Tajikistan ranked 65 in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. They competed in 5 sports with 13 competitors. They achieved two medals, one silver and one bronze. Dilshod Nazarov was the flag bearer of the country in the opening ceremony at Beijing. The country participated in boxing, judo, swimming, hammer throw and freestyle wrestling. Tajikistan made its debut as an independent nation at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, United States. Previously, Tajik athletes competed for the Unified Team at the 1992 Summer Olympics. The country received their first Olympic medal in Beijing. Rasul Boqiev’s bronze medal in judo was Tajikistan’s first Olympic medal ever. The winners of this summer Olympics are the following.
1.Yusup Abdusalomov
Yusup Abdusalomov, a Tajik wrestler won the silver medal for the 84 Kg wrestling in this summer Olympics. Yusup Abdusalomov of Tajikistan fights against Revazi Mindorashvili of Georgia during the gold medal match of the Beijing 2008 Olympic games wrestling event in Beijing. He practiced in the Gadji club Makhachkala, Russia. Magomed Dibirov, Marcin Juretzki are his coaches. He had the following finishes at major championships like 2007 World championship 84.0 kg freestyle (2nd), 2005 World championship 74.0 kg freestyle (13th), 2003 Asian Championship 74.0 kg freestyle (1st). He finished in the 9th position in the 2004 Athens Olympics. Tajikistan’s best Olympic achievement was a bronze medal in Judo. Abdusalomov’s silver medal is definitely a milestone for his country.
2.Rasul Boqiev
A Tajikistani judoka Rasul Boqiev won the bronze medal for the 73 Kg judo in the 2008 Beijing Olympics 2008. This was the first Olympic medal for the country. He is considered as one of the top athletes in the Tajikistan and world under 73 Kgs. His first international competition is at the Asian championships Tashkent 2005, where he won the bronze medal. In the following year also he won a bronze medal for the same category in Asian games. In the same year, he won a silver medal in the Super World cup Hamburg. In the 2007 world cup, he achieved a gold medal for the same event. He also won a gold medal in the 2008 Tre Torri international judo tournament. In the same year, he also on a bronze medal in the super world cup. In the continental championships, he also achieved silver and bronze medals. In Beijing Elnur Mammadli took the gold and Wang Ki-Chun took the silver medals.