DUSHANBE, December 15, 2009, Asia-Plus  -- Tajikistan’s first-ever Olympic medalist, judoka Rasoul Boqiyev, has provided 2,000 somoni for construction of the Roghun hydroelectric power plant (HPP), Nourullo Loiqov, the chairman of the Tajik Judo Federation, said in an interview with Asia-Plus.

“During our meeting in Moscow, Rasoul noted that if there is an opportunity, he will represent Tajikistan in the London 2012 Olympics,” said Loiqov.  “Today, Rasoul Boqiyev does not participate in international tournaments on behalf of another country and is not going to do this.”

We will recall that Rasoul Boqiyev won gold medal, finishing first in the –73 kg category in the 2009 Russia’s Judo Championships, which was held in Nalchik on October 22-25.

Rasoul Boqiyev is one of the top judokas in Tajikistan in the -73 kg category; he won the first medal for Tajikistan in the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing by defeating Dirk van Tichelt of Belgium.

Judoka Rasoul Boqiyev won the first bronze medal in the -73 kg category, defeating Dirk van Tichelt of Belgium with a yuko and a koka. This was Tajikistan''s first medal of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.  In the semifinal, he lost to Wang Ki-chun, a 19-year-old judoka from the Republic of Korea.  Rasoul Boqiyev, ranked No 3 in the world in his weight category, claimed his Olympic berth by finishing third at the 2007 World Judo Championships in Rio de Janeiro.