Akbarov began skating in 1968 at the Lokomotiv Skating Club in Sverdlovsk (now Yekaterinburg) with coach Alexander Rogin. He teamed up with Veronica Pershina in 1975.
In 1968, Akbarov started skating at the Lokomotiv Skating Club in Sverdlovsk (formerly known as Yekaterinburg), where he trained under coach Alexander Rogin. In 1975, he began a partnership with Veronica Pershina.