LikeCup, the tournament that sparked a scandal between bloggers and artists, resumes

Previously, it was reported that a public scandal had erupted between artists and bloggers during the LikeCup tournament held at the “Jar” stadium in Tashkent, resulting in disciplinary action against several participants. Now, the tournament is set to resume on July 18. This was confirmed by tournament moderator Sherzod Mardiyev in response to an inquiry by QALAMPIR.UZ.

According to Mardiyev, the tournament had not been officially terminated and will continue from where it was previously suspended. However, several changes will be introduced:

The “Cotta Bolla” team will be removed from the tournament.

• Three players from the “Malades” team — Abdurakhmon Mavlonov, Mirjalol Rahmonaliyev, and Umar Sobirov — will also be disqualified.

Mardiyev added that, moving forward, every team must sign a declaration affirming that they will fully adhere to the tournament’s rules, discipline, and legal regulations.

The LikeCup scandal

The scandal took place on May 29 at the “Jar” stadium in Tashkent and was broadcast live on the “Sport” TV channel.

The match between artists and bloggers ended with a score of 1–0. Following the final whistle, a member of the winning team struck a member of the losing team in the head, sparking a public brawl.

One of the tournament’s organizers, actor Alisher Uzoqov, later claimed the altercation was part of a planned PR stunt meant to attract attention, but acknowledged that the situation spiraled out of control. The blogger who initiated the fight later confirmed this, stating that the incident was orchestrated to increase social media followers.

A mobile court session was convened by the Shaykhontohur District Criminal Court to address the incident. Several individuals were found guilty and penalized accordingly. Among them were tournament organizer Alisher Uzoqov, comedian Abdurakhmon Mavlonov, and bloggers Mirjalol Rahmonaliyev and Dilshodbek Orozboyev. All were found guilty under Article 183 (Petty Hooliganism) and Part 1 of Article 194 (Failure to Comply with Lawful Orders of Internal Affairs Officers) of the Code of Administrative Responsibility. Each was fined 10 times the base calculation amount (3,750,000 soums).

Ozodbek Orozboyev, who initiated the brawl, was sentenced to 10 days of administrative detention under the same articles. In addition, Kamoliddin Mamajonov was found guilty under Article 183 and Part 2 of Article 194, and fined 12 times the base amount (4,500,000 soums).