Uzbekistan’s Asian Games delegation returns home with 70 medals

Uzbekistan’s athletes won 21 gold, 25 silver, and 24 bronze medals, 70 in total, at the 20th Asian Games in Aichi and Nagoya, Japan, finishing a commendable fifth among 45 participating countries.

The country’s sports delegation received a ceremonial welcome at Tashkent International Airport named after Islam Karimov. Government representatives led by Abdulla Aripov, Prime Minister of the Republic of Uzbekistan, welcomed the athletes, along with officials from the Ministry of Sports, the National Olympic Committee of Uzbekistan and the Paralympic Committee, representatives of the Tashkent city administration and the sports community, and fans.

Held under the auspices of the Olympic Council of Asia, the Asian Games brought together nearly 11,000 athletes representing 45 countries across the continent. Over 16 days, they competed in 469 events across 43 sports and 71 disciplines, vying for 1,407 medals.

At the most prestigious multisport event of the four-year cycle, Uzbekistan’s delegation competed in 42 sports: 36 Olympic and six non-Olympic disciplines. The national teams included 396 athletes – 224 men and 172 women – representing the country.

Uzbek athletes made their Asian Games debut in beach volleyball, volleyball, sailing, squash, and MMA. During the Games, they also competed for qualification spots for the Los Angeles 2028 Summer Olympic Games in archery, field hockey, tennis, surfing, triathlon, and squash.

The Prime Minister of the Republic of Uzbekistan Abdulla Aripov attended the ceremonial welcome for the sports delegation that brought honor to the country at the 20th Asian Games and read a congratulatory message from the President of Uzbekistan.

At this year’s Asian Games, athletes from 28 countries won gold medals, and representatives from 37 countries secured at least one medal. During the competitions in Japan, athletes broke 89 Asian records across a number of sports. The Games also saw 54 world records, 212 Asian Games records and 11 world junior records set. 

Notably, an Uzbek weightlifter and a shooter were among the record-breakers. Akbar Jurayev won gold in the men’s 110 kg weightlifting category at the continental Games. He lifted 190 kg in the snatch to set a new Asian Games record, then raised 197 kg on his third attempt to establish a world record. In shooting, Vladimir Svechnikov scored 244.3 points in the men’s 10-meter air pistol event, setting a new Asian Games record and earning the gold medal. 

Odil Abdurakhmonov, the Representative of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan for Sports, also attended the ceremony.

Javohir Toshkhujayev, Tulqin Ruziyev, photo by Alimurod Mamadaminov, UzA