Emotions ran high in Naryn on June 8 as the basketball team from the University of Central Asia and the Naryn Club Team continued their feud – but all ended well with apologies from both sides, according to press release issued by the University of Central Asia (UCA).

On May 27 at a basketball game on the UCA Campus in Naryn, a physical altercation ensued between the UCA Team and the Naryn Club Team, consisting of students from the Naryn State University and the Naryn Sports School.  The matter was handled by the UCA faculty and security present at the game, and the teams left without further incident.

On June 8, while some UCA students were in the town of Naryn on academic assignment, they were recognized by a few players from the Naryn Club Team, and verbal insults were exchanged which led to physical threats.  The Naryn Club members quickly called for reinforcements and in a short time a mob of some 80 individuals had gathered.  Most had simply shown up in support and were unaware of the issues involved.

It was suggested a meeting take place at one of UCA’s off campus buildings to resolve the issues.  The Governor of Naryn, the Deputy Mayor, and the Dean of UCA’s School of Arts and Sciences, along with some community leaders, presided at this meeting.  The Governor’s plea for good sense to prevail went unheeded. After some heated verbal exchanges, and in the interest of maintaining peace and civility, the involved UCA students apologized for the incident at the basketball game, and the crowd dispersed soon thereafter.

UCA has been working closely with the authorities including with the Governor and Mayor of Naryn to arrive at an amicable resolution.  On June 9, accompanied by the Governor and senior government officials, a student delegation as well as some leaders of the crowd that gathered on June 8, came to UCA’s Naryn Campus and conveyed their apologies to the UCA leadership and students for the unfortunate incident.  The Governor conveyed his appreciation of UCA and the benefits it has brought to the town of Naryn, and urged the gathering to build bridges. The meeting ended in an atmosphere of forgiveness from both sides.

Working in close cooperation with the authorities in Bishkek and Naryn, UCA is continuing its investigation into the causes of the incident, so that appropriate action can be taken, including how such altercations can be prevented in the future.

The University of Central Asia (UCA) was founded in 2000. The Presidents of Tajikistan, the Kyrgyz Republic and Kazakhstan and His Highness the Aga Khan signed the International Treaty and Charter to establish this secular and private, not-for profit University. The treaty was ratified by the respective parliaments and registered with the United Nations.  The Presidents of the three host countries are Patrons of UCA and His Highness the Aga Khan is the Chancellor UCA’s School of Arts and Sciences began classes in Naryn, Kyrgyz republic, in September 2016, and the campus in Khorog, Tajikistan, is expected to open in September 2017.

UCA was established to offer an internationally recognized standard of higher education in Central Asia and prepare graduates to contribute leadership, ideas, and innovation to the economies and communities of the region.  UCA’s mission is to foster the socio-economic development of Central Asia, particularly its mountain societies, while helping the peoples of the region to preserve and draw upon their rich cultural traditions and heritages as assets for the future.