Teenage future hopes dominated the Uzbekistan Women’s National Cup

Uzbekistan Boxing Federation hosted its Women’s National Cup in Tashkent which was their first event in 2017. Uzbekistan’s bets women boxers such as Rio 2016 Olympian Yodgoroy Mirzaeva, ASBC Asian Confederation Women’s Boxing Championships silver medallist Guzal Ismatova and their Chinggis Khan Cup winners Tursunoy Rakhimova and Maftunakhon Melieva all won their weight classes in Tashkent.
Uzbekistan’s women boxing life turned to a new era when their top talent Yodgoroy Mirzaeva qualified for the boxing tournament of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. The Central Asian boxing power has been holding several national events for women boxers each year to develop their skills and competition possibilities. The crowd at the Women’s National Cup for the elite female athletes saw 90 boxers and 81 bouts in Tashkent. The capital city of the country Tashkent and Dzhizak both achieved three gold medals in the National Cup.
Namangan’s Fotimakhon Tursunbayeva is the defending National Champion at the light flyweight (48kg) and she proved her best in the National Cup. She stopped Gulasal Sultanaliyeva in the quarter-finals, defeated another National Champion Gulasal Atakulova in the last four and finally she had to do her very best against Maftuna Muzaffarova for the gold. The final verdict of their narrow bout was split decision to Tursunbayeva who won Namangan’s lone gold medal in the event.
Uzbekistan’s 19-year-old top talent National Champion and Chinggis Khan Cup winner Tursunoy Rakhimova stopped Mokhichekhra Baratova in the quarter-finals and two-time Youth National Champion Dilnozakhon Nematullayeva in the semi-finals. Both bouts finished before the final gong due Rakhimova’s lethal punches. Her final rival was Galym Zharylgapov Memorial Tournament silver medallist 18-year-old Azizabonu Mamirova who also proved her best in the whole event. Rakhimova worked better and launched more accurate punches in their final which was a classical teenage battle with speedy attacks.
Dzhizak is one of the leading city of Uzbekistan’s women boxing life and their favourite at the bantamweight (54kg) Aziza Yokubova was able to deliver top performance in the National Cup in Tashkent. She had a close semi-final against her teammate Makhliyo Khabibullayeva and had to do her very best against a surprise boxer Andizhan’s Ugiloy Satimova for the gold while experienced Farida Turdiyeva claimed only bronze.
Tashkent’s second gold medal was achieved by National Elite Champion Raykhona Kodirova who delivered strong performance winning all of her contests by RSC before the final bell. She stopped Bukhara’s Nigina Soliyeva in the semi-final and repeated the same performance in the final of the featherweight (57kg) against Tashkent region’s Madina Khayitkulova while Karakalpakstan’s Youth National Champion Gulim Urazymbetova took bronze in her first elite competition.
Uzbekistan’s first ever Olympian in women boxing 20-year-old Yodgoroy Mirzaeva proved her skills in the international level and after the August’s event she decided to move up to the lightweight (60kg). The super talented boxer stopped Dilfuza Dzhumanazarova in the last eight and controlled her key contest in the semi-final against Bukhara’s National Champion Gulnoza Rakhmatova. For the title of the Olympic category the Samarkand-based boxer defeated Asian Games competitor Muhayyohon Esonboyeva.
Dzhizak’s next top performance was delivered by Chinggis Khan Cup winner 19-year-old Maftunakhon Melieva who attended at the light welterweight (64kg) in the National Cup therefore she could not meet with Rio 2016 Olympian Yodgoroy Mirzaeva this time. Strong Melieva eliminated National Champion Khatuna Dzhumabayeva in the quarter-finals, Namangan’s Nozimakhon Umarova in the semi-final and for the gold she defeated Kashkadaryo’s Shakhlo Ushurova who surprisingly eliminated Dzhizak’s National Champion Emine Shmykova in the last four.
Tashkent’s Gavkhar Mirzaeva was bronze medallist at the middleweight (75kg) in the Galym Zharylgapov Memorial Tournament in Karagandy, Kazakhstan last month and following that international success she returned to her original category. The Uzbek National Championships silver medallist talent won her first national title after beating Samarkand’s Shakhnoza Suvankulova in the final of the welterweight (69kg).
Andizhan’s AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships competitor Nafisakhon Askarova defeated national team member Dilnovaz Narkhodjayeva in the quarter-final of the light heavyweight (81kg) which was her key contest in the event. The experienced Askarova, who had close bout also with US star Claressa Shields in 2016, won her final bout against Dzhizak’s Ezozakhon Melieva unanimously.
Dzhizak’s ASBC Asian Confederation Women’s Boxing Championships silver medallist Guzal Ismatova did not give any chance to her opponents at the heavyweight (+81kg) in the National Cup. She stopped her main rival Andizhan’s two-time Youth National Champion 18-year-old Gulchiroy Abdukakharova in the semi-final and walked over to the gold medal against Tashkent region’s Shakhnoza Badalova.

List of the winners in the Uzbekistan Women’s National Cup
48kg: Fotimakhon Tursunbayeva
51kg: Tursunoy Rakhimova
54kg: Aziza Yokubova
57kg: Raykhona Kodirova
60kg: Yodgoroy Mirzaeva
64kg: Maftunakhon Melieva
69kg: Gavkhar Mirzaeva
81kg: Nafisakhon Askarova
+81kg: Guzal Ismatova