Another medal will appear in the team of Turkmenistan at the ongoing XI Summer Asian Games in Hangzhou, China. It was guaranteed by Bairamdurdy Nurmukhammedov, a student of the Turkmen State Institute of Physical Culture and Sports, who made it to the semifinals in the weight category up to 71 kg.

As already reported, in the first fight Bairamdurdy beat Davud Mahkamov from Tajikistan, a participant of the 2023 World Championship in Tashkent, 5-0. And in the second he prevailed by technical knockout over 19-year–old Nidal Focahaa from Palestine, who took 9th place at the 2023 World Championship in Tashkent.

In the quarterfinals, the winner of which guaranteed himself at least a bronze medal, Bairamdurdy Nurmukhammedov was opposed by 26-year–old Tuguldur Byambatsogt, who had previously won by technical knockout over Mohammad Khaybar Nuristani (Afghanistan) and defeated Peerapat Yeasungnoen (Thailand) - 5:0.

The Mongolian boxing school is famous for good athletes, and therefore many experts predicted victory to B.Nurmukhammedov's opponent in this fight. However, Bairamdurdy strongly disagreed with this.

The first round, according to the decision of all five judges, remained with a minimal advantage for the Mongolian boxer. In the second, our compatriot moved to more active actions, bringing down a big flurry of blows on the opponent. And many of them were so sensitive, as a result of which Jennifer Huggins from Canada, who was refereeing in the ring, twice had to open an account when the Mongolian athlete was knocked down. And only a little time was not enough for Bairamdurdy to finish the fight early in the second round.

Having caught the courage, B.Nurmukhammedov in the third round continued to deliver massive blows to the opponent's body and head, and the Mongolian boxer's coaches, in order not to endanger the athlete's health, had no choice but to throw a towel into the ring, admitting defeat.

In the semifinals, the winner of which guarantees himself not only at least a silver medal, but also a ticket to the Olympic Games-2024 in Paris, Bairamdurdy Nurmukhammedov will meet with Kang Chia Wei (Taiwan), quarterfinalist in the weight up to 75 kg of the previous Asian Games-2018 in Indonesia, who won in the first round against Nuradin Rustambek Uulu (Kyrgyzstan) – 4:1, defeated Niraja Galani Gamage (Sri Lanka) - 5:0 in the second, and won Bin Che Azmi Mohd Aswan (Malaysia) – 5:0 in the third round.

Sewonrets Quincy Mensah Okazawa (Japan), the participant of the Olympic Games in Tokyo, the world champion of 2021 in Belgrade in the weight up to 67 kg, and Aslanbek Shymbergenov (Kazakhstan), the current world and Asian champion, silver medalist of the previous Asian Games 2018 in Jakarta in the weight category up to 69 kg, will meet in the other semi-final.

Bairamdurdy Nurmukhammedov, a 21-year–old native of the city of Magtymguly in Balkan velayat, is an Asian Games debutant.  He reached the quarterfinals at last year's Asian Championship in Amman, Jordan, and at this year’s World Championship in Tashkent, he won the first two fights, and in the fight for reaching the quarterfinals he lost to the representative of Russia and took 9th place. He is engaged in boxing under the guidance of Yazmukhammet Pazzyev and Tenilbek Jumakulov, head coach of the Turkmenistan national team.

Boxing, as a sport, was included in the program of the Asian Games in 1954. At the current tournament in the Asian Games program, which is held at the Hangzhou Gymnasium, boxers are playing for 13 sets of awards.

Meanwhile, competitions in other sports continue at the Asian Games in Hangzhou.

 Mergen Mammedov, a 32-year-old International Master of Sports from Ashgabat, participant of the Olympic Games in London and Tokyo, took 9th place among 13 participants in the hammer throw with a score of 66.93 meters, falling short of his record of Turkmenistan of 7.08 meters. Nine years ago, he took 7th place with a score of 68.68 meters at the Asian Games in Incheon.

A weightlifting tournament has also started at the Asian Games in China, in which Turkmenistan is represented by 7 athletes (5 men and 2 women).

Yulduz Jumabayeva, world champion of 2018 in the weight up to 45 kg, was the first in our team on the platform. Having lifted 68 kg in the snatch and 91 kg in the clean and jerk, she took 10th place among the 13 weightlifters who started with a result of 159 kg in the total of two exercises.