President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov chaired the session, which was devoted to consideration of the results of activities in 2008.

The Children’s Sports Development Fund was created in accordance with the presidential decree of 24 October 2002.

“Sport means healthy generation and healthy future. Only healthy people and healthy nation are capable of achieving high results,” Islam Karimov said.

According to the fund, 186 sports complexes were built last year in the country, including 162 in rural areas. 166 sports objects were gyms at schools.

To compare - in 2003 the number of built sports complexes comprised 97.

The children from low-income families were provided with sports clothes worth over UZS 2 billion in 2008.

The head of the state drew the attention of the session participants to the need to create a single system of evaluation of the quality of the locally-produced sports equipment.

Currently, manufacture of 118 of 120 required types of equipment for children’s sports objects are produced in the country.

It was said that mass sports, including futsal and artistic gymnastics, are attracting more and more children. Current sports complexes allow going in for more than 20 kinds of sports, compared to just eight in 2003.

The year 2008 was rich in victories on the international level. The Uzbek sportsmen participated in the Beijing Olympic Games and won one gold, two silver and three bronze medals.

The Uzbek football youth team successfully played in the Asian championship and won the right to participate in the 2009 world championship in Egypt.

In the sports events held by the Children’s Sports Development Fund in 2008, about 1 million boys and girls participated. Thousands of families attended the Healthy Family competitions.