Tajikistan’s new wave dominated their National Championships

Short after the Maruf Khusainov Memorial Tournament which was held in Khudjand, Tajikistan hosted its National Elite Boxing Championships for the women and men athletes. London 2012 Olympic Games bronze medallist Mavzuna Chorieva, AIBA Junior World Champion Asror Vohidov, two-time Olympian Jakhon Qurbonov and 19-year-old Shabbos Negmatulloev also won their weight classes in the National Championships.
Fourteen champions have been crowned in Dushanbe where only those boxers could compete who attended in the regional selections. Tajikistan had only one boxer in the Rio 2016 Olympic Games but their record number of champion Anvar Yunusov had to miss the national event the first one since 2004.
AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships competitor Svetlana Veglina, who claimed silver medal in the Moldagulova & Dospanova & Mametova Women’s Memorial Tournament in Atyrau three weeks ago, defeated 19-year-old Sangimo Nazrieva in the semi-final and did not give any chance to Zulfiya Boyeva in the gold medal bout. The 22-year-old Veglina’s skills developed a lot in the recent one year and could be also successful in the international level in 2017.
Gulfina Urunova moved down to the featherweight (57kg) following his participation at the light welterweight (64kg) previously. The 22-year-old boxer defeated Youth National Champion Mizhgona Samadova in the semi-final and she was too strong also for Shokhida Kushmurodova in the gold medal bout.
London 2012 Olympic Games bronze medallist Mavzuna Chorieva could not qualify for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games but she decided to continue her amazing career. Chorieva is only 24 and proved her best when she eliminated Gularus Shoyeva in the semi-final and ASBC Asian Confederation Women’s Boxing Championships bronze medallist Shoira Zulkaynarova in the final of the Tajikistan National Championships.
Tajikistan’s Women’s Youth National Champion and AIBA Women’s Youth World Boxing Championships competitor 18-year-old Mizhgona Boboyeva eliminated Firuza Khudoydodova in a narrow semi-final and she had hard job against defending National Champion Nodira Karimova but she was able to solve also that tactical issue in the final.
The first gold medal in the men part of the Tajikistan National Championships went to Sukhrob Nazarov who defeated Maruf Khusainov Memorial Tournament winner Fakhridin Okhundjanov who turned to 18 this year. Khatlon’s Nazarov is a new face in the light flyweight (49kg) and could be Tajikistan’s next international boxer in 2017.
Davron Shokirov was bronze medallist already in the 2011 Tajikistan National Boxing Championships therefore he had enough experiences to win the Maruf Khusainov Memorial Tournament in Khudjand. The 29-year-old flyweight (52kg) and Isfara-based boxer was able to beat Khudjand’s Ismoil Hamzaaliyev Memorial Tournament silver medallist 19-year-old Bakhtovar Sagizov in the final of the Maruf Khusainov Memorial Tournament. Their repeat match in the National Championships delivered opposite result, this time the younger Sagizov was able to defeat his rival.
The main star of the whole competition was former AIBA Junior World Champion Asror Vohidov who turned to 21 only this year. Tajikistan’s bantamweight (56kg) boxer had to meet with National Champion Fayzmamad Malakhbekov in the final of the category but following his amazing punches the referee confirmed Vohidov’s TKO success in the second round. National team member 19-year-old Fayzen Rakhmatshoev was not able to get any medal in Dushanbe in his new weight class.
Asian Students Championships silver medallist Bakhodur Usmonov reached a lot of top results in the junior and youth level but now he is already an elite athlete with a lot of experiences. The 19-year-old lightweight (60kg) boxer eliminated 18-year-old Oyatullo Yakubov in the semi-final and he was too strong for Dushanbe’s Vaysiddin Sattorov in the gold medal bout which he won by TKO.
Akbar Safarov attended in the 2013 ASBC Asian Confederation Youth Boxing Championships in Subic Bay, Philippines and claimed several medals in various international tournaments in the Central Asian region. The 21-year-old light welterweight (64kg) boxer won the Maruf Khusainov Memorial Tournament two weeks ago but he was not able to win their National Championships in Dushanbe. Safarov was defeated by Shokhrukh Oganazarov who has been competing in the international level since 2011. Former National Champion Ibodullo Karimov and experienced Odiljon Furkatjoni were not able to advance to the finals in the National Championships this time.
Veteran Sharaf Davlatov returned after a long break in the end of 2015 and received the right to compete for Tajikistan in the AIBA Asian & Oceanian Olympic Qualification Event in Qian’an. The welterweight (69kg) boxer eliminated Farrukh Khudobakhshov in the semi-final and defeated Oyatullo Mirzodjonov in the final of the category. National Champion Mirzomukhammad Bakhtiyar moved up to the middleweight (75kg) and secured his next title after beating Nodir Khalimov in the final.
AIBA Junior World Boxing Championships bronze medallist and ASBC Asian Confederation Youth Boxing Championships silver medallist Shabbos Negmatulloev is one of the biggest future talent of Tajikistan who moved up to the light heavyweight (81kg). The 19-year-old talent had to meet in the final of the National Championships with a star boxer, ASBC Asian Confederation Boxing Championships silver medallist Navruz Jafoev but finally Negmatulloev’s hand was raised after the last gong.
Jakhon Kurbonov was Asian Champion in 2005 and Asian Games winner in 2006 while he also qualified for two Olympic Games therefore he was the most experienced boxer in the Tajikistan National Championships. He stopped all of his opponents in the event including Bakhodur Boboyev in the final of the heavyweight (91kg). The last gold medal of the championships was achieved by Khudjand’s Mukhammadali Shokirov who defeated Akram Khudoyberdiyev in the final of the super heavyweight (+91kg).

Winners in the Tajikistan National Championships
Women’s 51kg: Svetlana Veglina
Women’s 57kg: Gulfina Urunova
Women’s 60kg: Mavzuna Chorieva
Women’s 75kg: Mizhgona Boboyeva
49kg: Sukhrob Nazarov
52kg: Bakhtovar Sagizov
56kg: Asror Vohidov
60kg: Bakhodur Usmonov
64kg: Shokhrukh Oganazarov
69kg: Sharaf Davlatov
75kg: Mirzomukhammad Bakhtiyar
81kg: Shabbos Negmatulloev
91kg: Djakhon Qurbonov
+91kg: Mukhammadali Shokirov