Eleven Asian boxers advanced to the finals in the Islamic Solidarity Games

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The exciting semi-finals were held in the boxing tournament of the Islamic Solidarity Games in Baku, Azerbaijan where 23 Asian boxers achieved medals and among them 11 advanced to the final stage of the competition. Iraq, Kazakhstan, Syria, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan were the bests among the Asian countries after the semi-finals.

Light flyweight (49kg):
Iraq’s experienced Hasan Ali Naser was enough fresh in the final round to beat Kyrgyzstan’s two-time National Champion Rakhmankul Avatov by split decision in the quarter-final and he delivered the same performance against Iran’s Omid Ahmadisafa and advanced to the gold medal bout. His final opponent will be Syria’s ASBC Asian Confederation Boxing Championships quarter-finalist Hussin Al-Masri who delivered a big sensation with his success against Uzbekistan’s WSB boxer Mironshokh Ibragimov.

Flyweight (52kg):
Kazakhstan’s former National Champion and Bocskai Memorial Tournament winner Azat Makhmetov joined to the international events in 2013 and he achieved several titles in the AOB events. The 26-year-old boxer, who claimed silver in the last Kazakh National Championships in 2016, needed to do his very best against Turkmenistan’s Zarip Jumayev in the preliminary round but after that he had an easier bout against Pakistan’s Syed Muhammad Asif. Makhmetov walked over to the final as his young Algerian opponent, Oussama Mordjane was not able to fight against his in the semi-final.

Bantamweight (56kg):
Turkmenistan’s Yakub Meredov, who is member of their national team since 2011, knocked down Iraq’s younger talent Jaafar Ali Al-Sudani in the third round and dominated his quarter-final fight in Baku. Turkmenistan’s bantamweight (56kg) No.1 controlled his semi-final also against Jordan’s ASBC Asian Confederation Boxing Championships bronze medallist veteran Mohammad Abdelaziz Al-Wadi and reached the final of the Games. Meredov’s last opponent will be Uzbekistan’s unbeaten WSB talent Abdulkhay Sharakhmatov who was too strong for Kazakhstan’s Nurbol Kalzhanov, Turkey’s Olympian boxer Selcuk Eker and Azerbaijan’s Tayfur Aliyev in the road to the finals.

Lightweight (60kg):
Asia’s lone finalist in this category is Iraq’s experienced Ammar Jabbar Hassan Karbalai who joined to the national squad still back in 2011 and his aggressive style was successful in the semi-final against Turkmenistan’s Hursand Imankuliyev which was a narrow semi-final in the Islamic Solidarity Games. The 24-year-old Iraqi boxer will now meet for the title with Azerbaijan’s AIBA World Champion Javid Chalabiyev who eliminated Kazakhstan’s Nanjing 2014 Youth Olympic Games silver medallist Sultan Zaurbek which was a sensational bout in the sixth competition day.

Light welterweight (64kg):
Uzbekistan’s former AIBA Junior World Champion Aliyor Noraliyev eliminated Azerbaijan’s favourite and experienced Elvin Isayev in the quarter-final with top performance and he was able to continue his winning path against Kazakhstan’s 21-year-old Kuan Kuatov. The 22-year-old Uzbek boxer was amazing in the semi-final and will be boxing for the title against Egypt’s Mohamed Eslam Aly who had a narrow bout against Jordan’s Rio 2016 Olympian and Incheon 2014 Asian Games bronze medallist Obada Al-Kasbeh.

Welterweight (69kg):
Uzbekistan’s current National Champion in this weight class Bobo-Usmon Boturov finally received the right to show his skills in the international level and he dominated his contests against Turkey’s Rio 2016 Olympian veteran Onder Sipal and Syria’s ASBC Asian Confederation Boxing Championships bronze medallist Ahmad Ghossoun in the road to the final. His last opponent for the gold medal in the Games will be Azerbaijan’s Tamerlan Abdullayev who eliminated Kazakhstan’s Ilya Ochkin on Day6.

Middleweight (75kg):
Kazakhstan’s Strandja Memorial Tournament winner and ASBC Asian Youth Champion Tursynbay Kulakhmet knocked down Iran’s Seyed Shahin Mousavi in the first preliminary round in Baku eliminated his second opponent Uzbekistan’s promising boxer in this weight class Makhmud Gaipov which bout was an early final between the two favourites. Kulakhmet continued his winning path against Cameroon’s All Africa Games winner Dieudonne Wilfried Seyi Ntsengue and will be boxing for the title with Azerbaijan’s Kamran Shakhsuvarly and he is planning to do revenge.

Light heavyweight (81kg):
Turkmenistan’s Arslanbek Achilov qualified for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games from the World Olympic Qualification Event which was held in Baku one year ago. Turkmenistan’s pride returned to the Azeri capital and spent less than one round in the ring against Ivory Coast’s Adama Kone when the referee confirmed his RSC success in the quarter-final. The 24-year-old Turkmen boxer did not give any chance also to Turkey’s Cem Karlidag in the semi-final and after Meredov he became the second finalist from his country in the Islamic Solidarity Games. Achilov’s final opponent will be Azerbaijan’s former EUBC European Youth Champion Rauf Rahimov.

Heavyweight (91kg):
Syria proved top performance in the last edition of the ASBC Asian Confederation Boxing Championships in Tashkent where the country claimed two medals and four quota places for the Hamburg 2017 AIBA World Boxing Championships. Alaaldin Ghossoun, who moved up to the heavyweight (91kg) only in the recent months, claimed bronze medal in Tashkent repeated that performance in the Islamic Solidarity Games. Ghossoun proved top performance in the semi-final against Azerbaijan’s star Teymur Mammadov and he was near to beat his top rival in Baku.

Super heavyweight (+91kg):
Syrian National Champion Manaf Asaad replaced Mohamed Mulayes this time at the super heavyweight (+91kg) but he amazed the crowd with his tough punches against Morocco’s three-time Olympian Mohammed Arjaoui. The Syrian boxer was quicker than his North African rival and earned a place in the final where he will be boxing with Azerbaijan’s two-time AIBA World Champion Mahammadrasul Majidov who needed to do his very best against Jordan’s Rio 2016 Olympian Hussein Iashaish.