Thirteen young Uzbeks won their titles at the 17th Zolotarev Memorial Tournament
The Zolotarev Memorial Tournament finished in the city of Andizhan, Uzbekistan where all of the host nation’s boxers earned the 13 titles.
Andizhan is located in the southeastern edge of the Ferghana Valley near to the Uzbek-Kyrgyz border and it was a famous and important city on the Silk Road. The number of the elite male boxers was 168 in Andizhan where the light welterweight (63.5kg) was the busiest category with the participation of 24 boxers.
Mr. Valentin Zolotarev was an important coach in the city’s boxing life and the new competition was the 17th edition in the event’s history. Boxers from the Asian Games did not compete in Andizhan, they are still resting after the busy competition but the younger generations of Uzbeks participated in the event.
The first winner of the competition was Khusanboy Mirsaidov, a teenage talent who progressed so quickly in the previous one year. He was eliminated in the Round of 16 in the 2022 Uzbekistan Youth National Cup but this time he claimed the gold medal at the minimumweight (48kg).
Foziljon Abdumurodov moved up to the bantamweight (54kg) and he defeated all of his three rivals including the final opponent, Zhandos Zhumaboyev of Kazakhstan. Mirzabek Mirzakhalilov, the 21-year-old former youth national team member, walked over to the title of the featherweight (57kg), following his World Champion brother, Mirazizbek Mirzakhalilov was not able to box against him in the final.
Andizhan’s Nodirbek Soyibov defeated all of his five opponents at the busy light welterweight (63.5kg) including Sardorbek Ganiyev in the final. The former ASBC Asian Schoolboys Champion Boburbek Bobojonov is still only 18-year-old but he had the strong stamina in the final against Mirzaakhmad Mirzabekov at the welterweight (67kg) final.
Khavasbek Asadullayev is Andizhan’s best boxer who represented Team Uzbekistan at the 2022 ASBC Asian Elite Boxing Championships in Amman. The strong boxer was dominant at the light middleweight (71kg) and he defeated a former star in the final, Ikboljon Kholdarov for the gold medal.
Samandar Jalolov (86kg), Diyorbek Uralov (92kg) and Donyorbek Umarov (+92kg) won the heaviest weight categories in the Zolotarev Memorial Tournament. Andizhan’s Umarov defeated two strong Kazakh boxers at the super heavyweight (+92kg), Daniyal Saparbay and Nurlan Saparbay on home soil.
The list of the winners at the 2023 Zolotarev Memorial Tournament
48kg: Khusanboy Mirsaidov, Uzbekistan 51kg: Asilkhon Anvarboyev, Uzbekistan 54kg: Foziljon Abdumurodov, Uzbekistan 57kg: Mirzabek Mirzakhalilov, Uzbekistan 60kg: D. Numonjonov, Uzbekistan 63.5kg: Nodirbek Soyibov, Uzbekistan 67kg: Boburbek Bobojonov, Uzbekistan 71kg: Khavasbek Asadullayev, Uzbekistan 75kg: Murodjon Islomov, Uzbekistan 80kg: O. Turdikhodjayev, Uzbekistan 86kg: Samandar Jalolov, Uzbekistan 92kg: Diyorbek Uralov, Uzbekistan +92kg: Donyorbek Umarov, Uzbekistan
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