Success, setbacks, and the future of Uzbek Sports: 2024 Recap

The year 2024, which is coming to an end, was remembered for many unforgettable, exciting, and sensational events in Uzbek sports. This year, Uzbekistan held the best Olympics in its history and hosted many major tournaments, Uzbek athletes achieved historic results in world arenas, and at the same time, as the year drew to a close, Uzbekistan lost the opportunity to host a major tournament.

Today, QALAMPIR.UZ will present you with a summary of the 2024 year, which was thoughtful, successful, and sometimes painful for Uzbek sports, and once again recall the most important realities.

The Best Olympics in the History of Uzbekistan

Although several important and prestigious sports competitions were held in 2024, the attention of not only Uzbekistan but also the whole world was focused on the Olympic and Paralympic Games hosted by Paris in the summer. Uzbekistan participated in the Olympic Games, which were held from July 26 to August 11, with the largest contingent in its history, and recorded its best result at the Olympics.

The members of the Uzbek delegation competed in 19 sports with 90 athletes under 75 licenses, and according to the results of the competition, with 8 gold, 2 silver, and 3 bronze, a total of 13 medals, they took 13th place in the overall team standings, leaving behind Hungary, Spain, Brazil, and many other famous countries.

A particularly significant aspect of the Paris Olympics for Uzbek sports was the participation of the Uzbek team in the football tournament for the first time. Although the Olympic team coached by Temur Kapadze did not achieve satisfactory results in the competition, participating in the tournament opened a new page in the history of Uzbek sports.

Diyora Keldiyorova, who participated in the -52 kg judo competition, presented Uzbekistan with her first medal at the Paris Olympics. In addition to bringing Uzbekistan its first medal in Paris, Keldiyorova became the first female athlete in the history of Uzbekistan to win a gold medal at the Summer Olympics. In particular, Keldiyorova's defeat of Uto Abe, a representative of Japan, and a native of judo, caused a great stir around the world.

As expected, the boxing team presented Uzbekistan with the highest and highest-quality medals at the largest sports competition of the four years. Uzbek leather glove masters provided the delegation with 5 gold medals, laying the foundation for a historic victory.

Athletes such as Bakhodir Jalolov, Ulugbek Rashidov, and Hasanboy Dusmatov became two-time winners of the Summer Olympics. Also, Razambek Jamalov, a native of Chechnya, who participated in freestyle wrestling at the Olympics, added a gold medal to Uzbekistan's account.

After the Olympic Games, everyone's attention was focused on the Paralympic Games, which were held from August 24 to September 8. Interestingly, like the Olympians, the Paralympians also took 13th place in the overall team standings. The Uzbek athletes won 10 gold, 9 silver, and 7 bronze medals, a total of 26 medals.

The winners of the Olympics and Paralympics were awarded $200,000, a two-story cottage and a Tahoe, the second-place winners were awarded $100,000, a house and a BYD, and the bronze medalists were awarded $50,000, a BYD and house keys.

Uzbekistan Hosted a FIFA-Classified Competition for the First Time

From September 14 to October 6, Uzbekistan hosted the historic Futsal World Cup. It was clear that Uzbekistan would host the Futsal World Cup in June 2023.

After accepting the hosting rights, the Uzbekistan Football Association began major preparations. First of all, to ensure the country's team's worthy participation in the World Cup hosted by the country, world-famous Spanish expert Jose Venancio Lopez, who is described as the "Guardiola" of futsal, was appointed as the national team coach.

The World Cup matches were held at a high level in 3 cities of Uzbekistan - Tashkent, Andijan, and Bukhara, but the hosts' participation in the tournament was not up to par. Venancio Lopez's team recorded 2 draws and 1 defeat in the group stage, ending their participation in the group stage.

The tournament came to an end on October 6. The two strongest teams in South America faced off in the final held at the Humo Arena in Tashkent.

After a 12-year break, Brazil defeated fellow continent Argentina and became unequaled in the world again. With this, Brazil became the world champion for the 6th time.

In the match for 3rd place, France lost to Ukraine with a score of 1:7. Argentina won the silver medal.

On October 7, a meeting was held on the participation of the Uzbekistan national futsal team in the World Cup. The meeting, which was attended by the UFA leadership and head coach Jose Venancio Lopez, critically reviewed the team's participation in the competition, and Lopez was dismissed.

Although the Uzbek national team failed to participate in the competition, the country gained good experience in this regard by hosting a major tournament in the FIFA classification.

Madrimov Opens a New Chapter in Uzbek Boxing History

In April of the upcoming year, it was confirmed that Uzbek professional boxer Isroil Madrimov would face undefeated American boxer Terence Crawford, a leader in the P4P category. The highly anticipated clash took place on August 3 at the 22,000-seat BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, USA.

One of the pre-fight face-off events was held at the iconic Times Square in New York, further boosting Uzbekistan’s global profile.

Although the fight ended in a controversial decision favoring the 37-year-old Crawford, it marked a significant turning point for Uzbek boxing.

Madrimov stated that the fight with Crawford was the best of his career, despite the loss. "Of course, the fight with Crawford was the best in my career. We were able to execute the tactics we had planned before the fight in the ring, and I gained a lot of experience. My self-confidence has grown even more. I realized that I can compete with any strong boxer and, if necessary, win," said Madrimov.

It is noteworthy that following this fight, Madrimov will remain on the main card of major boxing events.

The “Riyadh Season” announced that Madrimov will face American Virgil Ortiz at a tournament scheduled for February 22. A fight with Ukrainian Sergey Bogachuk, initially scheduled for December 21, was canceled due to Madrimov’s acute bronchitis. He will be replaced by Englishman Ishmael Davis.

Madrimov’s next fight will now be against 26-year-old Virgil Ortiz on February 22, 2025.

The Madrimov-Crawford fight has become one of the most significant events in Uzbek sports over the past year.

Sports Under the Leadership of the President

The past year was also notable for the appointment of an official head to one of Uzbekistan’s largest sports organizations, the National Olympic Committee. On November 25, during the 41st General Assembly of the National Olympic Committee of Uzbekistan, organizational matters were discussed, and the President of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, was nominated and unanimously elected as chairman of the organization.

After Rustam Shoabdurahmonov’s tenure as chairman from 2019 to 2022, the National Olympic Committee lacked an official leader. Shavkat Mirziyoyev now officially holds the position, both in document and in practice.

Mirziyoyev’s younger son-in-law, Otabek Umarov, the Deputy Head of the Presidential State Security Service and Vice President of the Olympic Council of Asia, will serve as First Deputy President of the organization.

Sherzod Toshmatov, who has been serving as Deputy Chairman of the National Olympic Committee and Chairman of the Taekwondo Association of Uzbekistan, will continue in his role.

Shavkat Mirziyoyev was elected to this position at the request of the thousands of Olympic families, athletes, and coaches across Uzbekistan. This appointment comes as part of the country’s preparation for the 2028 Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

The new leadership has been tasked with ensuring comprehensive preparation for the 2028 Olympics and developing the Olympic movement by the organization’s charter. Their responsibilities include promoting Olympism, supporting the physical and spiritual education of the population, and advancing physical education and sports—especially national sports, sports for the disabled, and more.

Tashkent Stripped of Asian Games Hosting Rights

Despite the personal involvement of the President in promoting sports, Uzbekistan lost the right to host the Asian Games.

On December 2, the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) held an online Executive Committee meeting where the appeal from the National Olympic Committee of Uzbekistan and the Ministry of Sports was considered. The Uzbek side requested a postponement of the 2025 Asian Youth Games due to delays caused by post-pandemic restrictions and disruptions in the delivery of necessary equipment for the Olympic Village construction. However, the OCA emphasized the importance of holding the event in 2025, as the games would serve as qualifiers for the Dakar 2026 Summer Youth Olympic Games. Consequently, Bahrain was awarded the hosting rights for the III Asian Youth Games.

The OCA recommended that Uzbekistan focus on preparing for other large-scale events, such as the Islamic Solidarity Games or the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games.

In 2020, the government adopted a resolution to prepare for the 2025 Summer Asian Youth Games. President Shavkat Mirziyoyev personally initiated a $289 million construction project, which included the development of multiple sports facilities in the Yashnabad district of Tashkent. Despite this progress, Uzbekistan will no longer host the Asian Games.

The National Olympic Committee of Uzbekistan reassured the public, stating that the country remains committed to the development of sports and the Olympic movement. The planned Olympic Village will still be constructed, and the complex will be prepared to host future major sporting events.

Ruslan Nuriddinov Breaks World Record

At the World Weightlifting Championships in Bahrain, Uzbek athlete Ruslan Nuriddinov set a world record and became the champion. Competing in the -109 kg weight category, Nuriddinov broke his previous world record set in Tashkent three years ago by lifting 242 kg in the clean and jerk. His total of 424 kg remained unbeaten, securing his third world championship title in two events.

Sharofiddin Amriddinov, who earned a gold medal in the clean and jerk, also performed well, securing sixth place in the clean and jerk with 212 kg and fifth in the total with 396 kg. Despite this, all gold medals in the event were claimed by the Uzbek team.

At 33, Nuriddinov’s victory is a testament to his enduring strength and commitment to weightlifting. His success is particularly remarkable given the emergence of younger athletes in the sport. His record-breaking feat was one of the most memorable sporting moments of the year.

Growth in Football

As the year drew to a close, the best performers in Uzbek football were honored, including those from the Uzbekistan Football Championship.

On December 11, a ceremony at Bunyodkor Stadium in Tashkent celebrated the champions of the season, Nasaf FC from Karshi. Rozikul Berdiyev was named the best coach of the year, and Akmal Mozgovoy was recognized as the best player.

Three days later, another ceremony took place at the Uzbekistan Football Association, where Temur Kapadze was named the best football coach of Uzbekistan. Abbosbek Fayzullayev, who plays for the Uzbek national team and Russian club CSKA, was awarded the title of best football player in Uzbekistan for 2024. Fayzullayev narrowly beat Abdukadir Khusanov by just one point in the voting.

The year was also marked by incidents involving Uzbek athletes, including Bakhodir Jalolov's outspoken comments about food issues at the Olympics, his violation of traffic rules, and controversies surrounding the leadership of the Basketball and Swimming Federations. These issues sparked critical commentary and QALAMPIR.UZ highlighted them throughout the year.

It is hoped that Uzbekistan’s sports sector will learn from these missteps in 2024 and emerge stronger in 2025.

May the new year be filled with success and victories for Uzbek sports!