The semi-finals of the prestigious international tournament "Strandja," taking place in Sofia, Bulgaria, have concluded. This day was exciting, intense, and full of a number of joyful results for Uzbek boxing fans. Some of our compatriots who entered the ring secured a place in the final thanks to convincing victories, while some of our boxers finished the competition with bronze medals due to injuries or difficult matches.
In the -50 kg weight category, many eagerly awaited the semi-final bout between Asilbek Jalilov and Daniyal Sabit from Kazakhstan. However, due to the injury to the shoulder of our compatriot, this clash will not be held. Thus, Asilbek finished the competition with a bronze medal. This, of course, was an unsuccessful outcome for him, but not increasing the risk associated with the injury is considered the right decision.
A similar situation was observed in the -70 kg weight category. The semi-final match between Shavkatjon Boltayev and Farukh Tokhtassunov from Kazakhstan also did not take place. The reason for this was Shavkatjon's injury in previous fights. The doctors, prioritizing his health, did not allow him to go out for today's fight. As a result, Boltayev also finished the tournament with a bronze medal.
In the -75 kg weight category, Fazliddin Erkinboyev once again demonstrated his level. Our compatriot, who has been proving himself to be one of the strongest boxers of the tournament in this weight class, stepped into the ring against Italian Gabriel Guidi in the semifinals. As expected, Fazliddin dominated the entire fight, leaving almost no chance for his opponent, and with a bright victory of 5:0 advanced to the final.
In the -80 kg category, Javokhir Ummataliyev faced Ukrainian Jamal Kuliyev. Ummataliyev, who had already decided the decisive fight in his favor in the previous round, once again played confidently. Although the match against the Ukrainian opponent was not easy, our compatriot prevailed with a score of 3:2 and secured a place in the final.
In the -85 kg weight category, Akmaljon Isroilov also showed his character. He fought against Ukrainian Danilo Jasan and was declared the winner by the judges' decision. Thus, Akmaljon also joined the ranks of our boxers who reached the finals. This victory showed that he didn't lose his composure even under pressure.
In the -90 kg weight category, To'rabek Xabibullayev faced US representative Josep Avinongya. In this fight, our compatriot left no chance for his opponent. Turabek made a precise, pressing, and confident move and won with an absolute advantage of 5:0. This result clearly showed that he is fully worthy of the final.
In the +90 kg weight category, Ozodbek Aliyev competed against the host country's representative, Yordan Morejon. Despite his young age, our compatriot once again justified the trust placed in him. In an exciting and intense fight, he won 3-2 and reached the final. This result demonstrated Ozodbek's psychological readiness for major tournaments.
In the -85 kg category, the semi-final was unsuccessful for Norbek Abdullayev. He lost by points in a full three-round fight against Ukrainian Matvi Rajba. Despite this, Norbek finished the competition with a bronze medal and showed a worthy result.
Samir Sobirov also fought in the -90 kg category. He faced Ukrainian Bogdan Tolmachov. Having passed a very difficult test in the quarter-finals, Samir fought and tried again, but he lacked some experience and luck. In the end, she finished the tournament with a bronze medal, losing 2:3.
Thus, after the semi-final matches, the number of Uzbek boxers who reached the finals has reached 11. Of these, 5 are boys and 6 are girls. Another 6 of our representatives finished the competition with bronze medals. This result shows that Uzbek boxing is once again demonstrating its strength, potential, and readiness for great challenges in Sofia.
Now all attention is focused on the final fights. And the fans expect even more brilliant victories and gold medals from our compatriot. If this pace continues, the "Strandja" tournament could become another unforgettable event for Uzbek boxers.
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