To‘rabek Habibullayev’s Asian Games rival Nurbek Oralbay sidelined

10 October 2026, 19:37·48·Sport

It has been revealed that Nurbek Oralbay, the famous Kazakh boxer and silver medalist of the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games, sustained a serious injury following the Asian Games hosted by Japan. According to sports journalist Aslan Kazhenov, the boxer, who competes in the weight category of up to 90 kg, will be unable to participate in the national championship due to his injury.

The athlete personally contacted the journalist to clarify the situation and stated that he is ready to provide medical documents so that there is no doubt among local fans.

"My shoulder was seriously injured": Aslan Kazhenov's statement

The journalist noted that Nurbek Oralbay suffered a severe injury during a tense bout with an Uzbek boxer:

Injury details: "Nurbek contacted me himself. He said that due to the injury, he won't be able to step into the ring at the Kazakhstan Championship. During the uncompromising fight against To‘rabek Habibullayev, his shoulder area suffered serious damage," Kazhenov wrote;
Transparency and evidence: In order to put an end to rumors that the athlete is avoiding competition, he noted that if necessary, he is ready to show the official medical conclusion and MRI scans;
Claim to leadership: Oralbay specifically emphasized that he is not afraid of any internal competition in his weight category and intends to prove that he is still the strongest boxer in Kazakhstan once he recovers and returns to the ranks.

The Uzbek-Kazakh clash at the Asian Games

In the framework of the 2026 Asian Games, the bouts in the up to 90 kg weight class ended unexpectedly without a medal for Nurbek Oralbay:

Round of 16: The Kazakh master of leather gloves started the tournament confidently, defeating Silab Nuri from Afghanistan with a score of 5:0;
Quarterfinal clash: In a nervous encounter for the semifinals and a guaranteed medal, he was opposed by Uzbekistan's representative To‘rabek Habibullayev. According to a split decision of the judges (2:3), Habibullayev won and knocked the Olympic runner-up out of the competition;
To‘rabek's championship: Acting with high morale after this fight, the young Uzbek boxer defeated all his opponents in the next two stages as well, winning the gold medal of the Asian Games and rising to the championship podium.

Currently, the Kazakh boxer is continuing medical treatments and, upon full recovery, will prepare to take revenge in new international competitions.