Tajikistan's national team continues to impress at the 3rd Asian Youth Games in Bahrain, having secured a total of 12 medals to date, including two gold, one silver, and nine bronze. The latest victories have propelled the country to 14th place in the overall medal standings, surpassing Jordan and Bahrain.
The standout athletes of October 25 were Fazliddin Khalilov and Umarjon Umed, who both clinched gold medals in amateur mixed martial arts (MMA) — a sport making its debut as an official event at the Games. Khalilov triumphed in the 55 kg weight category, while Umed took gold in the 70 kg division, marking a historic achievement for Tajikistan in the newly introduced discipline.
Seven additional bronze medals were earned by the MMA team: Mehrona Qalandarbekova (55 kg), Marhabo Boboyeva (60 kg), Umar Sharifov (50 kg), Muhammad Saidzoda (60 kg), Osim Begmurodzoda (60 kg), Abubakr Bahromov (75 kg), and Muso Ibrohimzoda (80 kg).
Outside the MMA arena, taekwondo athlete Abdujafar Bahodur added another bronze in the 55 kg category. Earlier in the competition, Jonibek Nematov captured a silver medal in the +73 kg taekwondo division, narrowly losing the final 0:2 to South Korea’s Simok Yiom.
The first medal for Tajikistan came from Abubakr Turayev, who claimed bronze in the traditional Central Asian sport of kurash (65 kg).
With these results, Tajikistan’s medal tally now stands at 2 gold, 1 silver, and 9 bronze.
China currently leads the medal table with a dominant 69 medals (34 gold, 24 silver, 11 bronze), followed by Uzbekistan (28), Thailand (30), Iran (37), and Kazakhstan (35). Other top-performing countries include the Philippines, UAE, Chinese Taipei, India, and Saudi Arabia.
This year’s Asian Youth Games have attracted around 4,000 athletes from 45 countries, competing across 26 sports — ranging from Olympic staples like boxing and judo to emerging disciplines such as Muay Thai, teqball, esports, and amateur MMA.
Tajikistan has sent a delegation of 65 athletes competing in 12 sports. For many, the Games serve as a vital step toward the 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, Senegal.
The 2025 Asian Youth Games, officially the 3rd Asian Youth Games, is the third edition of the Asian Youth Games, a pan-Asian multi-sport event currently taking place in Bahrain from 22 to 31 October 2025. It marks the first time the edition to be held since the last in 2013, after the two previous editions in 2017 and 2021 were cancelled.
