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Football

Turkmen Football Fans Moved to Worse Seats for Match with Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr

Fans who have bought tickets to the upcoming Asian Champions League match between Turkmenistan's Arkadag and Saudi Arabia’s Al-Nassr on February 11 have been informed, sometimes repeatedly, that their seats are being changed to make room for “organized support” groups. According to a source in Ashgabat, notifications are being sent via users’ personal accounts on ticketing platforms. The vacated sections, the source said, are being allocated to students who are reportedly being trained in advance to provide choreographed support for the home team. Affected spectators are often offered seats with worse visibility, and in many cases, fans, especially families and groups, are being split across different sectors of the stadium, making it nearly impossible to watch the match together. Public frustration has grown as a result. “A 45,000-seat stadium was specifically allocated for this match. If officials had plans for some sections, they could have decided in advance and sold tickets accordingly. If they can’t even organize one match properly, how can we expect them to handle more serious events?” the source said. Some fans have opted not to attend the match at all, despite having already paid for tickets. Others are seeking to resell their tickets, though doing so is complicated. Ticket purchases required passport details, and it is believed that ID checks may be enforced at the gates, making resale risky. Adding to the discontent is the asymmetry in ticketing policy: the Ashgabat city administration’s ticket regulations prohibit buyers from exchanging or returning tickets, while allowing organizers to unilaterally reassign seats. According to reports, the most prominent seating sections will not be occupied by club supporters, but by students compelled to rehearse chants and routines for the game. Arkadag will host Al-Nassr in the last 32 round of the AFC Champions League. The Saudi club’s lineup includes global football star Cristiano Ronaldo. The return leg is scheduled to take place in Saudi Arabia on February 17 or 18.

Chess

Tata Steel Chess Contest Has A New Champion – From Uzbekistan

When he was a child, Nodirbek Abdusattorov dreamed of winning the elite Tata Steel Chess Tournament in the Netherlands. On Sunday, the 21-year-old from Uzbekistan did just that. Abdusattorov secured the champion´s title after raising his point total to nine, playing with the black pieces in a final round victory over Indian Arjun Erigaisi. Another grandmaster from Uzbekistan, 20-year-old Javokhir Sindarov, came second with eight and a half points. “I can’t express my happiness with words. It was a long way for me,” Abdusattorov said in an interview posted on the tournament website. He said he had come close to winning the contest in previous years, and finally doing so was a highlight of his career. “I had a dream to win this tournament when I was a kid and finally my dream came true,” he said. “I just told myself: ‘Don’t let it slip this year.´” Uzbekistan´s top player had six wins, six draws and one loss in the 13-round tournament. “For three straight years, Nodirbek Abdusattorov was right there on top going into the final weekend. Three times, the title slipped through his fingers. This year, he came back and finished the story. From heartbreak to redemption,” the tournament said on X. Abdusattorov won the FIDE World Rapid Chess Championship in 2021 and was part of the team from Uzbekistan that won gold at the 2022 Chess Olympiad in Chennai, India. FIDE is the international governing body of chess. “I gave everything I had,” Abdusattorov said. “I don’t have plans for celebration but obviously I’m going to do something.” Sindarov had four wins, nine draws and no losses at the Tata Steel event, where he was the only unbeaten player. He won the FIDE World Cup in 2025, qualifying for this year’s Candidates Tournament, which determines who can challenge the world champion. The current champion is India’s Gukesh Dommaraju. Over the years, the Tata Steel tournament in the seaside town of Wijk aan Zee has attracted greats of the game including Garry Kasparov, Anatoly Karpov and Magnus Carlsen. The strong showing by Uzbek players in the 14-participant Masters competition this year shows the growing strength of chess talent in Uzbekistan.

Chess

Uzbek Chess Surges at Elite Tata Steel Event in Netherlands

Uzbek grandmasters Nodirbek Abdusattorov and Javokhir Sindarov lead in the standings after the half-way mark in the prestigious Tata Steel Chess Tournament, currently underway in the Netherlands. Abdusattorov is in the top position with five and a half points after key victories in the Masters category, benefiting in the sixth round from a blunder by world champion Gukesh Dommaraju that cost the Indian a rook and led him to resign soon afterward. Abdusattorov then beat top seed Vincent Keymer of Germany in the seventh round, though he lost in the next game to Anish Giri of the Netherlands. The Uzbek grandmaster has won four games and drawn three times. Sindarov is unbeaten in second place with five points, after two wins and six draws. Hans Niemann of the United States is third in the standings with four and a half points. Players get one point for a win, half a point for a draw and zero points for a loss. The Tata Steel tournament, one of the toughest chess events of the year, runs from January 16 to February 1 in the seaside town of Wijk aan Zee. Round nine starts on Tuesday. There are a total of 13 rounds.

Sports

Nani Transfer to FC Aktobe Signals Kazakhstan Football Clubs’ Bet on Aging Stars

The Kazakhstan Premier League (KPL) is emerging as a destination for veteran European footballers in the twilight of their careers, as local clubs invest in high-profile transfers to boost visibility, attract sponsorships, and reignite fan interest. The most notable example comes from western Kazakhstan, where FC Aktobe was transferred to private ownership less than a month ago. On January 8, the regional government sold the club to businessman Nurlan Artikbayev, owner of the construction firm Qazaq Stroy, for $730,000. Artikbayev pledged to modernize the stadium, develop youth football, and rebuild the squad after the club’s failure to win the championship or qualify for European competitions. Aktobe’s first move was signing Kazakhstan national team goalkeeper Alexander Zarutsky, formerly of Almaty’s FC Kairat and a key figure in their historic UEFA Champions League appearance. However, the headline transfer was the acquisition of 39-year-old Luís Nani, the former Portuguese international and ex-midfielder for Manchester United, Fenerbahçe, Lazio, and Sporting. The club announced Nani’s signing on January 25, highlighting the move as a symbol of its renewed ambitions. Nani most recently played for Portuguese side Estrela, appearing in 10 matches and scoring once. In a statement, he expressed enthusiasm for helping to develop both the club and Kazakh football more broadly. Earlier negotiations between Aktobe and Thomas Müller fell through, with the 36-year-old German reportedly turning down a proposed loan from MLS club Vancouver. Rumors of interest in Brazilian forward Hulk were denied by his agent, while talks with 35-year-old Miralem Pjanić, formerly of Barcelona and Juventus, collapsed over financial terms. The Kazakh transfer window remains open until April 3, leaving open the possibility of further signings. Elsewhere in the league, FC Kaisar of Kyzylorda announced the signing of 35-year-old Victor Moses, the former Chelsea and Inter Milan midfielder. These moves signal a clear strategy: use marquee names to elevate the league’s status and attract new audiences. This new approach coincides with a major policy shift. As of 2025, Kazakhstan has implemented a legislative ban on the use of public funds to pay foreign athletes, meaning that such transfers must now be financed entirely through private investment. Whether this strategy pays off on the pitch remains to be seen. But one thing is clear: Kazakhstani football is pivoting toward a market-driven model, where fan engagement and media visibility are becoming as valuable as tournament points.

Sports

Guardiola Praises Uzbekistan’s “Top” Khusanov After Champions League Start

Manchester City head coach Pep Guardiola has praised Uzbek defender Abduqodir Khusanov for his standout performance and professionalism, before the club’s UEFA Champions League clash with Norway’s Bodo/Glimt. Guardiola’s remarks were shared by City Xtra on X following the pre-match press conference. “Just read the media, how they praised Khusanov. They’re right. He’s top,” Guardiola said. “We don’t have complaints. The last game he was exceptional and the previous one as well. We’re really pleased.” Manchester City lost 3-1 to Bodo/Glimt on January 20, in the seventh round of the Champions League. Khusanov started the match and played the full 90 minutes, anchoring City’s defense throughout. Guardiola commended Khusanov’s attitude during a period of limited playing time earlier in the season. “After Arsenal, a month without playing, and you cannot imagine how he behaved in training and in the locker room. That defines Khusanov,” he said. The manager attributed the defender’s discipline and adaptability to his formative years in Uzbekistan and his stint in France prior to joining the Premier League champions. “He listened, he learned, and of course his condition is exceptional,” Guardiola added. “Manchester City will have a central defender for many, many years, and at a top, top level.” According to statistics from SofaScore, Khusanov was a key figure in City’s build-up play, registering 110 touches and completing 94 of 96 passes, a 98% accuracy rate. SofaScore rated his overall performance at 6.3/10. Defensively, Khusanov made eight key actions, including three interceptions, three clearances, and five ball recoveries. He won both of his ground duels, though he was less successful in aerial challenges, losing all three attempts.

tennis

Kazakhstan’s Bublik Breaks Into Top 10 With Ninth Title Win

After a stellar 2025 season, Alexander Bublik of Kazakhstan has started 2026 by becoming a top 10 player for the first time. Bublik defeated Italian Lorenzo Musetti 7-6 (2), 6-3 in the final of the ATP tournament in Hong Kong on Sunday and will move up one spot to world No. 10 when the new rankings come out on Monday. It’s the first time that Kazakhstan has had a player among the 10 best tennis players in the world. Smiling broadly, Bublik went down on one knee after winning the match on a Musetti forehand into the net. In his on-court victory speech, he said Hong Kong would always be a special place because of what he achieved there. “I’m being honest with you,” Bublik said. “If you tell me that, at the beginning of my career or last April, that I’m going to be standing here, 10 in the world… I would probably not believe you.” The Russia-born, 28-year-old player had his best season last year, winning four titles after struggling early in 2025. With the Hong Kong win, he has won a total of nine titles in his career. Bublik now has a 3-1 head-to-head record over Musetti, a top 10 player. Despite his success, Musetti has lost his last seven tour finals. In his speech, Bublik said that he too had lost a lot of finals and that he expected the Italian to build on those losses and achieve “some very big moments of your career.” Bublik told the Hong Kong crowd that he “can’t wait” to return next year.