Olympic gold medallists and reigning World Champion strengthen Team Uzbekistan at the Asian Games

The Uzbeks are one of the powerhouses in the whole world and their team has several gold medal contenders in the upcoming Asian Games. Their team contains two Olympic Champions as Hasanboy Dusmatov and Bakhodir Jalolov, and further World Champions, Asian Champions.

Uzbekistan joined the Asian Games in 1994 following the independence of the country and their Alisher Avezbayev and Oleg Maskayev earned gold medals on their first appearance in Hiroshima, Japan. Uzbekistan achieved 19 gold, 12 silver and 13 bronze medals between 1994 and 2018 and the country is now Rank No.3 in the overall medal standings.

Uzbekistan topped the medal standings at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, at the Jakarta 2018 Asian Games, at the Men’s Elite World Boxing Championships and several other major Asian championships in the previous years.

The female team progressed with the former two-time Asian Games winner Mr. Elshod Rasulov’s leadership and there were strong competitions and hard selections for them in several weight categories. Sabina Bobokulova had a tight but successful challenge against another ASBC Asian U22 Champion Feruza Kazakova but the small 20-year-old talent succeeded at the women’s light flyweight (50kg).

Nigina Uktamova is also member of the 2003 age group as Bobokulova and she earned several ASBC gold medals in various age groups. Sitora Turdibekova’s career highlight was a gold medal from the 2021 ASBC Asian Women’s Boxing Championships while her Tokyo Olympian teammate, Raykhona Kodirova returned to the squad in time to compete in Hangzhou.

Navbakhor Khamidova is the defending ASBC Asian Champion at the women’s welterweight (66kg) which is another very difficult category in the continent. The two-time ASBC Asian Youth Champion 19-year-old Aziza Zokirova moved up to the middleweight (75kg) and she was better than Sokhiba Ruzmetova in the national selections.

The Rio 2016 Olympic Champion Hasanboy Dusmatov finally earned his first world title in Tashkent this May and he is one of the favourites at the men’s flyweight (51kg). One of the most technician boxers in the entire globe, Abdumalik Khalokov is the reigning ASBC Asian Champion and World Champion at the featherweight (57kg).

Ruslan Abdullayev robbed into the world of boxing in the end of 2021 and since then he is World Champion, Asian Champion and Asian U22 Champion at the light welterweight (63.5kg). The World Champion of the welterweight (67kg), Asadkhudja Muydinkhudjayev moved up to the light middleweight (71kg) to compete in the Asian Games.

Uzbekistan’s youngest team member in the male squad is the 19-year-old Youth World Champion Turabek Khabibullayev (80kg). The ASBC Asian Champion Lazizbek Mullojonov had to move back to the heavyweight (92kg) because the super heavyweight (+92kg) is occupied by the Tokyo Olympic Champion, and two-time World Champion Bakhodir Jalolov, the No.1 in the world.

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