Two developers from Uzbekistan — Akobir Abduganiyev and Nazarbek Baltabayev — have advanced to the finals of the international Yandex Cup 2025 programming championship, which will take place on 5–7 December in Istanbul.
Yandex Cup is one of the largest international competitions for developers of all levels. The championship brings together juniors, professionals and company employees, with the selection process conducted across six tracks. In 2024, the tournament attracted more than 20,000 applications from 90 countries.
Approximately 180 participants from several dozen countries will compete in the finals of Yandex Cup 2025. They include the strongest contestants of the qualifying rounds, who advanced through one of the six tracks: Backend, Frontend, Mobile Development, Machine Learning, Analytics and Algorithm.
The finals will be held in an in-person format in Istanbul. Participants will be required to solve more than 100 unique tasks prepared by experts. The prize fund of the tournament amounts to 12 million rubles.
In addition to the competition, finalists will take part in an extensive program that includes thematic zones, opportunities for professional networking, and meetings with leading industry experts. Participants who rank in the top 20 of their respective track will be eligible for a simplified hiring process at Yandex. The event will conclude with an official award ceremony.
Abduganiyev and Baltabayev represent Uzbekistan on the international stage, having successfully completed several stages of the selection process — the trial round, qualification and the ML stage. Both developers have already established themselves within the professional community.
Nazarbek Baltabayev, 26, is originally from the Khorezm region. His advancement to the finals is the result of systematic preparation and years of experience in competitive programming. Preparing for this year’s finals required him to rethink familiar problem-solving approaches, particularly in engineering-related tasks. He notes that participation in such championships raises the professional standards of the Uzbek IT community and motivates young specialists to pursue further development.
Akobir Abduganiyev, a 22-year-old backend developer who grew up in a rural area, currently works with banking systems. This experience has contributed to his strong engineering foundation and emphasis on performance. His preparation relies on consistent practice in solving algorithmic tasks, and he underscores that participation in the championship helps test one’s speed of thinking and engage with a new competitive environment. In parallel, Abduganiyev is developing his own projects in AI and AR, which allow him to expand both his technical and creative expertise.
The participation of two Uzbek developers in the finals of Yandex Cup 2025 highlights the growing level of competence of IT specialists in Uzbekistan and their presence at major international platforms. Their performance in Istanbul will represent not only an individual achievement, but also an important milestone for the development of Uzbekistan’s technological community.
