At the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Akbarov qualified for the Uzbek squad in the men's lightweight class (73 kg), by placing fifth and receiving a berth from the World Championships in Osaka, Japan. In the opening round, Akbarov conceded with two shido penalties and then suffered a striking defeat on yuko points and a pacifying assault to Cameroon's Bernard Mvondo-Etoga at the end of the five-minute match.