Gathered around sheets from what seems to be an instructions manual, laid out on a table a little over a month ago, seven teenagers held their breath as 16-year-old Akbar Abdurakhmonov, student of Just Robotics learning center in Uzbekistan, rebooted their robot for the third time. Hearing the motor whir and grind as the prototype moved back and forth across the wooden floor, he hugged and congratulated his teammates – it worked! The spirited Team Uzbekistan packed their bags for the trip to Dubai, bringing with them the hopes and dreams of their country, to participate in one of the biggest robotics competitions in the world for the second time.

Held under the theme ‘Ocean Opportunities’ – United by land, connected by oceans, the FIRST Global Challenge 2019 in Dubai has brought together more than 1,500 students from 191 countries to find innovative solutions to clean up our oceans.

Brimming with excitement in the buzzing halls of the Dubai Festival Arena, Akbar believes that perseverance is key to achieving goals. “We had failed several times to get to where we are now. When assembling our robot for the ocean clean-up, it started to catapult instead of its purpose of being able to pick up a piece of plastic,” he laughs. The fact that this is his first time at the annual global event doesn’t put a damper on his desire to compete for a cause and make a difference in the world.

He adds: “We are building a robot, or rather a prototype, that is the starting point for the real one, which will help solve the issues facing the world’s oceans. In order to do something big, you have to start with something small.” Keeping this motto in mind, Akbar wants to pursue his dreams of becoming an engineer and go on to build his very own humanoid.

Coming from different parts of Uzbekistan, the diverse team possesses a multitude of skills in the field of robotics and innovation. Khumoyun Khaydarov, 17, winner of the 2018 Young Inventors national competition, is pleasantly ambitious in his aim of incorporating innovation in production and government systems. “My love for technology took root five years ago, when I learned how to build an electronic crane from watching videos on YouTube. After that, I worked on several machines, like a smart fan system, Arduino-based multimeter and mobile fridge,” he explains.

These young ocean heroes are talented and full of ideas, but, more importantly, they have grit. Their mentor, Bunyodbek Zaripov, 19, counts down the time. They have one last minute to pick up all the plastic and deposit it in the processing containers. As the timer goes off to signal the end of the practice matches, they meet a group of students from Russia, Singapore and the UAE, and are delighted at the opportunity to discuss environmental problems with their peers.

What makes Team Uzbekistan even more interesting is their never-say-die attitude and focus on personal development and ocean protection, all the while enjoying the journey. Team Manager Farkhod Makhkamov says: “It doesn’t matter if we come first, second or third, the main thing is to take home memorable experiences and lasting friendships.”