The semi-finals of the 77th Strandja International Tournament, held in Sofia, Bulgaria, were filled with exciting moments for Uzbek boxing fans. Today, our girls once again demonstrated their skill, resilience, and thirst for victory, securing final spots in a number of weight categories. The tournament is held from February 23 to March 2 in Sofia.
Two of our representatives, Farzona Fozilova and Sabina Boboqulova, competed in the -48 kg weight category. This clash was of particular interest, as Farzona had previously prevailed in the final of the Uzbekistan Championship. This time, the picture changed: Sabina, acting more confidently, accurately, and pressuringly, won with an absolute advantage of 5:0 and advanced to the final. Farzona finished the competition with a bronze medal. The match between Farzona and Sabina in the semi-finals is also reflected in the official draw of the tournament.
Feruza Kazakova, who drew attention with her beautiful and meaningful fights in the -51 kg category, also lived up to expectations today. She stepped into the ring against her Irish opponent Kaitlyn Freres, securing another brilliant victory thanks to her speed, pressure, and active movement. In the end, the score was 5-0, and Feruza won a ticket to the final. Kazakova's good form in the tournament was noted in previous rounds, and it was reported that she had previously successfully competed against representatives of the USA and Germany.
In the -57 kg weight category, Nigina Uktamova fought against Niam Fay from Ireland. Fans watched this match with particular interest, as it was this Irish boxer who defeated Humorabonu Mamajonova in the quarterfinals. This time, Nigina left her opponent no chance: she not only won, but also, in a certain sense, took revenge. The successful 4-1 result also secured Nigina's place in the final.
In the -65 kg category, Navbahor Hamidova faced England's Sacha Hickey. Our boxer, who did not fully demonstrate his capabilities in his first fight, this time looked completely different. Navbakhor acted actively, bravely, and aggressively in the ring, not losing the advantage in every episode. As a result, with a resounding 5-0 victory, he also advanced to the final.
In the -75 kg category, Aziza Zakirova fought for a place in the final against the representative of the USA, Naomi Graham. In the official draw of the tournament, this pair was also nominated for the semi-final stage. Aziza fought calmly, confidently, and thoroughly against a strong opponent and won 4:1. Thus, he also reached the decisive stage.
In the -80 kg category, Rukhshona Parpiyeva faced Yaren Duztas from Turkey. He acted worthily, fought, and showed aspiration in the confrontation with a serious opponent. But this time, this was not enough for victory. In the end, Rukhshona finished the competition with a bronze medal, losing 0:5. The semifinal pair of Rukhshona and Yaren is also shown in the official standings.
In the +80 kg weight category, Oltinoy Sotimboyeva competed against Dina Islambekova from Kazakhstan. This battle was quite tense, intense, and balanced. However, in the decisive moments, our boxer showed will and composure. A difficult but valuable 3-2 victory also secured Oltinoy's place in the final. The semi-final match between Oltinoy and Dina was also part of the tournament draw.
In short, Uzbek female boxers Sofia once again showed that she is a great force in the ring. Several final spots in one day, convincing victories and medals - all this testifies to the high level of preparation of our team. Now all attention is focused on the final fights: fans expect even bigger results from our girls.
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