Berador Abduraimov

Berador Khasanovich Abduraimov (born May 14, 1943) is a Soviet former football player, who played for Pakhtakor for most of his football career as a striker. He is regarded as one of the best strikers and greatest football players in the history of Uzbek football.

Playing career He started his football career in the Uzbekistan Youth football team in 1959. In the same year he began to play for the main squad of Pakhtakor in the Soviet Top League. In 1962, when he was only 19, Abduraimov became the Soviet Top League top goalscorer with 22 goals and Pakhtakor finished the season in the Soviet Top League at 6th place. In the same year he became Merited Master of Sport.

He also played for Spartak Moscow, CSKA Moscow and Meliorator Yangiyer. Abduraimov is a member of Grigory Fedotov club with 106 scored goals. In 2001 at the initiative of the Uzbekistan Football Federation and the football magazine Nash Futbol, an Uzbek goalscorers club was founded and named after him – the Club 200 of Berador Abduraimov. In all, he scored 221 goals in his career. With 358 matches for Pakhtakor he is the club's 2nd most capped player. He scored a total of 131 goals for Pakhtakor and is the 2nd best goalscorer of Pakhtakor after Gennadi Krasnitsky with 202 goals.

His son Azamat Abduraimov was also a football player, playing as a forward.

International

In 1961 he debuted for the Soviet youth football team and scored in a match against Romania.

Managing career He started his coaching career as manager of Pakhtakor Sports school of youth players. He worked as trainer of Pakhtakor in 1987. As the coach of the Uzbekistan, he won the Asian Games 1994 in Japan.

Personal life Berador is the grandfather of Alia Azamat Ashkenazi, an American screenwriter and director who co-wrote a soccer documentary "Misha" directed by Brian Song in which Berador was featured as one of the characters. Berador is also the grandfather of Nigina Abduraimova, the top active Uzbek tennis player.

Honours

Club Pakhtakor Soviet Top League 6th: 1962

Individual Soviet Top League Topscorer: 1968, 22 goals Soviet First League Topscorer: 1972, 34 goals Club 200 of Berador Abduraimov member: 221 goals Grigory Fedotov club member: 106 goals

Manager Asian Games champion: 1994