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Healthcare

Kazakh Surgeons Use MAKO Robotic System in Tashkent for the First Time

Kazakh surgeons have performed groundbreaking joint replacement procedures in Uzbekistan's capital Tashkent using the MAKO robotic system, an advanced technology in orthopedic surgery. The operations were a centerpiece of the event 'Days of Kazakh Medicine in Uzbekistan'. A surgical team led by traumatologist-orthopedist Timur Baidalin, head of the endoprosthetics department at the Batpenov National Scientific Center for Orthopedics and Traumatology, successfully conducted two joint replacements, one knee and one hip, using the MAKO robotic assistant. The system enables surgeons to plan and execute procedures with exceptional precision and reduced risk of complications. Developed by the U.S. based company Stryker, the MAKO system functions as an intelligent surgical assistant using 3D modeling technology. It creates a virtual replica of the patient’s joint, allowing the surgical team to pre-calculate the optimal implant angle, depth, and trajectory. During the procedure, the surgeon guides the MAKO manipulator, which operates with micromillimeter accuracy. This significantly lowers the risk of tissue damage and extends the lifespan of the implanted prosthesis. “The main advantage of MAKO is the ability to combine the surgeon’s experience with machine precision. This sets a new standard in endoprosthetics,” said Baidalin. For Uzbek specialists, the event served as a hands-on masterclass. In addition to observing the procedures, local doctors operated the system under the supervision of the Kazakh team. “We’ve been anticipating this technology for a long time. Today, we not only saw it in action but experienced the difference. This is a milestone for Uzbek orthopedics, and we’re grateful to our Kazakh colleagues for the opportunity to gain this experience,” said Odil Valiev, head of the adult orthopedics department at Uzbekistan’s Republican Specialized Scientific and Practical Center for Traumatology and Orthopedics. This collaboration follows another recent highlight: in spring 2025, Kazakh specialists from UMC, led by cardiac surgeon Yuri Pii, presented the ALEM device at EXPO 2025 in Osaka. The technology enables the long-term preservation of donor organs and represents another significant advance in regional medical innovation.

Sports

Uzbekistan’s Akbar Juraev Takes Three Golds at World Weightlifting Championships

Uzbek weightlifter Akbar Juraev delivered one of the standout performances of the 2025 World Weightlifting Championships by claiming three gold medals in the men’s 110 kg class, breaking world records and asserting his dominance in the sport. The championships, held October 2–11 in Førde, Norway, drew nearly 500 athletes from 87 countries to compete under the auspices of the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF). On Day 9, the 110 kg division was one of the marquee finals, especially as two Uzbek Olympic champions – Juraev and Ruslan Nuridinov – faced off in the same category. Juraev, 25, came in with a formidable résumé: already a world champion in 2021 and 2023, and an Olympic gold medalist from Tokyo 2020. After a near-miss at the 2024 Paris Games, where he took silver in the 102 kg class, Juraev said he was “back at my right weight” and hungry for redemption. In Norway, Juraev delivered a flawless sequence. On his third snatch attempt he lifted 196 kg, setting a new world record in the snatch. He followed that with a 232 kg clean and jerk, reaching a combined total of 428 kg, also a world record. He even attempted 245 kg in the clean and jerk, later joking that he was “just messing around.” After the victory, Juraev said, “I am back at my right weight. I can eat properly, train properly. I feel good, very happy.” He added that last year’s Olympic disappointment still drives him: “That’s why I have silver and not gold.” Juraev’s sweep of snatch, clean & jerk, and total golds made him a three-time world champion. Meanwhile, his compatriot Nuridinov, the 33-year-old veteran and Rio 2016 Olympic champion, also shone in Førde. He lifted 186 kg in the snatch and 228 kg in the clean and jerk, earning two bronzes (in clean & jerk and total) with a combined 414 kg. His performance underscored not only his own resilience but also Uzbekistan’s continuing dominance in the world of weightlifting.

Extreme Sports

Long-Distance Swimmers from Central Asia Cross Mediterranean Strait Together

Fueled by thoughts of family, country, and just reaching dry land, two men from Central Asia swam across the Strait of Bonifacio from the French island of Corsica to the Italian island of Sardinia, an open water route of about 15 kilometers whose varying winds and currents sometimes add to the challenge for ultramarathon swimmers. Askar Ospanov, a 66-year-old Kazakhstani, and Shavkat Musinov, a 42-year-old Uzbekistani, drew mental strength from each other even though they didn’t speak much while swimming in wetsuits for nearly eight hours on Sept. 26. The leader of their group was Rinat Mustafin, a 46-year-old swimmer from Russia who had crossed the strait in 2019 and prepared his friends for their Mediterranean feat. They were assisted by a support boat. “The sea that day was challenging — with strong currents and waves — but we stayed coordinated and focused,” Musinov, a Tashkent businessman, said this week. “What united us was the shared feeling that we were doing something meaningful, not only for ourselves but also for our region.” Musinov and Ospanov were the first people from their countries to swim across the Strait of Bonifacio, a challenge that isn’t overseen by a governing body but has won international recognition over the years. The World Open Water Swimming Association has listed it as one of the world´s top 100 island swims. While the Strait of Bonifacio is among the shorter ultramarathon distances for swimmers (the English Channel, for example, is a cold water challenge of about 33 kilometers), conditions can add to the difficulty level. “The two relatively close opposite coasts and the seabed with an average depth of 50 meters, which in any case does not exceed 100 meters, mean that the winds and currents that are channeled increase their intensity,” the association says. “The crossing is often characterized by non-linear trajectories and more or less demanding waves.” Musinov said he met Ospanov’s son, Galym, in the Sahara Desert during the Marathon des Sables ultramarathon in 2023, and they bonded while traversing 250 kilometers together across the Sahara Desert in Morocco. The Uzbek athlete later met the elder Ospanov – Musinov calls him “Asqa aga” with respect and affection – and described the Kazakhstani swimmer as an emblem of determination and discipline. Musinov and Mustafin, the Russian swimmer, kept the same pace as Ospanov so they could stay together. Ospanov said on Instagram that “team captain” Mustafin set the route. They ended up swimming nearly 17 kilometers because of the pull of the currents. “Shavkat swam second, occasionally looking back to check on me, while I tried to draft behind him,” said Ospanov, a former government worker. “Twice — at the 6 km and 11 km marks — Rinat gave me CrampFix just in time, helping me when I got a leg cramp (vinegar, as it turns out, can interrupt the body’s cramp reflex). You live and learn!” CrampFix, which contains vinegar, is a supplement that relieves muscle cramps. Jellyfish are also a hazard in the...

World Cup

Uzbekistan Signs Fabio Cannavaro as Coach Ahead of World Cup

Fabio Cannavaro has signed a contract with the Uzbekistan Football Association to coach the national team, which qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup for the first time in the country’s 34 years of independence. “The Italian coach will prepare our team for the World Cup to be held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico,” the association said after the contract was signed on Monday at Uzbekistan’s National Football Center. It said Cannavaro had the experience and skills to deliver success for Uzbekistan, describing him as “a three-time World Cup participant, 2006 World Cup winner, one of the best defenders of the recent past, and a renowned expert.” “We have seen that a defensive playing style brings results,” Ravshan Irmatov, the association’s first vice president, said at a news conference. “We believe that with his international experience, professional culture, and tactical strictness, he will bring new spirit and a new system to our national team.” At the news conference, Cannavaro said he was thankful for the trust shown in him and outlined some plans to help Uzbekistan’s national team get comfortable with the pace and demands of the World Cup level. “The intensity of the Super League needs to be increased; we will discuss this with the management. The more we move at a high tempo during the game, the better the results will start to be. Players' recovery is also very important. We would also ask the coaches at clubs to send daily, weekly, or monthly performance data of the players so that we can know whether their results are improving or not,” Cannavaro said. “I had offers from 7-8 places. First of all, the fact that the team qualified for the World Cup and the seriousness of the project here encouraged me to accept the offer. Is it difficult to play at the World Cup? Yes, very difficult, but we will try,” he said. Cannavaro replaces Timur Kapadze, an Uzbekistani former pro football player who led the national team to its first-ever qualification for the World Cup with a 0-0 draw against the United Arab Emirates in Abu Dhabi in June. Cannavaro said he had discussed the team with his predecessor, noting that having “local specialists” on the staff will help him learn about the players’ mentality and the culture of Uzbekistan. To that end, Kapadze will remain for now as an assistant coach. The Uzbekistan Football Association said the coaching staff that will help Cannavaro includes assistant coach Eugenio Albarella, who has worked with Japan’s national team as well as Juventus, Udinese, and Dinamo Zagreb; fitness coach Francesco Troise, who has collaborated with Benevento, Udinese, and Dinamo Zagreb; and goalkeepers coach Antonio Kimienti, who has experience with Italy’s national youth team, and the Sampdoria and SPAL clubs.

Sports

Uzbekistan to Co-Host FIFA U-20 World Cup in 2027 with Azerbaijan

It’s been a big year for Uzbekistan’s football ambitions. In June, the national team qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, securing a 0-0 draw against the United Arab Emirates in Abu Dhabi that was enough to propel Uzbekistan into the main draw. It is the first time that Uzbekistan, which has built up its sports infrastructure over the years, has qualified in the country’s 34 years of independence. Now Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan are celebrating their joint appointment as host nations for the FIFA U-20 World Cup in 2027. The announcement was made on Thursday at a meeting of the FIFA Council in Zurich, Switzerland. “Great News!” the Uzbekistan Football Association said. “This competition is considered the second most significant men’s national team tournament organised by FIFA, after the FIFA World Cup itself,” said the association, adding that Uzbekistan had gained hosting experience in recent years by staging some big international football events. Last year, Uzbekistan hosted the FIFA Futsal World Cup, a fast-paced variation of football that is played indoors. Some 52 matches were played during the contest. The cities of Tashkent, Andijan and Bukhara hosted games and tournament organizers received generally positive reviews. FIFA, football’s governing body, has been helping the Central Asian country to modernize its football facilities by funding pitch construction, floodlight installation and the renovation of a stadium. Azerbaijan, in the South Caucasus region, is also delighted with the prospect of co-hosting the FIFA event in 2027, describing it as a showcase for its good relations with Uzbekistan. The decision “is a clear indication of the friendly relations between the heads of state, the policies aimed at the welfare and development of the countries, as well the special attention and care shown to sports in both countries,” said Rovshan Najaf, president of the Association of Football Federations of Azerbaijan. The two nations have worked to strengthen diplomatic and economic ties, agreeing this year to a goal of boosting bilateral trade and investment to $1 billion annually by 2030. The FIFA U-20 World Cup is held every two years. Argentina hosted it in 2023 and this year’s tournament is currently underway in Chile.

Education

Uzbek Authorities Investigate Mass Food Poisoning at Some Kindergartens

Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Health says almost all children who were hospitalized after suffering food poisoning at several state kindergartens in the Tashkent region have recovered and are back with their families. Hundreds of children had been affected by the preschool health crisis, which prompted an emergency response from medical institutions when the first cases of fever, nausea and diarrhea were reported a week ago. Lab workers conducted tests on outsourced food being served at the kindergartens. Prosecutors opened a criminal case and an investigation is underway. Media outlet UzDaily.com reported that authorities had arrested seven people, including executives of food companies that supplied the kindergartens. It said children got sick with gastroentiritis at schools in seven districts across the Tashkent region. Estimates of the number of affected children varied, with some reports saying more than 1,000 received medical treatment. Nurmat Atabekov, first deputy chairman of the ministry’s sanitary-epidemiological welfare and public health committee, said on Tuesday that three children remain under medical supervision because of other diseases but are in stable condition and expected to return home in the coming days. Authorities will tighten control of food catering for all educational institutions in Uzbekistan, according to Atabekov. “In cooperation with law enforcement agencies and the Ministry of Health, all details of the incident are being thoroughly investigated,” the Ministry of Preschool and School Education said. “If deficiencies are found, the relevant contracts will be reviewed or canceled.” The kindergartens where children fell ill plan to reopen on Thursday.