Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — Uzbekistan’s national team has completed its participation in the 20th Asian Summer Games, held in Japan’s Aichi Prefecture and the city of Nagoya. Uzbek athletes won 21 gold, 25 silver and 24 bronze medals, for a total of 70 medals. This placed Uzbekistan fifth in the overall medal standings, the same position as at the previous Games in Hangzhou.
In terms of gold medals, Uzbekistan matched India, with both countries winning 21 titles. India took fourth place thanks to a higher number of silver medals — 27 compared with Uzbekistan’s 25.
China topped the standings with 169 gold medals and 341 medals overall, followed by hosts Japan with 83 gold and 269 medals, and the Republic of Korea with 39 gold and 150 medals.
Kurash, athletics and rowing
Uzbek athletes won medals in 19 sports, taking gold in 13 of them.
Kurash again made the largest contribution to the gold medal tally, with four victories and two bronze medals, the same result as in Hangzhou. Athletics produced three gold medals, along with one bronze.
Boxers, judokas and canoeists won two gold medals each. Uzbekistan’s boxing team won seven medals: two gold, one silver and four bronze. The judokas also claimed seven medals, including two gold, two silver and three bronze.
The two rowing disciplines produced the highest overall medal totals. Canoe and kayak rowing brought nine medals — two gold, six silver and one bronze. Rowing also produced nine medals, including one gold, six silver and two bronze.
Wrestling, taekwondo, karate, artistic and rhythmic gymnastics, shooting and weightlifting each contributed one gold medal. Wrestlers also won three silver and one bronze medal. The taekwondo team added two silver and one bronze.
Without gold medals but with other podium finishes, Uzbekistan competed in fencing, winning one silver and two bronze medals; mixed martial arts, with two silver and one bronze; and wushu, with one silver and two bronze. Track cycling, tennis and esports each added one bronze medal.
Result almost identical to Hangzhou
At the 2022 Asian Games, which were postponed due to the pandemic and held in Hangzhou in autumn 2023, Uzbekistan won 22 gold, 18 silver and 31 bronze medals, for a total of 71 medals. The team also finished fifth at those Games.
Thus, the overall medal total fell by one, while the number of gold medals also declined by one. The medal structure changed, with seven more silver medals and seven fewer bronze medals.
In several sports, Uzbekistan reached the top of the podium for the first time at these Games. Gold medals came in artistic gymnastics, where Uzbekistan had won no medals in Hangzhou, as well as shooting and weightlifting, where Uzbek athletes had won only silver and bronze medals two years earlier. Mixed martial arts and esports also entered Uzbekistan’s medal tally for the first time.
The overall number of medals increased in rowing and canoe and kayak rowing. However, rowing produced fewer gold medals, with one compared with two in Hangzhou. Boxers won more medals than at the previous Games — seven compared with five — but their number of victories fell from three to two.
Judo and rhythmic gymnastics each produced one fewer gold medal. Uzbekistan won no gold in fencing or track cycling this time, after taking one title in each sport in Hangzhou. There were also no medals in chess and football, which had produced five medals combined at the previous Games.
Central Asian leader
Uzbekistan again became the best-performing Central Asian country in the overall medal standings. It accounted for 21 of the 36 gold medals won by countries in the region and 70 of their 186 medals overall.
Kazakhstan finished eighth with 12 gold, 24 silver and 48 bronze medals. In terms of total medals, Kazakhstan again surpassed Uzbekistan with 84, although more than half of its medals were bronze. Compared with Hangzhou, Kazakhstan climbed from 11th to eighth place and added two gold medals.
Tajikistan finished 22nd with two gold, five silver and nine bronze medals. Its overall medal tally more than doubled, from seven to 16.
Kyrgyzstan placed 26th with one gold, three silver and 10 bronze medals, for a total of 14. At the Hangzhou Games, the Kyrgyz team won four gold medals and finished 18th.
Turkmenistan finished 31st with two silver medals. Two years ago, the Turkmen team won seven medals.
