President declares Thursday as sports day, introduces major reforms in sports education

By the decree of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Thursday has been officially designated as Physical Education and Sports Day across the country. This initiative aims to promote a healthy lifestyle and increase the involvement of youth in sports.

As part of the decree, significant changes will be made to the structure of sports education, beginning with the 2025/2026 academic year. One of the key measures includes the introduction of a system to specialize sports schools in specific sports disciplines.

Key Reforms Starting from the 2025/2026 Academic Year:

• Specialized Sports Schools: Sports schools will specialize in individual sports disciplines, enhancing the focused development of young athletes.
• Mass Sports Trainer-Breeder: A new role of "mass sports trainer-breeder" will be introduced in sports schools. Each trainer-breeder will be assigned up to five neighborhoods and state educational institutions in the territory. They will be responsible for organizing "Five Initiatives Olympiad" competitions and administering "Physical Fitness Level" sports tests in the assigned regions.

Additionally, state-specialized boarding schools for Olympic and national sports will operate under a new system.

Master Schools for Sports

• New Structure: Master schools will be established to identify and train talented young athletes, preparing them as potential members of Uzbekistan’s national teams.
• Student Composition: Each master school will have a limited number of students, with up to 150 students from grades 7 to 11.
• Certification: Students who complete the master school curriculum and pass the final state certification will receive a state-standard certificate of general secondary education.
• Free Food Provision: Parents of students in master schools will not be required to pay any fees for meals provided at the school.