Tajik rower Muhammadi Radjabov won a bronze medal at the Marathon World Rowing and Canoeing Championships held in Gyor, Hungary, on September 4-7. About 500 athletes from more than 40 countries participate in the competition.
Mukhammadi Radjabov came third in the 14.4 km C-1 canoe among juniors.
This achievement has gone down in history: for the first time since independence, a Tajik athlete has reached the podium of the World Junior Rowing Championships.
For Tajikistan, this bronze was the result of a long systematic preparation. Radjabov trains at the Olympic Reserve School No. 4 in swimming and diving in Dushanbe under the guidance of mentor Tohir Nurmukhammadi. In recent years, the Republic's Rowing Federation has been trying to train and develop young athletes.
In an interview with "Asia-Plus" after the final, Radjabov admitted that getting the award was not easy.
"It was a difficult ordeal. The pace was high from the first meters, the rivals attacked at every turn, but I am glad that I was able to withstand and bring a medal to my country."
The Gyor tournament brought together the best rowers in the world and covered short, long and paracanoe distances:
– short distance (3.4 km): kayaking and canoeing for juniors and adults;
– long distance (up to 26.2 km): marathons among juniors, youth and adult athletes;
– paracanoe (8.2-11.8 km): separate disciplines for men and women.
The historic bronze medal in Gyor is not the first great success of the young Tajik athlete. In June 2025, Muhammadi Radjabov won gold at the Asian Junior Rowing Championships in Pattaya (Thailand), confidently winning the 1000 m distance. Last season, he also became the Asian champion in the same distance and took silver in the 200-meter.
Experts consider Radjabov's results as a starting point for preparing for the next major starts, as well as possible qualification for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
After returning from Hungary, Radjabov and his coach will continue to prepare for new starts. They plan to work on the speed and technique of passing long distances.
"We want Radjabov's success to inspire other young athletes,– coach Tohir Nurmukhammadi told "Asia Plus". "This is just the beginning, our guys have a huge potential."
