1. Life and Career
Davlat Bobonov's judo career began in his youth, progressing through various weight classes before establishing himself as a top-tier competitor in the -90 kg division.
1.1. Birth and Background
Davlat Bobonov was born on 7 June 1997, in Nurota, Uzbekistan.
1.2. Early Career and Weight Class Transitions
Bobonov started his international career competing in lighter weight classes. In 2014, he earned a bronze medal in the -73 kg category at the Asian Cadet Judo Championships held in Hong Kong. He later transitioned to the -81 kg class, where he secured his first IJF World Tour victory at the 2016 Judo Grand Prix Tashkent, defeating Japan's Hayato Watanabe in the final. In 2017, while competing in the -81 kg division at the 2017 World Judo Championships, he advanced to the fourth round, where he defeated Takanori Nagase by hansoku-make (disqualification), ultimately finishing in seventh place.
Following his time in the -81 kg category, Bobonov moved up to the -90 kg class. In 2019, he earned a bronze medal at the Summer Universiade in Naples. Later that year, at the 2019 Judo Grand Slam Osaka, he reached the final, where he was defeated by Beka Gviniashvili of Georgia, securing a silver medal. In 2020, he claimed a gold medal at the 2020 Judo Grand Slam Düsseldorf, winning all his matches by ippon.
In 2021, Bobonov continued his success, winning gold at the Asian-Oceania Championships by defeating Japan's Shoichiro Mukai in the final. He then earned a silver medal at the 2021 World Judo Championships in Budapest, losing to Nikoloz Sherazadishvili of Spain in the final. At the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics, held in July 2021 at the Nippon Budokan, he reached the quarter-finals but lost to Lasha Bekauri of Georgia by hansoku-make due to a diving foul. However, he recovered in the repechage, defeating Sherazadishvili to clinch one of the bronze medals.
In 2022, Bobonov achieved a significant milestone by winning the gold medal at the 2022 World Judo Championships held in his home country, Tashkent. In the semi-final, he again faced Olympic champion Bekauri, defeating him by hansoku-make, and then secured the gold by defeating Cristian Parlati of Italy in the final, also by hansoku-make. He also competed at the 2024 World Judo Championships where he was eliminated in the third round, and at the 2024 Paris Olympics where he lost in the first round.
2. Major Achievements
Davlat Bobonov has accumulated a notable collection of medals at major international judo competitions across various weight classes.
2.1. Olympic Games
- 2020 Tokyo: Bronze medal (Men's -90 kg)
2.2. World Judo Championships
- 2021 Budapest: Silver medal (Men's -90 kg)
- 2021 Budapest: Bronze medal (Mixed team)
- 2022 Tashkent: Gold medal (Men's -90 kg)
2.3. Asian Games
- 2023 Hangzhou: Silver medal (Men's -90 kg)
- 2023 Hangzhou: Silver medal (Mixed team)
- Note: The Japanese source indicates a gold medal in the individual competition at the 2023 Asian Games, alongside a silver in the mixed team event.
2.4. Asian Judo Championships
- 2021 Bishkek: Gold medal (Men's -90 kg)
- 2021 Bishkek: Bronze medal (Mixed team)
2.5. Judo World Masters
- 2022: Fifth place
- 2023 Budapest: Bronze medal (Men's -90 kg)
2.6. Summer Universiade
- 2019 Naples: Bronze medal (Open category)
2.7. IJF World Tour (Grand Slams and Grand Prix)
Bobonov has consistently performed well on the IJF World Tour, securing numerous medals.
- Grand Prix
- 2016 Tashkent: Gold medal (Men's -81 kg)
- Grand Slams
- 2019 Osaka: Silver medal (Men's -90 kg)
- 2020 Düsseldorf: Gold medal (Men's -90 kg)
- 2021 Tashkent: Silver medal (Men's -90 kg)
- 2021 Tbilisi: Bronze medal (Men's -90 kg)
- 2021 Abu Dhabi: Bronze medal (Men's -90 kg)
- 2022 Paris: Bronze medal (Men's -90 kg)
- 2022 Ulaanbaatar: Silver medal (Men's -90 kg)
- 2023 Tashkent: Gold medal (Men's -90 kg)
- 2024 Tashkent: Bronze medal (Men's -90 kg)
2.8. Other International Competitions
- Islamic Solidarity Games
- 2017: Bronze medal (Men's -81 kg)
- 2022: Bronze medal (Men's -90 kg)
3. Records and Rankings
As of 25 September 2023, Davlat Bobonov held the number one position in the IJF World Ranking for the men's -90 kg category, with a total of 3945 points. He was ranked first in the world in 2022.
4. Personal Life
Information regarding Davlat Bobonov's personal life, family, or interests outside of judo is not extensively publicized.
5. Evaluation and Impact
Davlat Bobonov is recognized as one of Uzbekistan's most successful judokas, particularly for his Olympic bronze and World Championship gold medals. His consistent performance at the highest levels of international competition has solidified his standing within the global judo community.