At age eight, Aziza Kayumova’s mother enrolled her in martial arts, though it was relatively unheard of for a mother in Tajikistan to encourage her daughter to play sports. 

According to Aziza, “Tajik culture frowns upon girls having hobbies like sports – girls should be at home studying, cooking, or looking after the other kids, not pursuing sport or education.” Aziza’s mother wanted her daughter to be an athlete because she herself was denied the opportunity to participate. 

Aziza fell in love with sports and began training with the junior national and national teams in taekwondo. Shortly before she entered university, her family experienced a period of financial difficulty, so Aziza asked for a job at the gym where she trained. After several months, Aziza’s coach found out about her employment at the gym and offered her a job as an assistant coach for the children’s program. Aziza fell in love with coaching, and it was the catalyst that allowed her to launch her own Dance and Sport Federation. Despite her youth, Aziza has become one of the most highly respected coaches in Tajik circles and in ​​October 2021, she was named one of the top 100 successful women in Tajikistan.