Uzbek billiards ban
The Uzbekistan Government appears to be distancing itself from a national ban on billiards clubs that has infuriated and baffled players. Although police and tax-service officers have closed down the Uzbekistan Billiards Federation, the Uzbek President’s office denies any connection with the ruling, saying such matters are the preserve of local administration. Meanwhile, the local government of the Uzbek capital of Tashkent acknowledges the crackdown, explaining that it came after billiard clubs systematically flouted a 1998 city regulation that requires all entertainment establishments to close by midnight. However, it cannot explain why a local government ruling should apply nationwide.
Uzbekistan Billiards Federation suspects the city authorities imposed the ban for purely financial motives. They say clubs will in future require licences and this system may encourage some officials to demand bribes.
The decision comes at a particularly unfortunate time, as the International Olympics Committee has just agreed to include the sport in the next Games. Uzbekistan boasts an excellent track record in the sport. Dmitry Khan won the world championships in 1995 and Rustam Usmanov came third in the same competition six years later. ‘Now our players don’t have anywhere to train,’ complained Bakhrom Sadykov, President of the Billiards Federation. ‘If we live in a democracy, why can’t we play a game we enjoy?’
The ban has been likened to neighbouring Turkmenistan’s bizarre decision to prohibit opera and ballet.
Join over 10,000 people just like you. Get e-mail updates about new content, issue alerts, contests, and more!
Voices from the margins:
Multimedia: video, podcasts, and more.
- Poetry Slam in Zimbabwe
- The House of Hunger poetry slam held in Zimbabwe in 2006, and organised by the Pamberi Trust, showcased young artists performing inspirational work on issues from corporate power to child soldiers. The video features four of the poets.
Published by Pambazuka News.
- Iranian women speak out
- 3 March 2007, London. Women's rights activists marched through the English capital last week to celebrate International Women's Day with a protest against the misogyny of the Islamic regime in Iran and the threat of invasion by the US. Hear the voices of Iranian feminists Azar and Leila Parnian and the sounds of the demonstration as it passed through the heart of the city. Click here to learn more about the campaign.
Produced by Heidi Bachram.
- Raised Voices audio:
- Benny from West Papua on Corporate Power
- Vinayan from India on agriculture
New Internationalist (NI) workers' co-operative exists to report on issues of world poverty and inequality; to focus attention on the unjust relationship between the powerful and the powerless worldwide; to debate and campaign for the radical changes necessary to meet the basic needs of all; and to bring to life the people, the ideas and the action in the fight for global justice.
Except where otherwise noted, images on this site are copyright of the photographer/illustrator or representative agency.Except where otherwise noted, content on this site is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 License.
