Uzbek sports functionary and philanthropist Salim Abduvaliyev, who is popular known as Salimboybacha, has been awarded the Ludvig Nobel prize.

The prize awarding ceremony took place at the Konstantinovsky Palace, an official residence of the President of the Russian Federation in St. Petersburg, on March 27, 2022.  

Salim Abduvaliyev is deputy chairman of Uzbekistan’s National Olympic Committee (NOC) also head of the Uzbekistan Wrestling Association.  

Salim Abduvaliyev is the first representative of Uzbekistan to receive the Ludvig Nobel prize   It is not reported for what particular merits he received the award. 

Uznews.uz reported on March 27, 2022 that “this award is awarded to the iconic personalities of our time for outstanding professional achievements and unconditional services to humanity.”  

Ludvig Nobel, who lived mainly in St Petersburg and became a Russian citizen, was older brother of Alfred Nobel -- founder of the Nobel Prizes for physics, chemistry, medicine and literature in Stockholm and the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo.

Like his brother, Ludvig made huge profits in the 19th century by extracting oil from the coastline around the Azeri capital Baku. He is also credited with inventing the oil tanker.

In 1888, seven years after Ludvig Nobel’s death the Imperial Russian Technology Society established the Ludvig Nobel prize -- an act which some historians say inspired Alfred Nobel to establish his own prizes in his will nearly ten years later.

The 1917 Bolshevik revolution ended the Ludvig Nobel prize but it was reinstated in 205.  

Unlike the Nobel Peace Prize, which comes with a fat check, there is no cash award for the Ludvig Nobel prize.

According to official bio data, Salim Abduvaliyev (born in May 1950) is a Uzbek producer and Internet celebrity. In 2015, he was awarded the "Do’slik" State Prize of Uzbekistan and the Ludvig Nobel Prize in 2022.

His father was the collective farm chairman. After retiring from the sport of freestyle wrestling, he worked in a factory, then he became a trucker.

In 2006 he defended his thesis of Candidate of Sciences in Economics on the theme "Management of social and economic development of municipal unions: generalization of the experience of Russia and the Republic of Uzbekistan."

Abduvaliyev heads the Wrestling Association of Uzbekistan.  He sponsors the World Wrestling Championships, the international tournament "Grand Prix" cups of Independence of Uzbekistan in freestyle wrestling and others competitions.