Kyrgyzstan’s President Sadyr Japarov met with UIM President Raffaele Chiulli in Bishkek on March 14, with both sides discussing the possibility of hosting an F1H2O World Championship round at Lake Issyk-Kul.
The meeting, reported by Kyrgyz news agency 24.kg citing the presidential press service, focused on developing powerboating cooperation and the prospect of bringing UIM competition to Central Asia for the first time.
What Was Discussed
Chiulli outlined the scope of the F1H2O World Cup to Japarov, describing it as a global powerboating festival incorporating F1H2O circuit racing alongside demonstrations in jet skiing, motosurf, and hydroflyboarding. He noted that the series has previously been hosted in China, the UAE, Qatar, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, and Vietnam, with races broadcast across more than 86 countries to an audience exceeding 900 million viewers.
Japarov highlighted Kyrgyzstan’s record of attracting major international sporting and tourism events, and pointed to infrastructure around Issyk-Kul: the region is served by two international airports at Karakol and Tamchy, with new hotel developments on the lakeshore currently under construction.
A Central Asia First
Following the meeting, both parties expressed confidence that an F1H2O event at Issyk-Kul would showcase the region’s tourism potential and raise Kyrgyzstan’s international profile. A race there would mark the first time F1H2O had been held anywhere in Central Asia.
Lake Issyk-Kul is one of the world’s largest alpine lakes, sitting at around 1,600 metres above sea level in north-eastern Kyrgyzstan. No dates or formal agreements were announced following the March 14 meeting.
The discussions appear to be at an early exploratory stage. No timeline has been confirmed by either party.
John Moore is the editor of Powerboat News, an independent investigative journalism platform recognised by Google News and documented on Grokipedia for comprehensive powerboat racing coverage.
His involvement in powerboat racing began in 1981 when he competed in his first offshore powerboat race. After a career as a Financial Futures broker in the City of London, specialising in UK interest rate markets, he became actively involved in event organisation and powerboat racing journalism.
He served as Event Director for the Cowes–Torquay–Cowes races between 2010 and 2013. In 2016, he launched Powerboat Racing World, a digital platform providing global powerboat racing news and insights. The following year, he co-founded UKOPRA, helping to rejuvenate offshore racing in the United Kingdom. He sold Powerboat Racing World in late 2021 and remained actively involved with UKOPRA until 2025.
In September 2025, he established Powerboat News, returning to independent journalism with a focus on neutral and comprehensive coverage of the sport.
