Kazakh athletes participating in an international football tournament in Tashkent suffer food poisoning

Several young Kazakh football players who arrived to participate in the "Do‘stlik Cup 2026" international football festival held in Tashkent have been poisoned at their hotel. This was reported by the Kazinform news agency.

According to one of the mothers who accompanied her child to the competition, the first symptoms of poisoning began to appear after breakfast on October 30.

"On the night of October 31, half of the children developed a fever, diarrhea, and vomiting. 11 people were bedridden in a single night. My son also got sick: he had a fever and diarrhea. Later, similar symptoms appeared in children from other teams as well," says Gulnur, the athlete's mother.

According to her, many young football players were unable to participate in the final matches on November 1 because they felt unwell. Parents suspect that the food at the hotel may have caused the poisoning. Breakfast was organized in a buffet style, where eggs, sausages, and other dishes were offered to the participants.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan has also issued an official statement regarding the situation.

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan is aware of the incident involving the sudden deterioration of the health of a number of participants in the 'Do‘stlik Cup 2026' international football festival in Tashkent. All Kazakh citizens in need of medical assistance have been admitted to specialized medical institutions of the Republic of Uzbekistan and are receiving the necessary medical care," the department said in a statement.

The ministry also stated that Kazakh diplomats are in constant contact with the relatives of the victims and medical institutions, and the situation is being monitored regularly.

According to the mother of one of the football players, for those participants whose health is stable, a return to Kazakhstan by plane is being organized instead of the previously planned train trip. Some families are currently remaining in Tashkent due to their children's condition and other reasons.