Olympic Boxing Profile: Abdumalik Khalokov

In the seventh of a series of profiles leading up to the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, we are taking a look at some of the world’s elite boxers who will be competing at the biggest sporting event of the world this month. Here is Uzbekistan’s Abdumalik Khalokov, the gold medal favourite in the men’s 57 kilogram division, otherwise known as the featherweight division. He is the reigning world champion in the weight class, and won the silver medal in the lightweight division at the 2021 World Boxing Championships in Belgrade.

World Champion

At the 2023 World Boxing Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Khalokov was one of five Uzbekistan boxers to win a gold medal. He was joined by Hasanboy Dusmatov in the flyweight, Ruslan Abdullaev in the light welterweight division, Asadkhuja Muydinkhujaev in the welterweight division, and Bakhodir Jalolov in the superheavyweight division.

Khalokov received a first round bye, before beating Keevin Allicock of Guyana in the second round, Charlie Senior of Australia 5-0 in the third round, Yousef Iashash of Jordan 5-0 in the quarterfinals, bronze medalist Munarbek Seitbek-Uulu of Kyrgyzstan in the semifinals when the referee stopped the decision, and silver medalist Saidel Horta of Cuba 5-0 in the gold medal bout. Mohammad Hussamuddin of India won the other bronze medal.

Drop in weight class was successful

It was a smart decision for Khalokov to drop in weight classes from lightweight to feathwerweight. However, he still had great success in the lightweight division at the 2021 World Boxing Championships in Belgrade. There he won the silver medal. The only boxer to beat him was Sofiane Oumiha of France, the current gold medal favourite at the 2024 Olympic Games in the men’s lightweight division.

Khalokov’s other notable achievements

Khalokov has won four more gold medals for Uzbekistan in prestigious events. They were at the 2018 Youth World Boxing Championships in Budapest (bantamweight), at the 2018 Summer Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires (bantamweight), at the 2022 Asian Amateur Boxing Championships in Amman, Jordan (featherweight), and at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China (featherweight).