AIBA World Champion Alimkhanuly wins in the Kazakhstan National Championships

The National Boxing Championships of the Republic of Kazakhstan was held with the participation of 186 elite male boxers in the Bayantau Sports Palace in Pavlodar. The event was the 25th anniversary edition since Kazakhstan became independent and separated from the collapsed Soviet Union in 1991.
Pavlodar hosted the National Championships which Northern city is very active in 2016. After the ASBC Asian Confederation Boxing Championships, Pavlodar was the organizer of their National Elite Boxing Championships at the very first time. Among the Rio 2016 Olympians Kayrat Yeraliyev, Abylaykhan Zhussupov and AIBA World Champion Zhanibek Alimkhanuly competed in the National Championships in the city.
Akmola region’s ASBC Asian Champion Temirtas Zhussupov had to meet in the final of the light flyweight (49kg) with his main rival, a younger promising hope Yerzhan Zhomart. The 28-year-old Zhussupov won their final by split decision while AIBA Youth World Champion Shalkar Aikynbay and Askhat Zhusupov achieved the bronze medals in the first weight class of the National Championships.
Mangystau boxer former National Champion Azamat Isakulov was one of the main gold medal contender of the flyweight (52kg) who could realize his golden dreams in Pavlodar. The Feliks Stamm Memorial Tournament winner boxer was too strong for Anvar Muzaparov in the final while another National Champion Azat Makhmetov and Olzhas Bayniyazov took the bronze medals in Pavlodar.
AIBA World Boxing Championships bronze medallist Kayrat Yeraliyev did not stop his training sessions after the Rio 2016 Olympic Games and competed well enough in the National Championships. He needed to do his very best to beat former ASBC Asian Youth Champion Nurbol Kalzhanov in the final of the bantamweight (56kg) while London 2012 Olympian Ilyas Suleimenov and Zhanbolat Kydyrbayev achieved only bronze this time.
In the absence of Berik Abdrakhmanov a younger boxer Adilet Kurmetov could win the gold medal of the lightweight (60kg) in Pavlodar. The 22-year-old boxer, who was quarter-finalist in the 2012 AIBA Youth World Boxing Championships, defeated ASBC Asian Confederation Boxing Championships silver medallist Zakir Safiullin in a tactical final. Astana Arlans Kazakhstan’s experienced WSB member Meirbolat Toitov and current ASBC Asian Youth Champion 18-year-old Serik Temirzhanov of Pavlodar achieved bronze in the event. AIBA Youth World Boxing Championships silver medallist Sultan Zaurbek, who is also a top talent, failed to get any medal in the competition.
Bekdaulet Ibragimov is only 21 but his development in the recent one and half year is amazing and he used up his great opportunity to win the gold medal of the light welterweight (64kg) where relatively inexperienced boxers competed for the title. Ibragimov defeated Pavlodar’s hope Kuan Kuatov in the final of the category while Dilmurat Mizhitov and Bocskai Memorial Tournament winner Maksat Zheksenbi were the bronze medallists.
Karagandy region’s Youth Olympic Games winner 19-year-old Abylaykhan Zhussupov qualified for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games as the youngest from the strong Central Asian country. The teenage talent moved up to the welterweight (69kg) and controlled his final against Kanagat Maralov in Pavlodar. National team member Almasbek Alibekov and Ilya Ochkin claimed the bronze medals while WSB boxers such as Aslanbek Shymbergenov and Sagadat Rakhmankulov could not get any podium places in the strong weight class.
Dzhambul region’s 19-year-old Abilkhan Amankul was named as the Best Asian Youth Athlete in 2015 following his unbeaten series last year. He joined to the elite age group this year, competed successfully in the World Series of Boxing and won his first national title in Pavlodar. He defeated ASBC Asian Youth Champion Tursynbay Kulakhmet in the semi-final and Yerik Alzhanov for the gold while former National Champion Manat Omirzakov claimed also bronze besides to Kulakhmet this time.
Almaty region’s 2013 AIBA World Champion and Rio 2016 Olympic Games quarter-finalist Zhanibek Alimkhanuly moved up one weight class before the start of the National Championships but he was amazing this time as well. The 23-year-old boxer triumphed over experienced Nurdaulet Zharmanov in the final while AIBA Youth World Boxing Championships silver medallist Vadim Kazakov and Shaimurat Kusainov claimed the bronze medals in Pavlodar.
Kostanay region’s Asian Games winner and ASBC Asian Confederation Champion Anton Pinchuk had a strong quarter-final opponent in the heavyweight (91kg), Guangzhou 2010 Asian Games bronze medallist Almat Serimov but he was able to win that difficult bout. Pinchuk controlled his semi-final against Arbek Abduganiyev and did not give any chance to Pavlodar’s Serik Musadilov in the gold medal bout.
In the absence of two-time Olympic Games bronze medallist Ivan Dychko the previous No.2 Kyzyl-Orda region’s Kamshybek Kunkabayev, who proved top performance in the World Series of Boxing, could not win the gold medal of the super heavyweight (+91kg) because Pavlodar’s Olzhas Bukayev defeated him in the final while the bronze medals were achieved by Nurzhan Bekzatov and Nurlan Saparbay.

Winners in the Kazakhstan National Championships
49kg: Temirtas Zhussupov, 1988
52kg: Azamat Isakulov, 1990
56kg: Kayrat Yeraliyev, 1990
60kg: Adilet Kurmetov, 1994
64kg: Bekdaulet Ibragimov, 1995
69kg: Abylaykhan Zhussupov, 1997
75kg: Abilkhan Amankul, 1997
81kg: Zhanibek Alimkhanuly, 1993
91kg: Anton Pinchuk, 1988
+91kg: Olzhas Bukayev, 1992