The surrounding Tian Shan and Pamir mountain ranges — where peaks reach as high as 7,500 metres — were hosting a regional competition for athletes from Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. So the idea that mountainous Kyrgyzstan could easily develop alpine skiing is false,” said Yulia Tenkova from the Kyrgyz Ski Federation. “To gain proficiency in alpine skiing, you need a totally different snow cover,” she said. Now a coach, she said Kazakhstan at one point wanted to end support for its alpine skiing program altogether because “the results weren’t good enough”. “We will try to collaborate with coaches from Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan to bring skiing to the top,” he said.

Source: Bangkok Post February 12, 2026 04:06 UTC