Airmen press it out with Kyrgyz professional athletes at Manas

Photo By Staff Sgt. Olufemi Owolabi | Master Sgt. Jason Byars, 421st Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, lifts 405 pounds of weight as Kyrgyz professional athletes spot him during a friendly bench press competition between Airmen at the Transit Center at Manas and Kyrgyz athletes Oct. 18, 2009. The weightlifting competition is the first of the events that the Airmen and the U.S. State Department officials in Kyrgyzstan in conjunction with the Kyrgyz Ministry of Sports are putting together to foster more relationships between the two nations. Byars, superintendent with the 421st EFS, is deployed from Hill Air Force Base, Utah.  

MANAS AIR BASE, KYRGYZSTAN

10.17.2009

Story by Staff Sgt. Olufemi Owolabi 

376th Air Expeditionary Wing

TRANSIT CENTER AT MANAS, Kyrgyzstan -- A delegation of Kyrgyzstan's professional athletes visited the Transit Center at Manas and put their fitness to the test with Airmen of the 376th Expeditionary Wing during a bench press competition held at the fitness center here Oct. 18.

The delegation of seven Kyrgyz weightlifters led by the Kyrgyz Director of Sports Aleksandr Voinov, were here from the Kyrgyz State Agency on Physical Culture and Sports.

"We are very excited to be here with Airmen at the Transit Center," said Voinov, former kickboxing champion and gold medalist. "Mostly this competition is about communication among young people. These athletes are interested in coming to the Transit Center because they know this place is not only about military cooperation, but also friendship. This [event] has shown how well we can communicate in the language of sports. Sports are not only a physical activity; it's also a communication tool as well."

The weightlifting competition is the first of the events that the Airmen and the U.S. State Department officials in Kyrgyzstan, in conjunction with the Kyrgyz Ministry of Sports, are putting together to foster relationships between the two nations.

"This competition today shows that sports can bring people together," said Michael Rosenthal, cultural affairs officer for the public affairs section of the U.S. embassy in Bishkek. "This is the first of the many competitions we're organizing to bring the [service] men and women of the Transit Center with the Kyrgyz people to find new bonds, friendship and connections through sports, and other ways we can bring our people together. We are cooperating in the field of security, and now we are cooperating in sports as well."

More competitions, such as basketball, running, ping pong, volleyball and soccer are being planned between teams from the Kyrgyz Ministry of Sports and the Airmen from the Transit Center.

"We hope to expand to many other sports as well because the Kyrgyz have a lot of interest in competing," Rosenthal said. "They are curious. They have heard so much about American athletes, and they would love to compete, in a friendly way, with members from the Transit Center."

The Kyrgyz director of sports added that he sees the Transit Center as not just a military facility, but also as a place where other young people who like to participate in sports temporarily live. The goal was to have the young people at the Transit Center to learn about the Kyrgyz people and for the Kyrgyz to learn about Americans.

"This type of event brings us together as a people," he said. "Now, we can see each other as athletes and people in addition to our jobs here."

Despite that Airmen were not professional weightlifters, most of them were extremely motivated, and they were able to match their strength and endurance to measure up to their Kyrgyz competitors.

Some of them gave an unrelenting fight under the bench. One Airmen in particular lifted 405 pounds, which was the maximum weight bench pressed by both country's participants at the end of the competition.

"It is amazing to see what one can do when one puts his or her mind to it and never give up," said Master Sgt. Jason Byars, a production superintendent with the 421st Expeditionary Fighter Squadron transiting through Manas. "It's a privilege and a pleasure to be here participating in such an event, not just with other Airmen and coalition forces, but also with the citizens of the host nation."

As the competition concluded, both teams exchanged friendly handshakes, shoulder taps and even gathered for group photos.

To both teams, the competition was not about winning or losing; the mutual bonds and friendly exchange of smiles shared by both teams was enough to prove that the event was a success.

"We hope to have more competitions like this," Rosenthal said. "Even though sport is about competing, and winning is important, I think that friendship won today."

• Date Taken: 10.17.2009
• Date Posted: 10.23.2009 00:30
• Story ID: 40529
• Location: MANAS AIR BASE, KG