Among the Asian youngsters Khalakov and Togambay opened with impressive performance at the Gee Bee Tournament

The Gee Bee Tournament is a traditional European international boxing event which started with its first edition in 1982. Helsinki the Finnish capital is the host of the Gee Bee Tournament as all of the previous editions. Among the youngsters, Uzbekistan’s Youth Olympic Games winner Abdumalik Khalakov and Kazakhstan’s two-time ASBC Asian Youth Champion Sagyndyk Togambay both used their excellent techniques to win their fights in the first day of boxing. 

The prestigious Gee Bee Tournament is a parallel competition with the Asian & Oceanian Olympic Boxing Qualifying Event but Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Mongolia and Uzbekistan sent future hopes to Finland. Russia, Ukraine, France, Germany, Armenia, host Finland, Wales, Netherlands and many other nations are also sent their squads to Helsinki.

Afghanistan’s teenager Shabir Hossaini proved his talent at the flyweight (52kg)

Afghanistan sent a team to the Gee Bee Tournament at the very first time in the history of the competition. Their Swedish-based 19-year-old Shabir Hossaini wanted to fight from the first seconds when he met with the silver medallist of the last French National Championships Theo Ticout. The young Afghan flyweight (52kg) boxer knocked down his French opponent in the second round but Ticout survived those dangerous moments. The Afghan boxer looked tired in the third round and the French advanced to the semi-finals but Hossaini proved his talent in Helsinki.

Kazakhstan’s Dilmurat Mizhitov dominated his opening fight over his French teenage rival

Kazakhstan’s Dilmurat Mizhitov was WSB Team Champion a few years ago and currently he is the country’s No.2 at the lightweight (63kg). The 25-year-old Kazakh boxer had a taller rival in the quarter-finals, France’s Hugo Grau who joined to the elite age group this January. Mizhitov reduced the fighting distance successfully and he took over the control in the second minute of their bout. Following Mizhitov’s tough combinations, the referee counted the 19-year-old French in the second round. The Kazakh boxer dominated the third round and won the contest by large margin of differences.

Kazakhstan’s Sagyndyk Togambay impressed in his first elite fight

The Kazakh team competes in the Gee Bee Tournament with several future hopes and among them Sagyndyk Togambay is the youngest one in Helsinki. Togambay claimed gold medals in his recent three ASBC Asian Championships in Puerto Princesa, in Bangkok and in Ulaanbaatar. The teenager joined to the elite age group only this January but he has plenty of experiences as junior and youth. Togambay dominated mostly the second and third rounds in his opening bout against Sweden’s Viktor Olsson in Helsinki which is his first international elite tournament.

Kazakhstan’s AIBA World Champion Kairat Yeraliyev showed amazing technique

Kazakhstan’s Kairat Yeraliyev was AIBA World Champion in Hamburg in 2017 but he was replaced by ASBC Asian Youth Champion Serik Temirzhanov in the top national team. Yeraliyev was selected to attend in the Gee Bee Tournament where he began his campaign against Armenia’s Artur Ghazaryan. The Kazakh southpaw maintained the best fighting distance quickly in the first round and his counter-punches worked well against the Caucasian rival. Yeraliyev was a hard target for the Armenian and showed amazing technique in the bout which delivered a clear success for him.

Uzbekistan’s Abdumalik Khalakov used his virtuoso technique to beat his German opponent

Uzbekistan’s Abdumalik Khalakov won the big three in 2018, the Youth Olympic Games, the AIBA Youth World Boxing Championships and also the ASBC Asian Youth Boxing Championships. He used his superb footwork in his opening bout against Germany’s Murat Yildirim who was quarter-finalist in the Hamburg 2017 AIBA World Boxing Championships. Khalakov was a hard target for the German and used his footwork to find the best attacking angles. The 19-year-old Uzbek caught his German rival with counter-punches whenever he wanted and advanced to the last four.

Kazakhstan’s Aslanbek Shymbergenov bowed out a tough Mongolian

Kazakhstan’s Aslanbek Shymbergenov was silver medallist at the Jakarta 2018 Asian Games and the WSB Team Champion arrived to Helsinki as one of the main favourite boxers of the welterweight (69kg). The taller Kazakh tried to keep the best fighting distance against Mongolia’s Bayarkhuu Ganbaatar who landed also tough punches. The 26-year-old Kazakh moved more on feet than his static Mongolian rival who tried to rule the middle of the ring. Aslanbek Shymbergenov was effective in the exchanges and his speed decided their contest in Helsinki.

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