During the working visit of the delegation from the Kok-Boru Federation of the Kyrgyz Republic to the People’s Republic of China, Kyrgyz player Manas Niyazov met with numerous fans in China. At each meeting, he saw dozens of supporters and openly admitted that he was touched by the attention. Manas Niyazov spoke about this in an interview with Chinese bloggers.

— When I arrived in China, I thought perhaps no one here would even know about Kok-Boru. But it turns out there’s a lot of interest in our sport here. There were so many people who wanted to meet me and take pictures. I’d like to take this opportunity to apologize to those who didn’t get the chance to meet me or take a photo. Due to the large number of people and a tight schedule, I tried to make time for fans as much as possible, but unfortunately, I couldn’t fulfill everyone’s requests, — Manas said.

During the trip, Manas Niyazov visited Zhaosu County in the Xinjiang region and the museum in Ak-Chiy village, where he presented his National Team jersey, a kamchy (horsewhip), and a tebetey (traditional Kyrgyz hat) as gifts. He also gave souvenirs to officials from China’s Ulak Federation and fans, and managed to sign many autographs during fan meetings.

Manas Niyazov’s next visit to the People’s Republic of China is expected to take place in July of this year. If both countries’ federations reach an agreement, the Kyrgyz national Kok-Boru team, led by Manas Niyazov, will travel to China as players for exhibition matches.