COLOMBO — For the first time in its history, Afghanistan has advanced two boxers to the finals of the Asian U22 and Youth Boxing Championships, a landmark achievement for the country’s national boxing team, accomplished on the eighth day of competition in Colombo, the Sri Lankan capital.
In the 80-kilogram division, Afghan boxer Ferdaws Najibi dominated early in his bout against Ahmed Kashmiri of Saudi Arabia, forcing the referee to halt the match due to the opponent’s injury. With the technical stoppage, Najibi secured a place in the final, where he is set to face Igor Solovyov of Kazakhstan.
Shortly after, Oman Hotak advanced in the 92-kilogram weight class after defeating Bashdar Karar Haidar of Iraq. The match ended prematurely due to a shoulder injury sustained by the Iraqi boxer, with the medical team intervening and awarding the win to Hotak.
The back-to-back victories mark a historic first for Afghanistan, which had never before sent two boxers to the final round of a continental tournament. Previously, only one Afghan athlete — Alizada — had reached the finals of an Asian boxing event, held in Astana.
The Asian U22 and Youth Boxing Championships feature competitors from 23 countries, including India, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, the United Arab Emirates, Australia, and host nation Sri Lanka. With such a high level of competition, Afghanistan’s double-final qualification is being hailed as a major milestone for the country’s sporting community.
Other standout performances on Day 8 included Akhmadi Arwaz of Kyrgyzstan, Abubakr Gafurov of Tajikistan, and Yash Kumar of India, who also advanced to their respective finals.
In the women’s divisions, boxers from Kazakhstan, Vietnam, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan also secured spots in the final bouts.
Final matches are scheduled for the coming days, and Afghanistan now stands on the brink of winning its first-ever gold medals at this level of international boxing competition.
