President of the Federation of Mountaineering of Kyrgyzstan, Eduard Kubatov, shared in a podcast by the agency "Kabar" that at the beginning of the formation of the national mountaineering team, there were no athletes of Kyrgyz nationality. According to him, since gaining independence, the country has not been able to boast of famous climbers from Kyrgyzstan, except for Mamasaly Sabirov, who became a symbol of Kyrgyz mountaineering.
Sabirov began his journey in mountaineering while working on the construction of the Toktogul Hydroelectric Power Station, where he was involved in drilling and blasting work in the mountains. He became a candidate for master of sports in mountaineering and received the international title "White Leopard." Later, he was elected as a deputy of the Supreme Council. Kubatov noted that at that time, people from rural areas often sought to move to cities, which also affected the development of mountaineering.
According to Kubatov, Kyrgyzstan is among the most mountainous countries in the world, according to UN data, however, interest in the mountains among the population has weakened over time.
“Now the situation has changed. Mountaineering in our country is starting to gain popularity. The COVID-19 pandemic, although it brought many difficulties, gave Kyrgyz people the opportunity to explore their native mountains when traveling abroad was impossible. We began to climb mountains and visit lakes, realizing the beauty and richness of our nature. Personally, I climbed Everest, wearing a Kyrgyz ak kalpak and raising the flag of our country, addressing the people from the highest point in the world. This moment inspired Kyrgyz people: ‘We can do this too!’ Since that time, we can speak of a new era of Kyrgyz mountaineering. Interest in this sport among youth and women has increased. If there were only 34 people in the Mountaineering Federation before, now there are more than a thousand, and 50% of them are Kyrgyz. For the first time among Kyrgyz, masters of sports in mountaineering have begun to appear,” concluded Kubatov.
