Melieva defeated Rio 2016 Olympian Mirzaeva in the Uzbekistan Women’s National Championships

The Uzbekistan Women’s National Championships was held in the ancient city of Ferghana which is located in a picturesque valley near to the border of Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. The main sensation of the national event was delivered by Maftunakhon Melieva who defeated Rio 2016 Olympian Yodgoroy Mirzaeva in the final of the Olympic Lightweight class (60kg).
More than 150 boxers attended in the Uzbekistan Women’s National Championships which is the result of their development and the success of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. The city of Dzhizak claimed four national titles in the women’s elite part of the competition while Namangan was the best team among the youth boxers.
Fotimakhon Tursunbayeva achieved bronze medal in the last edition of the Uzbekistan Women’s Boxing Championships but following that she was able to get the first title in the elite part of the competition. She defeated her teammate in the Namangan boxing team, Natalia Kadirova in the final of the Light Flyweight class (48kg).
Uzbekistan’s first ever women Olympian Yodgoroy Mirzaeva competed in another weight class in the National Championships in Ferghana therefore her throne was vacant in the event. Uzbekistan’s another top female talent Tursunoy Rakhimova has just won the Chinggis Khan Cup in Mongolia and defeated also all of her rivals in the National Championships in Ferghana at the Olympic Flyweight class (51kg). Rakhimova turned to 19 this year but she is now enough experienced to reach top results in the major continental events as well in 2017.
Dilafruz Zhumageldiyeva was only bronze medallist in the Uzbekistan Youth National Championships one year ago but the Khorezm-based boxer was able to win the Bantamweight class (54kg) in Ferghana. She defeated titleholder Aziza Yokubova in the final of the category achieving her first national gold medal. Tashkent’s talented Farida Turdiyeva achieved only bronze medal in the weight class in Ferghana.
Gulnoza Rakhmatova won the Uzbekistan Youth National Championships in May 2015 and claimed silver medal among the elite athletes in the last edition of the national event. The 19-year-old Featherweight class (57kg) boxer, who trains in Bukhara, moved ahead against Incheon 2014 Asian Games competitor Muhayyohon Esonboyeva in the final of the Nationals and won the bout by unanimous decision.
Maftunakhon Melieva joined to the elite age group only this year but she could fight for Uzbekistan in the main qualification events. The 19-year-old Lightweight class (60kg) boxer won the gold medal in the Chinggis Khan Cup in Mongolia last month and delivered the main sensation of the Uzbekistan Women’s National Championships in Ferghana. Dzhizak’s Melieva had to meet in the final of the Lightweight class (60kg) with Uzbekistan’s Rio 2016 Olympian Yodgoroy Mirzaeva which bout was the best one in the whole National Championships. Mirzaeva, who claimed silver in the AIBA Asian & Oceanian Olympic Qualification Event in Qian’an, did not find the best fighting distance in her new weight class this time and suffered a loss to another teenage talent of Uzbekistan, Maftunakhon Melieva.
Following Melieva’s amazing success at the Lightweight class (60kg) another yount talent, who arrived from Dzhizak, Emine Shmykova secured the next title. Shmykova won the gold medal in the Ismail Hamzaaliyev Memorial Tournament in Tajikistan and defeated her main national rival Khatuna Dzhumabayeva in the final of the Light Welterweight class (64kg).
ASBC Asian Confederation Women’s Boxing Championships silver medallist Shakhnoza Nizamova is one of the most experienced Uzbek woman boxer who is member of the national team since 2011. The 29-year-old Welterweight class (69kg) athlete dominated her final against Gaukhar Mirzaeva and bagged her next national title.
Nafisakhon Askarova had a big battle against US star two-time Olympic Champion Claressa Shields in the last edition of the AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships in Astana. The Andizhan-based Middleweight class (75kg) boxer lost that fight but she was able to box until the final bell against her star rival. Askarova showed her best performance in the final of the Nationals against Anna Aleksandrova and defended her throne.
Dzhizak’s 21-year-old Ezozakhon Melieva almost defeated Hungary’s two-time AIBA Women’s World Champion Maria Kovacs in the 9th AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships in Astana but those experiences were enough to win her next national title at the Light Heavyweight class (81kg) where she defeated Dilnovaz Narkhodjayeva of Tashkent.
ASBC Asian Confederation Women’s Boxing Championships silver medallist Guzal Ismatova began her career as a kurash player therefore her strength is in a different level than her opponents in the Heavyweight class (+81kg). The 20-year-old boxer delivered the fourth gold medal for the city of Dzhizak in the Nationals following her easy success over Khayotkhon Zharmatova of Ferghana in the final.
The Nationals was held also for the youth age group where athletes who were born in 1998 and in 1999 were eligible to compete in Ferghana. Ferghana’s first gold medal in the while National Championships was delivered by Sadokatkhon Abdumanobova who moved down two categories since her last appearance and secured her second national youth title in the front of the home crowd.
Azizabonu Mamirova competed in the 2013 AIBA Women’s Junior World Boxing Championships in Albena and since then her development is amazing. The 18-year-old talent won the gold medal with amazing performance in the final of the Olympic Flyweight class (51kg) in Ferghana. Namangan’s Dilnozakhon Negmatullayeva (54kg) and Andizhan’s Gulchiroy Abdukakharova (+81kg) both defended their youth titles in Ferghana.

Winners in the Uzbekistan Women’s National Championships
Youth 48kg: Sadokatkhon Abdumanobova
Youth 51kg: Azizabonu Mamirova
Youth 54kg: Dilnozakhon Negmatullayeva
Youth 57kg: D. Rakhmatova
Youth 60kg: U. Nasimova
Youth 64kg: M. Zayniddinova
Youth 69kg: S. Yunusova
Youth 75kg: Gulim Urazymbetova
Youth 81kg: M. Mavlonova
Youth +81kg: Gulchiroy Abdukakharova
Elite 48kg: Fotimakhon Tursunbayeva
Elite 51kg: Tursunoy Rakhimova
Elite 54kg: Dilafruz Zhumageldiyeva
Elite 57kg: Gulnoza Rakhmatova
Elite 60kg: Maftunakhon Melieva
Elite 64kg: Emine Shmykova
Elite 69kg: Shakhnoza Nizamova
Elite 75kg: Nafisakhon Askarova
Elite 81kg: Ezozakhon Melieva
Elite +81kg: Guzal Ismatova