Sport in Uzbekistan

Sport in Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan is home to former racing cyclist Djamolidine Abdoujaparov. Abdoujaparov has won the points contest in the Tour de France three times, each time winning the coveted green jersey. The green jersey is second only to the yellow jersey. Abdoujaparov was a specialist at winning stages in tours or one-day races when the bunch or peloton would finish together. He would often 'sprint' in the final kilometre and had a reputation as being dangerous in these bunch sprints as he would weave from side to side in a sprint. This reputation earned him the nickname 'The Terror of Tashkent'. Artur Taymazov won Uzbekistan's first wrestling medal at the 2000 Summer Olympic Games, as well as gold at the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Men's 120 kg.

Ruslan Chagaev is a professional boxer representing Uzbekistan in the WBA. He won the WBA champion title in 2007 after defeating Russian Giant Valuev. Chagaev defended his title twice before losing it to Vladimir Klichko in 2009. Uzbekistan's official sport is soccer. Uzbekistan's premier soccer league is the Uzbek League which features sixteen teams. The current champions are FC Bunyodkor and the team with the most championships is FC Pakhtakor Tashkent with 8. The current Player of the Year is Odil Ahmedov. Uzbekistan also regularly participates in the AFC Champions League and the AFC Cup.

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