The Tajikistan national judo team returned home after a historic performance at the Asian Championships, and in Dushanbe, the team was greeted like true heroes — with awards, applause, and substantial bonuses.
The Tajikistan team flew into Dushanbe on a flight from China after the Asian Championships, which took place in Ordos. At the airport, the athletes were met by representatives of the Judo Federation, fans, family, and friends. The atmosphere was truly festive — the team returned not just with medals, but with one of the best results in the history of Tajik judo.
The Chairman of the Tajikistan Judo Federation, Ismoil Mahmadzohir, personally congratulated the athletes and presented each medalist with a cash award — 100,000 somoni each.
At the Asian Championships, the Tajikistan team won five medals: two gold, two silver, and one bronze. The gold medals were won by Emomali Nurali (66 kg) and Mukhiddin Asadulloev (73 kg), the silver medalists were Obid Dzhebov (66 kg) and Somon Makhmadbekov (81 kg), and the bronze was won by Madina Kurbonzoda (52 kg).
This result allowed Tajikistan to take second place in the team standings, second only to Mongolia. Emomali Nurali’s victory deserves special attention, as he brought the country its first Asian Championship gold in the last 9 years. Before him, the last continental champion from Tajikistan was Komronshohi Ustopiriyon, who won the tournament in 2017. The second gold was brought by Mukhiddin Asadulloev.
The Asian Championships in Ordos brought together 197 athletes from 19 countries, and in this competition, the Tajik team managed to perform as efficiently as possible. The team consisted of 13 judokas, and nearly half of them returned with medals.
Several athletes came close to winning medals: Abdulloi Orif (73 kg), Bekhruzi Khojazoda (81 kg), Mukhammad Abdudjalilzoda (90 kg), and Jahongir Majidov (100 kg) took fifth places, while Mehrzod Sufiev (60 kg) and Viktoria Kiseleva (+78 kg) finished the tournament in seventh positions. Early exits were suffered by Akhlyia Mu’minova and Alexandra Kan, who failed to pass the preliminary stages.
The Asian Championship holds a high status in the IJF system and directly affects the world ranking of athletes. The tournament winner receives 700 ranking points, the silver medalist gets 490, and bronze medalists earn 350.
