CreditJames Hill for The New York Times
ALMATY, Kazakhstan — The last time this happened — that is, the last time a former Soviet republic from Central Asia bid to host an Olympics — the entire thing was a joke. A lark.
This was in 1992, when Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, bid for the 2000 Summer Games. At the time, Tashkent’s committee leaders readily admitted that, should they win, they would need to build 24 venues including a regulation-size swimming pool as well as a few other nagging items, like hotels, an airport and a hospital.