Uzbekistan Hockey Community Appeals to Authorities Over Closure of Humo Arena Ice Rink

Representatives of the hockey community, parents of young athletes, and fans have appealed to President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Saida Mirziyoyeva, requesting support for the 'Humo' hockey club, young athletes, and the preservation of training opportunities at the Humo Arena ice rink.

According to the applicants, after the arena ceased operations, children and players from both youth and national teams were left without a primary venue for practice and preparation for upcoming competitions. Although the ice arena was originally built for the development of hockey and hosting matches, in recent years it has been predominantly used for concerts and other mass events.

Currently, the arena is non-operational, forcing children to train on ice temporarily provided by various hockey schools and clubs. However, according to participants in the appeal, these temporary arrangements are insufficient to ensure regular training.

The official reason for the closure of Humo Arena has not been disclosed, but the authors of the appeal suggest that financial difficulties are the cause. They are asking the authorities to provide the necessary conditions for the training of young athletes, as well as for the youth and national teams.

The appeal emphasizes a request for assistance in resuming the training process, holding camps, and allocating ice time for future international appearances, submitted on behalf of the parents and players of the Uzbekistan youth hockey team, as well as the national team roster.

Hockey Development Meeting

Against the backdrop of this situation, a meeting dedicated to the development of hockey took place at the National Olympic Committee on August 7. Participants included Odil Abdurakhmanov, the presidential representative for sports issues; Minister of Sport Adham Ikramov; NOC Secretary General Oibek Kasimov; and Vice President of the Uzbekistan Hockey Federation, Bahodir Gafurov.

The meeting discussed topics such as improving hockey infrastructure, supporting sports clubs, preparing coaching staff, and creating favorable conditions for children's sections. Furthermore, participants reviewed issues related to the preparation of Uzbekistan's teams for the Winter Asian Games and World Championships. Nevertheless, no specific decisions regarding the resumption of Humo Arena's operation or its future use for training were made at this time.

Fans separately called for help to get the 'Humo' club back on the ice, calling the team an important component of Uzbek hockey. They noted their long-standing support for the club along with their families and children.

The authors of the appeal asked for help to allow the players to return to the ice so as not to deprive children of their future. It was previously reported that the Uzbekistan national team won all matches of the World Championship, qualifying for Group A of the third division. The national team was primarily composed of hockey players from the 'Humo' and 'Binokor' clubs.

www.aajtak.inAugust 10, 12:06

Indian team wins bronze medal at King's Cup in Sepak Takraw competition

The Indian team secured the bronze medal at the prestigious King's Cup Sepak Takraw Championship held in Thailand. In the men's quad tournament, the Indian squad reached the semi-finals but was defeated by the host nation, Thailand, in a three-set match. Nevertheless, reaching the final four guaranteed India a bronze award.

This result is significant for the Indian team ahead of the 2026 Asian Games. India has recently achieved several notable successes internationally in Sepak Takraw, and the King's Cup medal adds to this list.

In the semi-final, the Indian team showed a strong start, winning the first set 15-9. Despite the pressure on the hosts, Indian players could not maintain this advantage. Thailand changed its tactics in the second set and won 15-9, leveling the score. The decisive set also went to the hosts, with the same margin. Consequently, India dropped out of the race for the final, losing the matches with scores of 15-9, 9-15, and 9-15. After receiving the medal, a video of the Indian athletes celebrating went viral on social media.

Sepak Takraw is less popular in India than cricket, football, or badminton, but it has a larger fan base in Southeast Asia. Thailand and Malaysia are considered traditional strongholds in this sport. Sepak Takraw is a unique combination of volleyball and football. Athletes use their feet, heads, and knees to send the ball over the net; the use of hands is prohibited. Due to the high speed and aerial attacks, the game is very exciting. In the regulation format, there are three players on one team on the court, whereas the quad involves four players.

The King's Cup is one of the major international tournaments in this sport. It was established in Bangkok in 1985. Malaysia won the first championship, and they repeated the victory in 1988. Following this, Thailand established itself as a dominant force in the competitions. The presence of strong teams from around the world ensures a high level of competition for the athletes.

This year, the Indian team also won another major trophy. In May, at the Asian Sepak Takraw Championship in Nagoya, Japan, the Indian squad won the gold medal in the men's quad final, defeating the host nation of Japan with scores of 15-10, 12-15, 15-12. India's participation in that tournament was special. After victories over Malaysia and South Korea in Group B, the team secured a confident two-set victory over a strong Thailand in the semi-finals.

www.aajtak.inAugust 10, 11:27

Sarfaraz Khan returned to India's squad; father shared inspiring thought about hard work

Sarfaraz Khan received good news again: he has returned to the Indian national Test team. After returning to the team, Sarfaraz Khan looks very happy. Although he has proven himself many times in local tournaments, he still needs to establish himself in the Indian national team.

After being selected for the Test team after a long time, Sarfaraz Khan shared his joy on social media. He was seen smiling with his father in the Indian team uniform.

Despite being dropped from the team, Sarfaraz did not give up and continued to perform excellently for Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy tournament. In the 2025 season, he became Mumbai's second-highest run-scorer, accumulating 429 runs with an average of 53.62.

The selection committee included Sarfaraz Khan in the team to replace the injured top-batsman of the Indian team, Sai Sudarshan. He will now join the Indian team under Shubman Gill ahead of the first match in Galle, Sri Lanka, which starts on August 15.

Before leaving, Sarfaraz's father, Naushad Khan, gave his son a special boost of confidence. Encouraging his son, Naushad Khan said: 'Even if the sun rises after many nights, hard work is always rewarded with luck.' This phrase from Sarfaraz's father became popular among all cricket fans on social media.

Sarfaraz Khan will soon arrive in Colombo to join the Indian team, after which the entire team will travel to Galle for the first Test match. The first encounter between India and Sri Lanka is scheduled for August 15. Sarfaraz now has another great chance to prove his abilities.

In six played Test matches, Sarfaraz Khan scored 371 runs at an average of 37.1, with his best score being 150 runs. However, despite participating in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia and the tour for India A against England, he failed to make the starting lineup.

www.aajtak.inAugust 10, 10:40

Basketball player Toby Albert amazed spectators by hitting six sixteenths in six shots

In the one-day Metra Bank Cup match held in England, the Hampshire batter Toby Albert attracted widespread attention with his impressive performance. He created a real storm on the field, leaving the bowlers completely bewildered.

Records related to the ball and bat are constantly being set and broken in the world of cricket. Among the players who have achieved the feat of scoring six sixteenths consecutively in six deliveries are several outstanding athletes.

The legendary South African batter Herschelle Gibbs demonstrated this feat in 2007 during the World T20 tournament against the Netherlands, scoring six sixteenths in one over. From India, Yuvraj Singh also made history by scoring six sixteenths in six deliveries in the 2007 T20 World Cup.

Toby Albert repeated a similar feat, but he executed the series of six sixteenths differently. He scored sixteen runs not in one, but in two different overs. First, he scored two long sixteenths on the last two balls of Nantes Ostuizen's over.

Then, in the next over, when Jack Lehmann bowled the first two balls, Albert changed the pace of the game by getting struck. He then sent the next four balls by Oli Kirtle into the stands. Thus, despite the runs belonging to two different overs, Albert's bat did not stop, and he completed the series of six sixteenths in six deliveries.

During this intense match, Albert had a chance to be dismissed when he was on 21 runs. Taking advantage of this moment, he scored 86 runs in just 37 balls. His impressive innings included five fours and eight sixteenths.

Thanks to this explosive performance, Hampshire managed to score an impressive 383 runs in 50 overs, losing 9 wickets. Previously, the team showed a great start, with Ali Aur (105) and 18-year-old Ben Moss (109) scoring magnificent centuries.

The Sussex team, which came onto the field aiming to chase the record target of 384 runs, also fought hard. Charlie Tier played a brilliant century, scoring 111 runs off just 94 balls. In the middle order, Jack Lining (92 runs) and Dan Ibrahim (55 runs) tried to keep the team in the game, but the pressure of the large total eventually took its toll. As a result, the entire Sussex team scored 332 runs, and Hampshire won the match by 51 runs.