A youth ranking tournament in tennis has started in Bishkek, attended by a correspondent from VB.KG. The competition gathered young tennis players from the capital, regions, and even guests from other countries. The tournament has become part of the ranking system, the results of which will influence the formation of the national player rankings.
Kazybek Moldazhiyev, the director of the State Agency for Physical Culture and Sports under the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic, shared his thoughts with our publication about the significance of this tournament.
“This event can truly be considered a celebration. Over all the years of Kyrgyzstan's independence, tournaments of this level have not been held often. However, we now intend to make the tournament schedule more intense and plan to hold them regularly, even up to four times a year,” he noted.
Moldazhiyev expressed gratitude to the leadership of the federation, particularly to the president of the Tennis Federation, Nelli Buyuklyanova, who was elected just a month ago. “It is already evident that active steps are being taken to organize tournaments of this level. The state will always support such initiatives,” he added.
He also noted that the number of participants is encouraging: “This indicates a growing interest among youth in tennis and a healthy lifestyle. We must continue to develop sports infrastructure and provide youth with a choice of sports,” Moldazhiyev emphasized.
The official urged parents to support their children in their desire to lead an active lifestyle, which in turn will help achieve significant results on the international stage.
A ranking of each participant will be compiled based on the tournament results. Currently, the process of digitizing the system is underway. A national team for Kyrgyzstan will be formed based on the results of several tournaments, for which the state will provide flights and accommodation for participation in international championships and competitions. “This is excellent practice and a strong signal,” he noted.
He also emphasized the importance of covering such events, which can attract youth to tennis.
Athletes from different regions of the country, not just the capital, are participating in the tournament, and participants from Kazakhstan have also been invited. “I always tell the federations about the need to hold tournaments not only in Bishkek. We will also travel to the regions. For example, a high-level judo championship was recently held in Osh, which gave athletes from the regions the opportunity to showcase their talents,” Moldazhiyev added.
As for the future of tennis, he considers it promising: “Tennis is an elite sport that attracts both youth and adults. I have personally observed how many older people engage in it. It is nice to see such a number of participants, which speaks to the bright future of tennis in our country,” Moldazhiyev concluded.
