DUSHANBE, January 6, 2016, Asia-Plus – Shamsullo Sohibov, Tajikistan’s Trade Representative in the United Kingdom, has been elected to head the Winter Sports Association of Tajikistan, according to Tajikistan’s National Olympic Committee (NOC).

An official source at NOC says Sohibov replaced Ibodullo Qurbonov, who retired for health reasons.

A statement released by NOC notes that the Children’s Winter Sport School, which is located in the territory of the Safedorak skiing resort in the Varzob district, has been rehabilitated under financial support of Shamsullo Sohibov.  The Children’s Winter Sport School is now provided with all necessary sports kits.

The complex was in a very poor state and the Committee for Youth, Sports and Tourism Affairs reportedly did not have enough funds to rehabilitate it.  Therefore, the Committee decided to seek sponsors to support development of the winter sports, according to the statement.

We will recall that the State Committee on Investments and State-owned Property Management (GosKomInvest) announced an open tender for sale of the tourist and skiing complex Safedorak in November last year.  The initial price for the resort was 1.92 million somoni.  The tender results were supposed to be announced on December 14 but GosKomInvest has not yet done it.

The Safedorak skiing resort is located in the Varzob district, 70 kilometers north of Dushanbe.  It was officially opened in 1976.

As it had been reported earlier, Tajikistan in November 2013 asked Qatari companies to rehabilitate the Safedorak complex.  

According to some sources, Shamsullo Sohibov is a son-in-law of the incumbent President Emomali Rahmon; he is reportedly married to Rahmon’s third daughter Parvina.