Teenage stars as Abdumalik Khalokov and Jakhongir Rakhmonov won their first elite national titles in Uzbekistan

The Uzbekistan Men’s Elite National Championships was held in the Universal Sports Complex in their capital city in Tashkent which event saw altogether more than 20 sessions due the high number of participants. Uzbekistan’s Youth Olympic Games winner 19-year-old Abdumalik Khalokov and another teenage hope Jakhongir Rakhmonov both won their first elite national titles.
Ten champions have been crowned from the light flyweight (49kg) up to the super heavyweight (+91kg) in the Uzbekistan Men’s Elite National Championships which delivered surprises and several of their young hopes shined in the competition. The Uzbeks impressed once again in the Yekaterinburg 2019 AIBA World Boxing Championships but their heroes missed the national event and received some rests from the coaches before the Qualifiers.
Umarkul Ermatov is not a well-known name in Uzbekistan’s boxing life but the Dzhizak-based boxer was able to beat all of his rivals at the light flyweight (49kg) including Abrorbek Abdusalomov in the final. The second gold medal of the National Championships was achieved a more experienced boxer in spite of the fact Foziljon Abdumurodov is only 21 now who defeated Islamic Solidarity Games bronze medallist Mironshokh Ibragimov for the gold.
Tashkent Region’s Oybek Jurayev joined to the international events still back in 2013 as a junior talent and moved ahead in the Uzbek rankings step by step in the recent years. The 21-year-old boxer eliminated National Champion Hasanboy Latibakhunov of Andizhan in the semi-finals of the bantamweight (56kg) and continued his winning path against Fazliddin Kattakulov in the title bout.
Dovron Gafurov’s amazing pupil, Abdumalik Khalokov won the big three last year, he claimed the gold at the Buenos Aires Youth Olympic Games, at the Budapest AIBA Youth World Boxing Championships and at the Bangkok ASBC Asian Youth Boxing Championships in 2018. Khalokov is one of the biggest boxing talents in the whole world and the 19-year-old teenager proved his amazing technical skills beating Sardor Muzaffarov in the final of the lightweight (60kg).
Tashkent region’s ASBC Asian Champion Elnur Abduraimov claimed bronze medal at the Doha 2015 AIBA World Boxing Championships and returned to the national team at the Yekaterinburg 2019 AIBA World Boxing Championships but he had an early elimination. The 25-year-old light welterweight (64kg) boxer was motivated in the National Championships and defeated tough rivals as Nanjing 2014 Youth Olympic Games silver medallist Sulaymon Latipov and Mujibullo Tursunov.
Jakhongir Rakhmonov is a 19-year-old talent who earned bronze medal in the Buenos Aires 2018 Youth Olympic Games and since then he proved rapid developments in terms of technique and tactic. Farrukh Kilichev’s young pupil used his strength also to beat former successful WSB boxer Fazliddin Meliboev in the final of the welterweight (69kg) which was a small surprise.
The middleweight (75kg) is a relatively weak point in Uzbekistan and their competitor at the Yekaterinburg 2019 AIBA World Boxing Championships Fanat Kakhramonov was unable to get the gold medal of the category following his loss to Odiljon Aslonov. Shukhrat Abdullaev was gold medallist at the Incheon 2011 ASBC Asian Boxing Championships and returned to the sport with a title in the Nationals beating Shokhrukhbek Rustamov in the final of the light heavyweight (81kg).
Former Uzbek national team member Mirzohidjon Abdullaev returned to the world of boxing at the Zolotarev Memorial Tournament and claimed silver at the heavyweight (91kg) of the Nationals following his surprise loss to Jamshidjon Abdullaev. Bangkok 2017 ASBC Asian Youth Champion Lazizbek Mullojonov had to meet for the gold medal of the super heavyweight (+91kg) with his main rival 25-year-old Ulugbek Mubinov but this time he also suffered a loss in the title bout.

List of the winners in the Uzbekistan National Championships
49kg: Umarkul Ermatov
52kg: Foziljon Abdumurodov
56kg: Oybek Jurayev
60kg: Abdumalik Khalokov
64kg: Elnur Abduraimov
69kg: Jakhongir Rakhmonov
75kg: Odiljon Aslonov
81kg: Shukhrat Abdullaev
91kg: Jamshidjon Abdullaev
+91kg: Ulugbek Mubinov

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