The Uzbekistan national team demonstrated strong results at the Asian Games in Nagoya on September 29, winning two more gold medals. After the tenth day of competition, Uzbekistan's total number of awards reached 44: 14 gold, 17 silver, and 13 bronze. Thanks to these achievements, the country maintained fourth place in the overall standings, trailing only China, Japan, and South Korea in the number of gold medals.
One of the key events of the day was the performance of Olympic champion Akbar Jurayev in weightlifting. In the new weight category up to 110 kg, he set a world record by lifting 197 kg in the snatch and managed 226 kg in the clean and jerk. The total result in the combined event was 423 kg. This result allowed him to surpass his nearest competitor by 13 kg.
Jurayev's snatch result exceeded his previous world record of 196 kg, which was set at the 2025 World Championships in Fjord, Norway. In Nagoya, he also set Asian Games records in the snatch, clean and jerk, and total. This marked the first gold in Akbar Jurayev's career at the Asian Games. Previously, at the Asian Games in Hangzhou, he placed second in the under 109 kg category with a total of 417 kg, losing by only one kilogram to Chinese athlete Liu Huanhua.
Akbar Jurayev stated that he dedicates his victory to his family, noting that they were disappointed by the silver medal last time, so he decided to take gold.
Barnokhon Saifulayeva won another gold
The second gold prize of the day was won by track and field athlete Barnokhon Saifulayeva. In the final of the women's high jump, she cleared the bar at a height of 1.90 m. Kazakhstan's Kristina Ovchinnikova took second place with a result of 1.87 m, and Indian athlete Pooja came third with 1.84 m. Saifulayeva's victory increased Uzbekistan's total number of gold medals at the Asian Games to fourteen.
This success continues Uzbekistan's long history of success in high jump, where representatives of the country have won six out of nine gold medals since 1994. Svetlana Munkova won the first victory in 1994. Svetlana Radzivil won gold three consecutive Asian Games—in 2010, 2014, and 2018. Safina Sadullaeva won gold at the 2022 Games, and now Barnokhon Saifulayeva holds the title of champion.
For the 21-year-old athlete, 2026 proved to be very successful: in April, she won the Asian Beach Games in Sanya, achieving a result of 1.85 m, bringing Uzbekistan its first gold medal at those games. Previously, Saifulayeva had already become an Asian junior champion in the U20 category, winning the continental championship in 2023 with a result of 1.84 m, and in 2024—with 1.83 m.
Within the athletics program, Uzbekistan concluded its performances with at least three gold medals: earlier Sharifa Davronova won in the triple jump, and Sukhrob Khojaev won in the hammer throw.
Boxing Tournament: Erkinboev and Zokirov in the semifinals
The semifinal stage of the boxing tournament began on September 29, where Uzbekistan participated in several weight categories. In the under 80 kg category, Fazliddin Erkinboev faced Indian Ankush Panghal and lost by unanimous decision with a score of 1:4. Since both losing semifinalists receive bronze in Olympic boxing, Erkinboev finished the tournament as a bronze medalist. This award has not yet been included in the official tally for the evening of September 29.
Other semifinals were more successful. Olympic champion of Paris-2024 Abdumalik Khalokov in the under 60 kg category defeated host country representative Syunsuke Kitamoto with a score of 4:1. In the final, the Uzbek fighter will compete against South Korean Chan Dong Hwan. In the over 90 kg category, Jahongir Zokirov defeated Iranian Amir Esmaeili Vandaei. The bout was interrupted in the second round due to the Iranian boxer's injury. Zokirov's opponent in the final will be Kazakhstani Aibek Oralbay.
Thus, after the first part of the semifinals, Uzbekistan secured at least one bronze medal and ensured two more awards no lower than silver. Before the semifinals, Uzbek boxers had already guaranteed a number of awards, as World Boxing noted that all athletes who passed the quarter-final stage receive at least bronze. Among them were Feruza Kazakova, Sitora Turdibekova, Shavkatjon Boltayev, and Turabek Khabibullaev.
Shooting and other sporting events
Azamat Kayumov, who participated in the men's trap, was close to the podium in shooting. He reached the final but finished the competition in fourth place, just short of a medal. The gold in this discipline was won by Khaled Al-Mudhaf from Kuwait, silver by Yang Kunpi from Taipei, and bronze by Chinese athlete Ci Yin. It is worth noting that shooting sports have already brought Uzbekistan a gold medal at the current Asian Games: on September 24, Vladimir Svechnikov won in 10m air pistol shooting.
Other results of the day
In the men's tennis tournament, Humoyun Sultanov defeated his Chinese opponent with a score of 6:1, 6:4 and advanced to the third round. Vyacheslav Kachanov reached the final in diving, where he placed 11th. In the women's 800m race final, Sabohat Samijonova finished last, although she had placed third in the preliminary heat the day before and qualified for the main race.
By the end of September 29, Uzbekistan's total result reached 44 medals (14 gold, 17 silver, and 13 bronze). Previously, by the end of September 28, the country had 42 awards (12 gold, 17 silver, and 13 bronze). Although Kazakhstan had more awards in absolute terms (48 versus 44), Uzbekistan held a higher position because the Asian Games standings prioritize the number of gold medals.
