Tajikistan’s 14-year-old Timur Negmatulloev amazed the crowd in the Dushanbe Junior Championships

Tajikistan’s capital city Dushanbe hosted its city championships for the men’s junior boxers where 13 new champions have been crowned. The Dushanbe Junior Championships saw four top talents of the country such as Mavlon Fayziyev (46kg), Khudoynazar Malakhbekov (52kg), Timur Negmatulloev (63kg) and Mekhrnush Kalandarov (66kg).
Boxers who were born in 2001 and in 2002 were eligible to compete in the Dushanbe Junior Championships. Some of these winning Tajik talents could be there in the upcoming 2017 ASBC Asian Confederation Junior Boxing Championships which will be held in the Philippines in August. Coaches of the country such as Abbos Negmatulloev, Emomali Mallayev, Khurshed Djurayev, Mansur Mukhiddinov and Marufjon Faizulloev were all satisfied with the level of the championships.
The first gold medal of the Dushanbe Junior Championships was achieved by Abubakr Rakhimov who defeated Bilol Gulov in the final of the 40kg weight class. The 14-year-old boxer did sensational movements on feet in the gold medal bout and after the final bell he celebrated his well deserved victory in Dushanbe.
Mavlon Fayziyev claimed the gold medal in the last edition of the Tajikistan Junior National Championships in October and kept his weight in the recent three months. The pinweight (46kg) boxer had to meet in the final of the Dushanbe Junior Championships with Sukhrob Davlatov and he was able to solve that tactical job using his quick attacks. The 15-year-old boxer is among the top hopes of Tajikistan and has got chance to represent the country in the 2017 ASBC Asian Confederation Junior Boxing Championships.
Khudoynazar Malakhbekov came from a boxing family and his name is well-known in Tajikistan. The Dushanbe-based boxer won the gold medal in the last edition of the Tajikistan Junior National Championships in October and he was the main favourite of his new weight class. The 15-year-old talent moved up to the light bantamweight (52kg) in the recent weeks but he was able to dominate his final against Bekhruz Karimov.
Tajikistan’s another top future hope could be 14-year-old Timur Negmatulloev who is 185cm tall at the light welterweight (63kg) and used his height as weapon to keep the distance against Komron Karimov in the final of the Dushanbe Junior Championships. Timur’s elder brother Shabbos was bronze medallist in the 2013 AIBA Junior World Boxing Championships in Kiev and since then he is member of the national elite team while his father is Abbos Negmatulloev, Tajikistan’s head coach.
Mekhrnush Kalandarov was quarter-finalist in the last edition of the Tajikistan Junior National Championships in 2016 but this time he was able to win all of his contests in the Dushanbe Junior Championships. The 15-year-old talent was too strong for Safarali Fozilov in the final of the welterweight (66kg) in Dushanbe.
Ilkhom Rozikov had to meet in the final of the light middleweight (70kg) against the favourite Sorbon Rakhmatov but he was able to solve that tactical issue in Dushanbe. The last two gold medals were delivered by Fuzayli Khushbakhtov who defeated Muzaffar Abdullozoda and Mirali Makhmadsodikov who triumphed over Odina Odinayev in the event.

Winners in the Dushanbe Junior Championships
40kg: Abubakr Rakhimov
42kg: A. Davlatmukhammatzoda
46kg: Mavlon Fayziyev
48kg: Abdurakhmon Alizoda
50kg: Abdullo Akhmedjonov
52kg: Khudoynazar Malakhbekov
57kg: Odil Yosinjoni
60kg: Toshpulod Khomidov
63kg: Timur Negmatulloev
66kg: Mekhrnush Kalandarov
70kg: Ilkhom Rozikov
75kg: Fuzayli Khushbakhtov
+80kg: Mirali Makhmadsodikov