“We didn’t know that the service is paid” – Uzbekistan Muay Thai Federation explains why they did not pay for an interpreter in Malaysia

On August 9-21 of this year, the Muay Thai Federation of Uzbekistan with a group of young athletes went to Malaysia to participate in the World Junior Championship. Federation officials who are part of the delegation looked for a translator on a paid basis to conduct negotiations with other federations and officials during the competitions, and contacted Anvar Narzullayev, an information security specialist who has worked in Malaysia for a long time.

Anvar Narzullayev recommended R., a young man from Uzbekistan studying at one of the universities in Malaysia, to the federation members.

The young translator accompanied the federation members for 11 days and interpreted in 3 official negotiations. After the competitions, the secretary general of the federation, Jamshid Bekmurodov, said that he helped the country and fed him in the hotel, and did not pay him his salary.

“I left all my work and came to translate. I acted as an interpreter in 3 official negotiations, besides that, I helped the people of this federation 24 hours a day. When it came to the end, they said that money was not allocated for the translator.

So, they said: “We took you to the hotel, we fed you, wouldn’t you be happy that you helped the country?” I didn’t ask for a lot of money either, I kept silent. In fact, interpreters and guides receive $100 a day, I asked for $400 in total,” the student who spoke to Kun.uz correspondent said.

The incident was revealed to the public by Anvar Narzullayev, who recommended this student to become a translator. After the post caused discussions, the Muay Thai Federation officials contacted the translator and told him to delete the post and solve the issue in a day.

Jamshid Bekmurodov, secretary general of the Muay Thai Federation of Uzbekistan, who spoke to Kun.uz correspondent, said that the above incident happened with the young translator in Malaysia.

“Both myself and my partners know a little English, but not at the level of negotiation. That’s why I asked my friend to find a translator. We contacted R., the young student, through the people he recommended. He translated for us at the meeting with the chairman of the International Muay Thai Federation. In the rest of the time, he mainly translated some daily conversations.

Since it was a long distance, R. stayed in the hotel and ate with us. Then on the 6th day, he asked the federation’s deputy chairman Mr. Khamid about his service fee. I told him that the Ministry of Sports allocated money only to athletes and coaches, but not to translators. If we had been told earlier that your translation and guide services were paid, I would have contacted a guy named Shukhrat at the embassy.

I didn’t know that the translation service was paid. Nevertheless, we said that we will pay the translator $200. But our flight was delayed, we had to stay at the hotel one more day and we couldn’t arrange the payment.

Today, I sent $100 from my account to the translator, and the remaining $100 was spent by Mr. Khamid when we were there. We also communicated with the guy. Such a case disappointed us when we brought so many medals and opened a new page in Uzbekistan. If I were him, I would serve my compatriots impartially for the sake of our country,” Kun.uz correspondent quotes Jamshid Bekmurodov as saying.

When we contacted the translator again, he said that he received part of the previously agreed fee and the matter was closed.

For information, athletes from Uzbekistan bagged 6 gold, 3 silver and 4 bronze medals at the Junior World Championship held under the auspices of the International Muay Thai Federation. Uzbekistan ranked 3rd in team standings among 130 countries.