Ubaydillo MUMINOV: “My victory is a contribution to our team’s medal collection”

Uzbek athlete Ubaydillo Muminov won a gold medal in the weight category up to 71 kg in Sport SAMBO at the Asia and Oceania Championships in Macau. He shared his impressions of the competition with the FIAS website and talked about his path to the coveted podium.

Please, tell us about your impressions of the final match...

– Despite the fact that I managed to win an early victory, I want to say that the athlete from Turkmenistan turned out to be very strong, it was no coincidence that at the beginning of the bout he was leading.

You were losing 0:1 during the bout, how did this affect your tactics?

– This forced me to attack more and look for a moment to perform an effective technical action. I think I was lucky in the struggle, because my opponent eventually made a mistake, which I managed to take advantage of and perform a painful armbar.

In the wayfor the champion title, you fought four bout. Which athletes could you highlight?

– In addition to the athlete from Turkmenistan, I would like to mention the Mongolian sambist, whom I met in the semi-finals. And, despite the early victory, our bout with him was noticeably different from the bouts with the guys from Korea and Iraq. Before this, the Mongol defeated the Kazakh athlete. My coach and I carefully watched this confrontation, analyzed the wrestling, identified strengths and weaknesses, and drew conclusions. Probably, this is largely due to the fact that we managed to win.

Your coach Roman Shakirov acted as a second. How decisive were his tips for you?

– Roman Ildarovich’s tips are always important, and today they also helped me a lot.

Often the main competition for medals at the Asia and Oceania Championships is between the national teams of Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. Was that the case this time? And how do you assess your contribution to the common cause?

– This is true. Therefore, this is not only my medal, but also the medal of the Uzbekistan team. This makes it even more valuable.

The Asia and Oceania Championships were held in Macau for the first time. How do you assess the level of the tournament?

– The organization is very good, the venue is excellent, there are many participating countries, and the guys came very strong, it’s a pleasure to fight with them!

What's next?

– World Championships in Astana. Let's compete for gold at the main tournament of the FIAS calendar.