The 77th Strandja International Tournament, which lasted from February 22 to March 1 in Sofia, Bulgaria, has concluded, and the Uzbekistan boxing team finished the competition in the spirit of a true victory. Most importantly, our team won first place in the overall team standings in both men's and women's competitions, once again demonstrating the power of Uzbek boxing in the Sofia rings. The official page of the tournament also provides information showing that representatives of Uzbekistan have reached the finals in a very large number of times.
According to the data, our men's team finished the competition in first place with 3 gold, 2 silver, and 4 bronze medals. The women's team performed even more brilliantly, taking the lead with 4 gold, 2 silver, and 2 bronze medals. Thus, the Uzbekistan delegation won a total of 7 gold, 4 silver, and 6 bronze medals, becoming the most successful team of the tournament. These figures also correspond to the results of the previous finals.
In the overall team standings, the second place went to the boxers of Kazakhstan, and the third place was taken by the Ukrainian national team. This also shows how high the competition was in the tournament. However, at the decisive moment, it was the boxers of Uzbekistan who proved to be the most stable, productive, and reliable team.
The list of gold medalists also appeared very substantial. Among men, Fazliddin Erkinboyev (-75 kg), Akmaljon Isroilov (-85 kg), and Turabek Khabibullayev (-90 kg) won the championship. Among women, Sabina Boboqulova (-48 kg), Nigina O'ktamova (-57 kg), Navbahor Hamidova (-65 kg), and Aziza Zokirova (-75 kg) topped the Uzbekistan flag. A particularly noteworthy result was the women's team's victory in the competition with 4 gold medals.
The silver medalists also made a significant contribution to the team's achievement. Javokhir Ummataliyev (-80 kg), Ozodbek Aliyev (+90 kg), Feruza Kazakova (-51 kg), and Oltinoy Sotimboyeva (+80 kg) finished the tournament in second place. It was especially painful that Feruza Kazakova reached the final and was unable to participate in the decisive fight due to injury. However, his silver medal also played an important role in the overall success.
Bronze medals also strengthened our team's overall superiority. Asilbek Jalilov (-50 kg), Shavkatjon Boltayev (-70 kg), Norbek Abdullayev (-85 kg), Samir Sobirov (-90 kg), Farzona Fozilova (-48 kg), and Rukhshona Parpiyeva (-80 kg) took third place, adding valuable prize points to Uzbekistan's tally. That is, our team proved that it has not only champions, but also a team that has been able to give stable results in almost every stage.
Behind this success, naturally, lies the work of a large coaching staff and the entire technical team. It is evident that the team led by head coaches Tulkin Kilichev and Elshod Rasulov, the coaches, the doctor, the physiotherapist, the manager, and the referees worked as a single system. The result in Sofia was not just an achievement in individual fights, but a product of good preparation, proper planning, and strong teamwork.
In short, the "Strandja" tournament became another big celebration for Uzbek boxing. Both men and women took first place, our team surpassed their opponents in medal count, and once again demonstrated in practice that it is one of the strongest schools in the international arena. This result, returning from Sofia, gives the team greater confidence and a psychological advantage ahead of future major competitions.
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