Behruzi Khojazoda

2.1. Judo

Khojazoda primarily competes in the -73 kg category in judo. His judo career has seen him participate in and achieve notable results at major international competitions. In 2017, he finished 7th at the Asian Judo Championships. The following year, in 2018, he again placed 7th at the Asian Games and reached the fourth round of the World Judo Championships, where he was defeated by Hidayat Heydarov of Azerbaijan.



The 2019 season marked a significant breakthrough for Khojazoda. He secured a 5th place finish at the Grand Prix Tel Aviv and made history by winning a bronze medal at the 2019 Judo Grand Slam Ekaterinburg, becoming the first Tajikistani judoka to earn a medal at a Grand Slam event. He also achieved a silver medal at the 2019 Judo Grand Prix Tashkent and placed 5th at the 2019 World Judo Championships.

Continuing his strong performances, Khojazoda earned a silver medal at the 2023 Judo Grand Prix Dushanbe, held in his home country. He followed this with another silver medal at the 2023 Judo World Masters in Budapest, and a bronze medal at the 2022 Asian Games (held in 2023) in Hangzhou. In 2024, he secured a silver medal at the 2024 Judo Grand Slam Dushanbe. Khojazoda also competed at the 2024 Summer Olympics in the men's 73 kg event, reaching the Round of 32.

2.2. Sambo

Behruzi Khojazoda has demonstrated exceptional skill in sambo, primarily competing in the -74 kg category. His most significant achievement in this discipline came in 2017, when he captured the gold medal at the 2017 World Sambo Championships held in Sochi. That same year, he also won a gold medal at the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games in Ashgabat in the -74 kg division, and another gold medal at the Asian Sambo Championships in Tashkent in the -68 kg category. In 2018, he continued his success by earning a bronze medal at the 2018 World Sambo Championships in Bucharest.

2.3. Kurash

Khojazoda is also a prominent competitor in kurash. In 2017, he secured a silver medal at the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games in Ashgabat, competing in the -73 kg category. He followed this achievement in 2018 by claiming another silver medal at the Asian Games in Jakarta, this time in the -81 kg kurash event.

2.4. Multi-sport participation and regulatory issues

Behruzi Khojazoda's career is notable for his extensive involvement in multiple combat sports, including judo, sambo, and kurash. This multi-sport engagement, however, has brought him into proximity with regulations imposed by the International Judo Federation (IJF) concerning athletes' participation in other martial arts.

Since 2015, the IJF has prohibited all athletes included in its world rankings-across cadet, junior, and senior categories-from participating in international competitions of other martial arts without explicit permission from the IJF. This rule aims to manage and control athletes' careers within the judo framework.

A notable instance of this regulation's enforcement involved Georgian judoka Guram Tushishvili. Despite repeated warnings from the IJF, Tushishvili continued to compete in kuresh (a form of wrestling popular in Kazakhstan) world championships. Consequently, in March 2019, he received a two-month suspension from judo competitions.

In contrast, Khojazoda's situation has presented a different outcome regarding enforcement. Records indicate that out of 108 medalists at the 2018 World Sambo Championships, 20 athletes, including Khojazoda, had also competed in IJF World Judo Tour or Continental Open events since 2016. Among these, 10 athletes, including Khojazoda, continued to participate in IJF World Judo Tour events even after 2018. Despite his prominent success in sambo and kurash alongside his judo career, Khojazoda was not subjected to any disciplinary action or suspension by the IJF, unlike Tushishvili. It remains unclear whether Khojazoda and the other athletes obtained the necessary IJF permission for their multi-sport participation. This situation highlights a perceived inconsistency in the application and enforcement of the IJF's regulations concerning athletes competing in multiple combat disciplines.

3.1. Judo achievements

His notable accomplishments in international judo tournaments include:

• 2024 Judo Grand Slam Dushanbe: Silver medal (men's -73 kg)
• 2022 Asian Games (held in 2023) in Hangzhou: Bronze medal (men's -73 kg)
• 2023 Judo World Masters in Budapest: Silver medal (men's -73 kg)
• 2023 Judo Grand Prix Dushanbe: Silver medal (men's -73 kg)
• 2019 Judo Grand Prix Tashkent: Silver medal (men's -73 kg)
• 2019 Judo Grand Slam Ekaterinburg: Bronze medal (men's -73 kg)
• 2019 Grand Prix Tel Aviv: 5th place (men's -73 kg)
• 2019 World Judo Championships: 5th place (men's -73 kg)
• 2018 Asian Games: 7th place (men's -73 kg)
• 2017 Asian Judo Championships: 7th place (men's -73 kg)

3.2. Sambo achievements

His significant medal wins and performances in international sambo tournaments are:

• 2017 World Sambo Championships in Sochi: Gold medal (men's -74 kg)
• 2017 Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games in Ashgabat: Gold medal (men's -74 kg)
• 2017 Asian Sambo Championships in Tashkent: Gold medal (men's -68 kg)
• 2018 World Sambo Championships in Bucharest: Bronze medal (men's -74 kg)

3.3. Kurash achievements

His notable accomplishments and medal wins in international kurash tournaments include:

• 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta: Silver medal (men's -81 kg)
• 2017 Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games in Ashgabat: Silver medal (men's -73 kg)