, then cancelled, and therefore not held.