The Tajikistan national team is heading to the 2026 Asian Beach Games in China, where the continent’s strongest athletes will gather again after a ten-year break. Haknazar Nazarov will play a significant role in the tournament as he will carry the country’s flag at the opening ceremony.
From April 22 to 30, the Chinese resort city of Sanya will host the VI Asian Beach Games – one of the most spectacular multi-sport tournaments on the continent. After a long break, which lasted since 2016, the competitions are effectively being relaunched.
The Games are held under the aegis of the Olympic Council of Asia and traditionally gather hundreds of athletes from dozens of countries. This year, representatives from around 45 countries are expected to participate, and the program includes 14 sports – from beach soccer and volleyball to jiu-jitsu and beach wrestling.
Haknazar Nazarov will be Tajikistan’s flag bearer at the opening and closing ceremonies.
The Tajik delegation includes 10 athletes: Salim Saidaliyev, Firuza Kosimboyeva, Hasan Boimurodov, Alijon Bobomurodov, Mahmud Nazrizoda, Komil Boimurodov, Ramshed Abdulloev, Alirizo Bahromov, Haknazar Nazarov, and Dadakhon Kurbonaliev.
The main focus is on those disciplines where Tajikistan already has a certain foundation – primarily beach wrestling and jiu-jitsu. It is in these sports that the team hopes to challenge its rivals and compete for high places.
The Asian Beach Games differ from classic multi-sport tournaments in their atmosphere and format. There is less formality and more dynamism: competitions are held on open grounds, often near the sea, and the disciplines themselves are adapted to sand and water. This makes the tournament more spectacular and attractive to a wide audience, but at the same time requires athletes to have special physical preparation and versatility.
The Asian Beach Games are a relatively young but already prestigious multi-sport tournament.
The first Games were held in 2008 on the island of Bali (Indonesia), the second in 2010 in Muscat (Oman); the third (2012) in Haiyang (China); the fourth in 2014 in Phuket (Thailand), the fifth in 2016 in Danang (Vietnam).
The program of the Games in Sanya includes 14 sports, each of which is adapted to the beach format.
Among them are 3×3 basketball, beach soccer and volleyball, beach handball, kabaddi, beach wrestling, aquathlon, water sports, dragon boat racing, jiu-jitsu, teqball, and other disciplines.
History of Tajikistan’s Performances
The best result for Tajikistan at the Asian Beach Games was achieved in 2014 in Phuket. The Tajikistan team included 21 athletes in seven sports – sambo, jiu-jitsu, kurash wrestling, beach volleyball, athletics, muay thai, and bodybuilding.
At that time, the team won three medals – one gold and two bronze. In kurash wrestling, Mukhammadmurod Abdurakhmonov (+90 kg) became the gold medalist. Another kurash representative, Saidjalol Saidov, took third place in the 90 kg category. Another bronze medal was won by Jomi Latifov (71 kg) in muay thai.
At the 2016 Games in Danang, the Tajik team performed more modestly – Tajikistan was represented by two athletes: Nursultoni Bozorov (62 kg) and Abdugafur Abdulloyev (85 kg) in the jiu-jitsu tournament. They did not manage to reach the medals.
Now the team has a chance to make a statement again and improve its positions.
