FUJAIRAH, UAE (May 11, 2025) - Uzbekistan is developing quite the reputation in Taekwondo. Fuelled by the extraordinary success of back-to-back Olympic champion Ulugbek Rashitov, the sport is booming at all levels in the country. Sultonbek Nabiev is the latest talent to emerge and after his gold medal in the M -37kg on day 1 of World Taekwondo Cadet Championships, he wants to follow in Rashitov’s footsteps.
Rashitov himself competed at the World Taekwondo Cadet Championships in Muju, Korea in 2015 before achieving his heroics at Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024.
Uzbekistan has now won gold medals at the last four editions of the World Taekwondo Cadet Championships, and Nabiev is among those inspired by Rashitov. He watched his success in Paris live on television together with team-mates, and has already set a target of exceeding the incredible feats of his now-legendary compatriot.
“Of course Ulugbek Rashitov, his technical and tactical thinking, for us is a model for how to be an athlete. But I will try to get more Olympic medals than Ulugbek Rashitov!” Nabiev shared.
Nabiev’s coach Masum Nazaraliev provided further insight into how Rashitov has been the catalyst for a surge in Taekwondo’s popularity in Uzbekistan.
“After Ulugbek Rashitov’s second Olympic gold medal, we had a Taekwondo boom in Uzbekistan. We have a lot of Olympic medallists in boxing, but now Taekwondo has a lot of fans and interest from parents, and it is really growing,” he said.
Nabiev’s Taekwondo journey is a rather remarkable one. Raised in the capital Tashkent, it took him time to embrace the sport, but his talent was always evident.
“My grandfather brought me to a Taekwondo session when I was three or four years old. In my first year I was not interested in Taekwondo, but year by year when I won medals my interest in Taekwondo grew,” he reflected.
Coach Nazaraliev has known Nabiev for many years, having previously worked in Korea. He immediately recognised Nabiev’s potential, and it had already yielded success on the international stage for the young athlete.
Indeed, Fujairah is a city with happy memories for Nabiev, as last year he won gold at the Fujairah Open. That helped to put him at ease and perform with confidence during the World Taekwondo Cadet Championships.
“It is my first World Championships, but before I competed at the Turkish Open and got a silver medal, and a gold medal in Fujairah,” Nabiev said.
“The first time [at the Fujairah Open] I felt a bit uncomfortable because it was my first competition, but this year I felt better. In the World Championships it felt like home, because I knew about Fujairah and how it will be organised. It was amazing, and for me I was comfortable.”
Nabiev described his World Taekwondo Cadet Championships gold medal as “a dream”, with the feeling still sinking in.
The next event for him will be the Asian Cadet Taekwondo Championships in Kuching, Malaysia in July, but looking further ahead there is another extremely exciting prospect in 2026.
Next year’s World Taekwondo Junior Championships will be held on home soil following the election of Tashkent as the host by the World Taekwondo Council during its meeting in Fujairah before the World Taekwondo Cadet Championships, and Nabiev will be eligible to compete.
He is targeting another gold medal to accompany the one he won in Fujairah.
“I will continue my training and I will try to get a gold medal in my first year in junior, because next year the World Taekwondo Junior Championships will be in Tashkent. I will do my best,” he said.
Taekwondo in Uzbekistan is riding on the crest of a wave generated by Rashitov, and with young talents emerging the momentum looks set to continue gathering.
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