Uzbek boxers are aiming for gold medals in the Hamburg 2017 AIBA World Boxing Championships

The Uzbek boxing delegation arrived to the AIBA World Boxing Championships to Hamburg, Germany already in the beginning of August to acclimatize in the venue. The Uzbek squad contains several stars including Rio 2016 Olympic Champion Hasanboy Dusmatov and further Olympic and World medallists.
Tashkent hosted the qualification event in our continent, the ASBC Asian Confederation Boxing Championships from April 30 until May 7 and Uzbekistan secured nine gold medals breaking the previous records. All of their ten boxers were able to qualify for Hamburg where their expectations are high after the boxing tournament of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games and the recent main international competitions.

Hasanboy Dusmatov claimed gold medal at the light flyweight (49kg) in the Rio 2016 Olympic Games and won also the Val Barker Trophy as the best boxer trophy one year ago The Uzbek miniman was ready to continue his big things in 2017, attended successfully in Season VII of the World Series of Boxing where he was able to raise his number of victories up to 12 after his Olympic successes, furthermore he claimed the title in the ASBC Asian Confederation Boxing Championships in Tashkent.

Experienced Jasurbek Latipov was bronze medallist in the Baku 2011 AIBA World Boxing Championships and achieved silver in the Almaty 2013 AIBA World Boxing Championships. After a few poor years the 26-year-old flyweight (52kg) boxer regained his place in the national team and achieved a gold medal in the ASBC Asian Confederation Boxing Championships in Tashkent.

Murodjon Akhmadaliev was silver medallist at the 2012 AIBA Youth World Championships in Yerevan and joined to the elite level in 2013. The 23-year-old talent moved up to the bantamweight (56kg) in the recent years and following his silver at the Doha 2015 AIBA World Boxing Championships he achieved bronze at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. He is also defending ASBC Asian Champion and a strong medal hopeful for Uzbekistan in Hamburg.

Tashkent region’s Elnur Abduraimov was bronze medallist in the 2015 AIBA World Boxing Championships in Doha but could not compete in the Rio 2016 Olympic Games due Uzbekistan’s double quotas in the lightweight (60kg). The 23-year-old top WSB boxer moved back to the lightweight (60kg) in the recent months and after his strong performance in the WSB and in the ASBC Asian Confederation Boxing Championships.

AIBA Youth World Boxing Championships bronze medallist Ikboljon Kholdarov proved top performance as youth boxer and he adopted the level of the elite athletes very quickly. The 20-year-old light welterweight (64kg) boxer competed in the APB as the youngest hope in 2016 and won several international AOB events before winning the gold in the ASBC Asian Confederation Boxing Championships in Tashkent.

Uzbekistan’s new sensation Shakhram Giyasov had a few international successes in the recent years in smaller events but he was able to do the breakthrough in 2016. The 24-year-old boxer moved up to the welterweight (69kg) in November 2015 and following his Uzbek national title he won the AIBA Asian & Oceanian Olympic Qualification Event in Qian’an and claimed silver in the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. His silver in Rio de Janeiro was his career highlight and received the ASBC Asian Discovery of the Year Trophy in 2016.

Israil Madrimov was silver medallist at the 2013 ASBC Asian Confederation Youth Boxing Championships in Subic Bay, Philippines and he was able to repeat that performance at the Incheon 2014 Asian Games short after his 19th birthday. Khorezm region’s hope moved up to the middleweight (75kg) one year ago and his decision was successful. The 22-year-old boxer was unbeaten in 2016 and won all of his WSB and AOB bouts also this year winning the ASBC Asian Confederation Boxing Championships in Tashkent as well.

Bektemir Melikuziev is Uzbekistan’s next big hope for at least a medal in the Hamburg 2017 AIBA World Boxing Championships. He joined to the elite age group after his gold in the Nanjing 2014 Youth Olympic Games and in the AIBA Youth World Boxing Championships two years ago. The Rio 2016 Olympic Games silver medallist Bektemir Melikuziev also changed his weight class, he is now at the light heavyweight (81kg) and could be a strong opponent for Cuba’s star Julio Cesar La Cruz.

Uzbekistan’s previously best heavyweight (91kg) boxer Rustam Tulaganov did not box since the Rio 2016 Olympic Games therefore their head coach had to find a new team member in 2017. Following Boburbek Yuldashev, Sardorbek Begaliev and Zukhriddin Makhkamov were not able to get top performance this year, finally ASBC Asian Youth Champion 19-year-old Sanjar Tursunov are selected to take part in the ASBC Asian Confederation Boxing Championships in Tashkent where he qualified for Hamburg.

Surkhandarya region’s Rio 2016 Olympic Games quarter-finalist and AIBA World Boxing Championships bronze medallist Bakhodir Jalolov amazed the world’s boxing life in the recent two years and after his fourth national title he could be one of the key person of the super heavyweight (+91kg) in Hamburg. The defending ASBC Asian Champion’s two main rivals such as Cuba’s Jose Angel Larduet and England’s Frazer Clarke are injured therefore Jalolov’s chances are better than ever.

The Uzbek team in the Hamburg 2017 AIBA World Boxing Championships:
 49kg: Hasanboy Dusmatov
 52kg: Jasurbek Latipov
 56kg: Murodjon Akhmadaliev
 60kg: Elnur Abduraimov
 64kg: Ikboljon Kholdarov
 69kg: Shakhram Giyasov
 75kg: Israil Madrimov
 81kg: Bektemir Melikuziev
 91kg: Sanjar Tursunov
 +91kg: Bakhodir Jalolov

ASBC