Turkmenistan’s national team has earned its first medal at the ongoing 3rd CIS Games held in Azerbaijan. The bronze medal in boxing was won by 16-year-old 11th-grade student of Ashgabat Secondary School No. 52, Khangeldi Lukmanov.

The talented athlete, trained by coach Nursakhet Pazzyev, was considered one of the favorites in his new weight category — up to 52 kg (flyweight). A total of nine athletes competed in the tournament, which took place at the Yevlakh Olympic Center.

Lukmanov started the tournament successfully. In the opening bout, the Turkmen boxer secured a confident victory over Belarusian Kirill Leychanka with a unanimous decision (5:0).

In the semifinals, Khangeldi Lukmanov lost by the same score to a strong opponent — Ali Abasli from Azerbaijan — which placed him on the third step of the podium.

The bronze medal was shared between Lukmanov and Bekzod Ismoiljonov from Uzbekistan. The gold medal went to Ali Abasli (Azerbaijan), while Edige Nurgozha (Kazakhstan) took silver.

The 3rd CIS Games, held across seven cities in Azerbaijan, brought together 1,624 athletes under the age of 23 from 13 countries. Competitors will contest 246 sets of medals in 23 sports disciplines.

The Turkmen delegation includes 36 athletes competing in boxing, 3x3 basketball, wrestling, karate, swimming, shooting, and taekwondo.

A day before the official closing of the Games, Turkmenistan’s team — with one bronze medal — shares 8th to 10th place in the medal standings with teams from Pakistan and Turkey.

It is worth noting that at the previous CIS Games held in Belarus, Turkmenistan won 18 medals (3 silver and 15 bronze).