Central Asia's largest sports complex, built by a Chinese company in Uzbekistan, is ready to host the 2025 Asian Youth Games. As the first major project completed under China-Uzbekistan cooperation, it took just two years to build using advanced green technology.
In Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, state-of-the-art sports facilities are taking shape as part of the Uzbekistan Olympic City, built by China CAMC Engineering, which is set to host the 4th Asian Youth Games and the 5th Asian Youth Para Games in 2025.
"The project, contracted on December 31, 2022, spans over 100 hectares and includes five large sports venues, one sports office building, and 15 outdoor facilities. The design phase was completed in just four months. From 2023 to 2025, the entire construction was finished in only two years—an exceptionally fast pace, even by Chinese standards. At peak times, the Chinese team comprised over 2,000 workers. The project highlights China’s rapid, efficient, and high-quality construction capabilities," said Guo Zijie, general manager of 4th Engineering Division of China CAMC Engineering.
Many local people recognize that this project integrates China's advanced concepts and technologies in combination with the local conditions.
"The entire project was designed to Chinese standards while carefully considering local conditions and usage habits, such as the height of switches and backboards. The approach makes the project a successful blend of Chinese design and local requirements. As a state-of-the-art, multifunctional sports venue cluster, it incorporates numerous advanced technologies and equipment. Structurally, the venue features a roof photovoltaic system with a total capacity of 7 megawatts, ensuring full solar panel coverage. For landscaping, the design takes the local climate into account, incorporating a water system that is both visually appealing and functional for rainwater storage and regulation, enhancing the overall landscape effect," said Zhang Yu, chief designer of the project.
Locals feel that the project has brought tangible improvements to their daily lives.
Nazarov Dilshojon Rasul, a staff member at the Uzbekistan Olympic Sports City project, said that thanks to the project, the region's infrastructure has greatly improved, with new roads and buildings being built, making transportation more convenient. The anticipated rise in tourism and the hosting of major events will also generate increased employment opportunities for them.
This project also shows that infrastructure projects under the Belt and Road Initiative provide new opportunities for better cooperation and development between China and Central Asian countries.
New Olympic City in in Uzbekistan showcases China’s construction prowess
The winners of the 2026 World Laureates Foundation Prize (WLF Prize) were announced in Shanghai on Thursday, with a total of 11 scientists honored, the most in the award's history, following the introduction of a new prize category.
Established in 2021, the WLA Prize is an international science award recognizing exceptional individuals in the fields of computer science, mathematics, life science or medicine.
Ingrid Daubechies of Duke University won the 2026 WLF Prize in Computer Science or Mathematics for her major contributions to applied harmonic analysis, wavelet theory and image compression, as well as her leadership in the international mathematics community.
Yuan Junying of the Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Wang Xiaodong and Shao Feng of the National Institute of Biological Sciences, and Vishva Dixit at Genentech Inc. won the 2026 WLF Prize in Life Science or Medicine.
They shared the award for elucidating the molecular pathways of distinct forms of programmed cell death and analyzing how those pathways govern diverse physiological functions and disease pathogenesis.
Shao was the first Chinese national to win the award.
The prize introduced a new category this year. Six young scientists under 40 won the WLF Prize for Young Scientists.
The winners are: Raphaele Juliette Clement from the Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research for advances in solid-state systems for electrochemical energy storage and conversion; Chen Peining from Fudan University for contributions to flexible electronic materials and devices; Ding Shiqian from Tsinghua University for experimental achievements in nuclear quantum precision measurement; Wu Jiajun from Stanford University for work on embodied AI and world models; Xie Weidi from Shanghai Jiao Tong University for AI applications in rare disease diagnosis and treatment; and Zhuang Ziquan from Johns Hopkins University for fundamental contributions to K-stability and birational geometry.
While spotlighting frontier breakthroughs in basic science, this year's prize selection also actively focused on the development of disruptive technologies and the application of innovative achievements.
"The WLF Prize also encourages important contributions to theories. Many applications we see today may stem from mathematics developed decades or even a century ago. So there should be greater investments in this area, which will provide more important safeguards for the development of our large models in industrial applications, safety, and other aspects," said Hua Xiansheng, executive dean of the Institute of Engineering Intelligence, Tongji University.
The 2026 prize was organized by the WLF, with exclusive prize funding from Hongshan and support from the Shanghai Lingang Science and Technology Innovation and Development Foundation.
The formal award presentation will take place during the World Laureates Forum scheduled for Oct 30 to Nov 1 in Shanghai.
China unveils winners of prize for global scientists
