Tajikistan Sets Sights on Medals at Major Sporting Event in Saudi Arabia

Tajikistan is preparing to take part in one of the year’s biggest sporting events - the sixth Islamic Solidarity Games, which will be held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from November 7 to 21, 2025.

The Tajik delegation will feature 134 members, including 69 athletes competing across 12 sports - from judo, taekwondo, and athletics to boxing, wrestling, archery, and Paralympic disciplines, The Caspian Post reports via Tajik media.

Leading the national team at the opening ceremony will be judoka Madina Qurbonzoda and Nourali Emomali, the world silver medalist and captain of the men’s judo team. Qurbonzoda is widely recognized as one of Tajikistan’s pioneering female judokas with growing international acclaim.

The Islamic Solidarity Games, organized by the Islamic Solidarity Sports Association (ISSA), bring together athletes from 57 member countries. The 2025 edition will feature 13 Olympic sports, 4 non-Olympic disciplines, 3 Paralympic events, and 1 traditional competition - including camel racing and pencak silat, an Indonesian martial art blending physical and spiritual elements.

This marks the second time Saudi Arabia will host the event, two decades after the inaugural Games held in Mecca, Medina, and Jeddah in 2005. The opening ceremony will take place on November 7, with the closing ceremony on November 21.