THE UZBEK SUPPORT

Following the Paris Olympics, a series of anticipated changes occurred within the context of Azerbaijani boxing. The Azerbaijan Boxing Federation, evidently displeased with the outcome of the Summer Olympics, wherein only one silver medal was secured, elected to terminate the contract with the Cuban coach. Ravshan Khojayev, a coach hailing from Uzbekistan, has been designated as the newly appointed coach of the men's national team.

The 44-year-old specialist is a master of sport in boxing and initiated his coaching career in 1998. His pupils have included champions from Uzbekistan, Asia, the rest of the world, and the Olympic Games. From 2016 to 2023, he served on the coaching council of the Boxing Federation of Uzbekistan. Khojayev possesses the highest category coaching certification from the International Boxing Association and has also been designated as an Honoured Coach of Uzbekistan. He has been bestowed with the Order of Friendship and is a laureate of the Golden Mongoose international award. Moreover, he holds a professorship in the theory and methodology of sports.

Not Satisfied With the Cuban

The Cuban specialist Pedro Roque, whose contract has expired, did not yield positive results for Azerbaijani boxing. At the Paris Olympics, the sole silver medal was awarded to the national competitor Alfonso Dominguez (92 kg). At the 2021 Tokyo Games, Dominguez attained the third-place position. Additionally, Cuban Lorenzo Sotomayor contributed a silver medal from the 2016 Brazilian Olympics to Azerbaijan. Kamran Shahsuvarli, who commenced his boxing career in Kazakhstan, was also awarded a bronze medal. Since 2012, Azerbaijani boxers have only been able to achieve medals through the participation of nationalized athletes invited from other countries. This prompts the question of what contribution the coaching staff under Pedro Roque has made to the development of national boxing. While Cuban athletes are securing medals for Azerbaijan at major global competitions, the local boxing school appears to be experiencing a decline in performance.

Historically, Azerbaijan has been renowned for its prowess in boxing. However, over the past decade, there has been an increase in the number of foreign athletes competing on the nation's main team. A review of the results indicates the presence of talented young boxers among teenagers and youths. However, these individuals encounter obstacles in advancing to the main team. This is primarily attributable to the lack of comprehensive training plans for these boxers. It is incumbent upon the coaching staff to facilitate the transition of successful youth athletes into the main team. However, attention is predominantly focused on Pedro Roque's compatriots, namely Cubans. In lieu of cultivating local talent, the Cuban coach elected to extend invitations to athletes trained in Cuba, with the objective of ensuring that the substantial financial incentives associated with Olympic medals would accrue to his fellow countrymen. As a result, domestic boxing has not benefited from the Cuban coach's tenure; rather, it has impeded the advancement of young talents to the main team.

The Uzbek Factor

It is reasonable to conclude that the Azerbaijan Boxing Federation determined that a change in head coach was necessary in light of the circumstances. Consequently, a coach from Uzbekistan was recruited for this pivotal role. The performance of Uzbek boxers at the Paris Olympics was noteworthy. They secured victories in five out of seven men's weight categories, a feat achieved by a team comprising solely of domestic athletes. The advancement of Uzbek boxing is evident not only at the elite level, where the main team has achieved considerable success, but also within junior and youth squads. Similarly, Ravshan Khojayev was invited to implement a comparable development strategy in Azerbaijan.

Boxing, which has been a component of the Olympic competition since the inaugural event in 1904, is currently confronted with considerable challenges. The sport's future is shrouded in uncertainty. The ongoing conflict between the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International Boxing Association (IBA) is impeding the sport's growth and development. It is of significant concern that the IOC has announced its intention to exclude boxing from the program of the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, with a final decision on this matter expected in 2025.

It is noteworthy that the Olympic Committee has chosen not to recognize the IBA and has organized the tournament in Paris (2024) without its involvement. The schism between these two entities persists, with the IOC censuring the IBA for its opacity regarding financial matters and its administration of prize money for World Championships. It has been indicated that the sport of boxing will only be reinstated in the program if the requisite standards are met.