Central Asians display unprecedented regional solidarity at the Paris Olympics

It gave off extended family vibes

Originally published on Global Voices

On August 22, Akmal Hasanov, a boxing coach from Uzbekistan, was awarded the Medal of Chingiz Aitmatov by the government of Kyrgyzstan for helping Kyrgyz boxer Munarbek Seyitbek Uulu at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. Due to the accreditation issues, Munarbek’s longtime personal coach could not accompany him to the Olympics, leaving him without a cornerman to advise and adjust during bouts.

In a show of brotherly support and Central Asian solidarity, Hasanov stepped up as Munarbek’s cornerman and helped him reach the final, where he won silver and became the first Kyrgyz boxer to win a medal at the Olympics.

Here is a YouTube video of an interview with Akmal Hasanov, in which he talks about helping Munarbek Seyitbek Uulu.

The Chingiz Aitmatov Medal is one of the most prestigious state awards in Kyrgyzstan, bestowed upon individuals for achievements in culture, education, science, literature, and art, as well as strengthening cultural and international ties. Hasanov’s support for Munarbek strengthened people-to-people ties between the two countries.

This was evident on social media, where users from Kyrgyzstan expressed gratitude to Hasanov and called for him to be rewarded for cornering Munarbek. Commenting on his support, Hasanov noted that it was a sign of the friendship between the two nations and quoted a proverb that goes: “A close neighbor is better than a distant relative.”

This was just one example of unprecedented regional solidarity displayed by Central Asian athletes and fans at the Olympics in Paris. In a setting where nations fiercely compete against each other and fans support only their own, it was striking to see Central Asian fans cheering for their neighbors and athletes expressing genuine excitement and support for their regional rivals.

A vivid example of it was the pair of wrestlers: Kazakhstan’s Demeu Zhadrayev and Kyrgyzstan’s Akzhol Makhmudov, who won silver and bronze medals respectively. Zhadrayev beat Makhmudov in the quarter-final stage and reached the final, which allowed Makhmudov to wrestle for bronze because his only loss was to the finalist.

Zhadrayev later revealed in the interview that he viewed Makhmudov as his own younger brother and was worried more about Makhmudov getting a shot at bronze than winning gold. Zhadraev won in the semifinal, and had he lost that match, Makhmudov would have gone home empty handed.

Here is an Instagram video with an excerpt from Demeu Zhadrayev's interview in which he talks about his relationship with Akzhol Makhmudov.

Solidarity among fans could be observed both in Paris and Central Asia. Uzbek fans in the stands in Paris held flags of all five Central Asian nations and were seen cheering for their neighbor countries’ athletes whenever they competed. Central Asians watching the Olympics in their home countries also cheered for regional athletes. A Kazakh poet and blogger Bek Shimat even composed and sang songs in which he congratulated Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan on the victories of their athletes.

Here is a YouTube video about Central Asian solidarity at the Paris Olympics.

This level of solidarity showcased that Central Asians have developed a common regional identity and view each other as more than just adjacent nations. Bound by shared history, culture, language, religion, and traditions — especially the Turkic speaking peoples in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan — Central Asians have been building and strengthening people-to-people ties since 1991, when they gained independence after the disintegration of the Soviet Union. The fruits of this organic grassroots level engagement and unity were on display at the biggest sporting competition.

Written by Nurbek Bekmurzaev