Turkmen athlete Davut Nazmyradov won a bronze medal at the prestigious international tournament «Moscow – Karate Universe 2026» that concluded in the Russian capital.
The competition, organised by the Moscow Department of Sports in conjunction with the Russian Karate Federation, took place at the Irina Viner Gymnastics Palace and brought together 348 athletes from 46 countries, including Olympic medalists, world champions, and continental champions. Before the final bouts, spectators were treated to a vibrant show featuring singer Anita Tsoi, who performed the Karate Hymn, the «Todes» ballet, and the actors from the film of first Russian children about karate, «The Karate Kid».
According to the Karatedo Federation of Turkmenistan, 22-year-old candidate master of sports from Balkanabat, Davut Nazmyradov, took third place on the podium in the 75 kg weight category. His path to a medal began with a successful run through the group round robin tournament: in the first round, he tied 5-5 against Said Bryar of Iraq, then defeated Ivan Sokolov of Russia 4-0 and Nikola Kaplarevic of Serbia 2-0.
In the 1/8 finals, the Turkmen karateka lost to Iranian Morteza Nemati with a minimal score of 1:2, after which he continued to compete in the consolation tournament. There he defeated Russian Dmitriy Solomko 3:0, and in the small final for bronze he defeated Mamayusuf Mukimjonov from Uzbekistan with a score of 3:1.
Sports career of Davut Nazmyradov is developing rapidly. He first made a name for himself in 2022, winning the Turkmenistan Championship in the 18-24 age category and medaling in the under-21 category at the Banzai International Cup in Berlin and the World Championship in Pardubice, Czech Republic. In 2024, his collection of achievements was expanded to include bronze medals at the Asian U21 Youth Championship in Manila, Philippines, and the Asian Adult Championship in Hangzhou, China, as well as victories at the Uzbekistan Open tournament in Urgench and the Central Asian Championship in Samarkand. In addition, this fall, the athlete won one of the two silver medals won by the Turkmen team at the XX Summer Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan.
The young talented athlete owes all of these successes to the head coach of the Turkmenistan national team, Aydyn Charyyev, under whose guidance he continues to improve his skills.
The international competition «Moscow – Karate Universe 2026» was held for the fifth time. According to the organizers, tournaments of this level help strengthen international ties and provide both experienced and novice athletes with the opportunity to gain valuable competitive experience in a highly competitive environment.
