Uzbekistan U-23 National Team Reaches Quarterfinals of Asian Games

The Olympic football national team of Uzbekistan secured a spot in the quarterfinals of the Asian Games by finishing the group stage ahead of schedule. The tournament is being held in Japan.

In the second stage of the group stage, the team, led by Ravshan Khaydarov, defeated Kuwait with a score of 2:0. Both goals were scored by Sardorbek Bahromov in the 6th and 36th minutes of the match.

Despite being reduced to ten men early in the second half after the sending off of Ruziboy Faizullaev, the team managed to maintain its advantage until the end of the game.

Thanks to the results of two matches, Uzbekistan accumulated 6 points, which secured them a place in the upper part of the first pair of Group C. The next group stage match will take place on September 22 against Vietnam.

Determining the Quarterfinal Opponent

According to the tournament structure, the winner of Group C will play in the quarterfinals against the second-placed team from Group D, while the second-placed team in Group C will meet the winner of Group D. Thus, Uzbekistan's opponent will only be known after the completion of the group stage. Possible opponents for the national team include Saudi Arabia or South Korea.

The quarterfinal matches between teams from Groups C and D are scheduled for September 25. It should be noted that previously, the Uzbekistan national team confidently defeated the Philippines 5:1 in the first round.

A press conference was held in Tashkent at the Museum of Olympic and Paralympic Glory regarding the upcoming participation of the delegation of Uzbekistan in the Asian and Para Asian Games to be held in Aichi-Nagoya in 2026. The Uzbek team plans to participate in 42 sports events at the Asian Games and in 11 disciplines at the Para Asian Games, including several debut categories.

The event gathered Deputy Minister of Sport Shahrullo Mahmudov, Deputy Chairman of the National Paralympic Committee Hikmat Toshmatov, Paralympic champion of Paris-2024 in para athletics Yorkinkbek Odilov, as well as representatives from the media and the sports community.

At the Asian Games, Uzbek athletes will represent 42 sports, 36 of which are part of the Olympic program. For the first time, representatives of Uzbekistan will participate in disciplines such as beach volleyball, volleyball, sailing, squash, and MMA.

Shahrullo Mahmudov commented on issues related to Japan's hot and humid climate, stating that the weather conditions will not be an obstacle for the republic's athletes. He emphasized that the conditions are the same for all participants, and all necessary opportunities for adaptation are provided for the athletes.

Speaking about the potential for winning medals, the deputy minister noted that thanks to state support, the chances of athletes are equal in all categories of disciplines. Furthermore, he explained the decision to send only the women's team to the handball tournament because it has higher chances of successful performance compared to the men's team.

Hikmat Toshmatov provided information on the preparation for the Para Asian Games. At the competitions in Aichi-Nagoya, Uzbek para-athletes will participate in 11 sports, three of which are new to the country: para fencing, para archery, and boccia.

The Uzbekistan national team won 19 medals at the VI World Nomadic Games held in Kyrgyzstan. Thanks to this result, the team secured fifth place in the overall medal standings.

Uzbek athletes received four gold, four silver, and eleven bronze awards. The competitions started on August 31 and concluded on September 6. Approximately 3 thousand athletes from 113 different countries participated, competing in 43 different disciplines.

Results and Team Standings

In the final count, Uzbekistan was directly behind Mongolia, which earned 21 medals, including five gold, three silver, and thirteen bronze. Furthermore, in terms of gold medals, the Uzbek team lagged behind only four other nations.

Kazakhstan won the Games, with its athletes securing 74 awards: 32 gold, 20 silver, and 22 bronze. Kyrgyzstan came in second place, collecting 84 medals, although only 30 of them were gold. Russia took third place, showing 36 awards, including seven gold ones.

It is important to note that the ranking in the final table was based on the number of gold medals, not on the total number of awards received.

Additionally, it is reported that the Afghanistan national team previously withdrew from the kokpar tournament. This decision was made by the team after losing to Uzbekistan with a score of 1:4; the reason for withdrawal was problems with horses.