Atyrau sees new heroes in the day of the finals

Kazakhstan’s National Championships bronze medallist Mardan Berikbayev was the top favourite of the light flyweight class at the Taimanov & Utemisov Memorial Tournament in the city of Atyrau but he did not comply his mission. The experienced boxer was defeated by his compatriot 19-year-old Rashid Salauatov who is member of the host city’s squad and claimed his first ever title among the elite boxers. The final verdict of their equal contest was 12:11 to Salauatov who secured the first gold medal for Kazakhstan. Kyrgyzstan’s Youth National Champion 19-year-old Roman Sadirzhan Ulu could not attend at the AIBA Youth World Championships in Yerevan last year due his injury but now he has recovered and proved his excellent knowledge of boxing in Atyrau. The Kyrgyz flyweight boxer met with Kazakhstan’s Bakkozha Inayatullayev and won their contest by 22:16 after the final bell. Roman Sadirzhan Ulu has got a huge rival in Kyrgyzstan, their team captain Azat Usenaliyev but he is ready to be solved that fight as well. Kazakhstan’s teenager Yerzhan Ordabayev trains in the city of Atyrau and fought at the Taimanov & Utemisov Memorial Tournament on absolutely home soil. The 19-year-old bantamweight boxer triumphed over Russia’s Egor Egorov who won three contests previously on the road to the finals. Ordabayev made his career highlight on his debuting international elite competition which was more than a good opening for him. AIBA Youth World Championships quarter-finalist Kamran Bakhshaliyev secured the only gold medal for Azerbaijan in the event. The 20- year-old lightweight fighter was only quarter-finalist in the last Azeri National Championships in January but he defeated Kazakhstan’s Darkhan Zhumsakbayev who also competed in the 2010 AIBA Youth World Championships where another Azeri boxer was eliminated him. The result table showed 7:6 to Bakhshaliyev after their spectacular final. At the light welterweight class Ukraine’s youngster Mger Oganisyan had more than a close final against Kazakhstan’s Azamat Dosmagambetov winning their bout by 11:10. His compatriot Ukraine’s Denis Lazarev is member of the national elite squad since 2008 therefore his experiences were enough to beat Kazakhstan’s Olzhas Tortagulov by 12:11 in the second battle between Ukraine and the host nation. The biggest surprise of the welterweight class was the relatively bad performance of the former Kazakh National Champion Manat Omirzakov who could not win any medal in the city of Atyrau. At the middleweight class Kazakhstan’s Kamran Shakhsuvarly met with his teammate Aydos Yerbolsynuly and both tried to do their bests in Atyrau where they could show their excellent technique. Finally Yerbolsynuly was able to win their contest by 12:9 which resulted the third gold medal for the host nation’s squad. Kazakhstan’s former National Champion Dauren Yeleussinov used up his previous experiences and tried to control the bout from the first seconds against Syria’s rising star Alaaldin Ghossoun. The Kazakh light heavyweight boxer’s tactic was more efficient and his efforts eventuated seven points difference to him after three rounds of fight. Kazakhstan’s Vasiliy Levit bagged a gold medal at the 2009 Asian Championships in Zhuhai and he is trying to regain his place in the national top squad therefore his final victory over Russia’s Anton Kudinov is a good step for him. Syria’s new super heavyweight boxer National Champion Qaes Mahfouz replaced Asian Championships silver medallist Sumar Ghossoun just before the event but he was not able to win the gold medal in the Taimanov & Utemisov Memorial Tournament where Kazakhstan’s 20-year-old Ali Baloyev was too strong for him. Following the host nation’s serious punches the Syrian ringside abandoned the unequal fight which meant Baloyev secured the sixth gold medal for Kazakhstan in Atyrau.