In connection with the Uzbekistan national team's participation in the World Cup, fan zones were organized in 14 general education schools across the country. About 2,500 spectators watched the first match against Colombia on large screens live.
Gazeta correspondent Mirolim Isajonov visited the fan zone at School No. 12 in Tashkent and prepared a report featuring Minister of Preschool and School Education E'zozxon Karimova, teachers, students, and local residents.
Speaking at the start of the event, Minister Karimova emphasized that Uzbekistan's participation in the World Cup is a historic event. “In this regard, we decided to celebrate this day throughout the republic, especially in schools, by organizing fan zones. Regardless of what result our boys achieve today, this is a victory for Uzbekistan,” the minister said.
After the match, the minister told the correspondent that she had expected a draw. “A 34-year dream has come true. Our team made history by reaching the World Cup. The opponent was also a strong team. I expected a draw in the first game, unfortunately, it didn't happen this time. But there are still two games ahead, we have hope,” Karimova said. In her opinion, the national team players showed good play, especially the actions of defender Rustam Ashurmatov were noteworthy.
According to Bahrom Aminov, head of a ministry department, the initial plan was to cover 2,200 fans in fan zones across the republic. “However, interest turned out to be higher than expected. For example, at School No. 12 in Tashkent, 180 seats were prepared, but over 200 fans came to the game. We plan to watch the next matches on June 22 and 28 together at the same venues,” he said.
Aminov also shared his impressions of the team's first match: “Matches at the World Cup are always at a high level. We saw the players' dedication on the field, their fight for every ball, and their efforts to accomplish the tasks set. From this perspective, the game left a positive impression on me.”
Karimova also commented on reports circulating on social media about the forced involvement of teachers and directors in watching the game. “Most of our teachers are currently on vacation. They were not given any compulsory assignments. Ask any participant, no one will confirm this. Real football fans come here to support our compatriots,” the minister said. Aminov also stressed that no such assignments were given to educators: “Football is a game of millions. We organize such events for promotion and support. Whether to participate or not is everyone's personal decision.”
According to Aminov, such events help strengthen patriotic feelings in society: “Millions of people across the country supported the national team. Even those who were not previously interested in football are making videos for the team on social media and expressing their attitude. This shows that many people care about the team.”
The minister also spoke about efforts to popularize sports, especially football, in the country. “Today, opportunities for young people to both study and play sports are expanding. Our people love sports, especially football. This can be seen in the example of women's football. In recent competitions, about 98,000 girls participated across the republic. So, interest in football is in our people's blood,” she said. According to the minister, the entire nation became the “12th player” of the national team during the World Cup match.
Teachers who watched the game at the fan zone in School No. 12 in Yunusabad district also said that the national team's participation in the World Cup is a big event for them. Chemistry teacher Ozoda Safarova said the school team actively participated in preparing the event. “We are fans of our national team. We watched every second of the game with excitement. My prediction was 3:0, we should have won. It's not easy for our players; they are under great pressure and need to adapt to the World Cup atmosphere. Nevertheless, the team showed a good game. There are still several games ahead. We believe in the guys,” the teacher said. She particularly noted the actions of Abbosbek Fayzullaev and Eldor Shomurodov.
Commenting on reports of forced teacher attendance, Safarova said she did not encounter such a situation and participated voluntarily. “We have been waiting for this day for a long time. We all came of our own free will. This is done to support Uzbekistan and our Motherland,” she said.
Honored Artist of Uzbekistan Jahongir Poziljonov, who attended the event, also shared his impressions of the national team's World Cup participation. “This is an incredibly joyful event. We waited for this day for 34 years. My father and uncles also supported the Uzbekistan national team, but they did not get to see these days. We were lucky. This is one of the great achievements of the new Uzbekistan,” the singer said. He announced that a special song had been created for the World Cup: “We wrote a new song for the Mundial. Now, within the framework of the Youth Festival and Youth Month, we are participating in promotional work with this song.”
Source: www.gazeta.uz