Scandalous stories accompany every major competition, and the Paris Olympics were no exception. In particular, the boxing tournament left many questions: the gender scandal with Iman Khelif and Lin Yuting, problems with the organization, refereeing. Almost a standard set.
There was a lot of negativity:
Olympic boxing is dying. Gender scandal is just one of the scary signs
But there were also pleasant moments and episodes, which in the end also accumulated quite a bit, and they deserve attention.
First of all, it is the total dominance of Uzbek boxers. Five gold medals is a powerful result. Last time Cuba managed to destroy such opponents (the same five gold medals in 2004). But at that time there were 11 weight categories for men. This time men had seven weight categories. Uzbekistan proved that it has greatly improved in amateur boxing. Previously, its maximum was three golds in 2016, but now Khasanboy Dusmatov, Abdumalik Khalokov, Asadkhudzha Muydinkhudzhaev, Lazizbek Mullajonov and Bakhodir Jalolov impressively rode all their opponents. Today Uzbekistan has one of the strongest amateur boxing schools.
The heavyweight giant Bakhodir Jalolov stands out here. He was crowned champion at the last Olympic Games and is already performing successfully in the professional ring (14-0, all victories by knockout). But Bakhodir combined everything with amateur competitions. All in order to reach the second Olympic Games and win gold. The goal was achieved and Jalolov announced his complete retirement from professional wrestling. Bakhodir is the only heavyweight in history to become a two-time Olympic champion. He went out wonderfully.
Bakhodir Jalolov
Photo: Richard Pelham/Getty Images
If Uzbekistan destroyed everyone in men’s boxing, then China dominated in women’s boxing. The girls took five medals out of six possible: three gold and two silver. A total of five medals earned them second place in the unofficial medal table among boxers. At the last Olympics, Chinese women, by the way, only got two silver medals.
Well, where would we be without beautiful and kind stories at a great tournament?
Perhaps the most amiable story is the one about the rescue of the Uzbekistan national team coach, who suffered a heart attack while celebrating Khasanboy Dusmatov’s victory in the final. Not far from the Uzbekistan team were doctors from the UK. Fortunately, they were able to save Tulkin Kilichev with artificial respiration and a defibrillator. The specialist was taken to hospital, his condition is stable and his life is no longer in danger. The British who rescued him even intended to visit Kilichev.
More details about Kilichev’s rescue:
Olympic miracle in Paris: Uzbekistan coach survives heart attack
And the most beautiful story of the boxing tournament at the Olympics is, of course, connected with Kyrgyz Munarbek Seyitbek. The story turned out to be not only beautiful, but also cinematic. The Kyrgyz boxer qualified for the Games at the last minute through a qualifying tournament. Moreover, he became the only representative of his country at the boxing tournament at the Olympics. Munarbek’s coach was unable to obtain accreditation and did not travel to Paris with the athlete. As a result, he was seconded by Uzbek’s coach Akmal Khasanov.
An interesting detail is that the Kyrgyz sports department bought its boxer a return ticket from Paris after the quarterfinals. But Seyitbek broke a very strong grid until the very end and did not use his ticket. Munarbek defeated everyone on the way to the final by split decision, literally every fight was very difficult. Neither strength nor skill was enough for the decisive match: Abdumalik Khalokov very confidently dispatched the Kyrgyz athlete.
Munarbek Seyitbek
Photo: Mauro Pimentel/Getty Images
However, Seyitbek Uulu took silver and became the first boxer in his country’s history to take home an Olympic medal.
The girls also had their own beautiful plot, which revolved around a refugee from Cameroon, Cindy Ngamba. She has lived in the UK since she was 11, but has so far only been granted official refugee status – she has been repeatedly denied citizenship. At one point Ngamba was close to being deported to Cameroon, but she was lucky. Cindy stayed, continued boxing and became a local star.
How Ngamba got to the Olympics:
The first refugee Olympic medallist. The incredible story of Cindy Ngamba
He competed in the Olympic Games as part of the refugee team and reached the semi-finals in the weight category up to 75 kg. Ngamba failed to make it to the final, but still went down in history as the first refugee to become an Olympic medallist.
The Paris Olympics brought high-profile scandals and memorable stories to the boxing world. The tournament is over, but in four years there will be something to talk about in Los Angeles again. True, the main task now is to preserve boxing at the Olympics. You will have to work hard for this.
