The MUHAMET MALO–2026 tournament, which opened its doors in Tirana, became the second of the current season for the athletes. By the end of the first day of competitions, the Kyrgyzstan team was able to add a gold, silver, and bronze medal to their collection.
Ernazar Akmataliev emerged as the leader in the weight category up to 70 kg, overcoming a challenging path to victory:
1/8 finals: he won against Ibrahim Ibrahimov from Russia with a narrow margin of 4:3.
1/4 finals: a confident victory over Vasily Dyakon from Moldova with a score of 6:1.
Semi-finals: in a tense match against Kazakhstani Maiys Aliyev, Ernazar won 12:9.
Final: in the decisive bout, he faced American Alek Pantaleo and, showing his will to win, snatched victory in the final seconds with a score of 3:2, securing the gold for himself.
Also in the up to 70 kg category, Zalkarbek Tabaldiev won a bronze medal. He began his journey with a match against Rustam Kakharo, winning and continuing his fight for medals.
Orozobek Toktomambetov also made it to the finals in the up to 74 kg category, where he lost to Iranian Yunes Emami with a score of 0:5, taking second place.
The competitions continue, and the next preliminary matches will begin at 15:30 Bishkek time.
