Fantastic boxing show in the Shokhr Boltekuly Memorial Tournament in Aktau

IMG_1679-768x512

The prestigious Shokhr Boltekuly Memorial Tournament was held in Aktau, Kazakhstan where the level of the competition was higher than in the previous years. Aktau is located off the coast of the Caspian Sea near to Atyrau which is also famous of its boxing competitions and sport traditions. Shokhr Boltekuly is a famous person in Kazakhstan’s boxing who launched our beloved combat sport in Central Asia in the ‘1920s.
The Uzbek team also competed in the Shokhr Boltekuly Memorial Tournament including some of their top stars as well. Ten new champions have been crowned in the new 12th edition of the Shokhr Boltekuly Memorial Tournament in Aktau where boxers from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Finland, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Poland, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan competed for the medals.
Samat Zhetibayev reached good results in the recent one year and his efforts were enough to win the light flyweight (49kg) in Aktau. His opponent in the final was Kyrgyzstan’s ASBC Asian Confederation Youth Boxing Championships bronze medallist Syrgak Dzhanseitov who eliminated Uzbekistan’s WSB boxer Mironshokh Ibragimov with a sensational strong combination in the semi-final. Zhetibayev worked hard in the final against his Kyrgyz opponent and won the gold medal in Aktau.
Kazakhstan’s flyweight (52kg) No.1, ASBC Asian Confederation Boxing Championships bronze medallist Azamat Issakulov was amazing in the final against his teammate Akinet Baltabayev and won the title in Aktau while Armenia’s Artur Hovhannisyan and Azerbaijan’s Youth Olympian Masud Yusifzade achieved only bronze medals.
Kazakhstan’s WSB boxer Nurbol Kalzhanov began his career with a gold medal in the 2010 ASBC Asian Confederation Youth Boxing Championships. Since then he achieved several good results among the elite boxers and did his very best against Uzbekistan’s AIBA Youth World Boxing Championships bronze medallist six years younger Otabek Kholmatov in the final of the bantamweight (56kg).
Kazakhstan’s Berik Abdrakhmanov, Belarus’ Dzmitry Asanau and Uzbekistan’s Murodjon Akhmadaliev each won medals in the recent editions of the AIBA World Boxing Championships therefore the lightweight (60kg) was one of the strongest category in Aktau. Rio 2016 Olympian Abdrakhmanov, who returned to the ring after a short break, launched massive jabs in the final against Asanau and his aggressive style paid off. Akhmadaliev lost to his Belarusian opponent in the semi-final and achieved only bronze this time.
Uzbekistan’s AIBA World Boxing Championships bronze medallist Elnur Abduraimov moved up to the light welterweight (64kg) since the Hamburg event and won the gold medal in Aktau after beating Kazakhstan’s Dilshat Nurim in the final while Turkmenistan’s promising hope Hursand Imankuliyev took a valuable bronze medal in the event.
Uzbekistan’s Makhmud Gaipov moved back to his welterweight (69kg) in the recent weeks and dominated his final over Kazakhstan’s Kanagat Maralov in Aktau. Uzbekistan’s defending ASBC Asian Champion Israil Madrimov is one of the best middleweight (75kg) boxer in the whole world and he proved his strength in the whole competition, especially in the final against Kazakhstan’s Almaz Tleubergenov.
Kazakhstan’s AIBA Youth World Boxing Championships bronze medallist Bekzad Nurdauletov continued his successful series among the elite boxers and defeated Uzbekistan’s Madiyar Saidrakhimov in the final of the light heavyweight (81kg). The bronze medals were taken by Tajikistan’s Mukhammad Vakhobov and Kyrgyzstan’s Rio 2016 Olympian Erkin Adylbek Uulu in this weight class.
Kazakhstan’s promising hope Abzal Kuttybekov eliminated Uzbekistan’s AIBA World Boxing Championships bronze medallist Sanjar Tursunov in the semi-final and after that sensational triumph he defeated his teammate Magzhan Bazarbay in the final of the heavyweight (91kg). Georgia’s EUBC European Youth Champion Nikoloz Begadze had to travel back to home without any medals which shows the strength of the event.
Uzbekistan’s AIBA World Boxing Championships bronze medallist and Rio 2016 Olympian Bakhodir Jalolov was seeded as No.1 in Hamburg but he lost to Kazakhstan’s Kamshybek Kunkabayev in the quarter-final. Following that loss he increased the intensity of his training sessions and defeated Kazakhstan’s 19-year-old Ayboldy Daurenuly in the final of the super heavyweight (+91kg).

List of the winners in the Shokhr Boltekuly Tournament
Kazakhstan 49kg: Samat Zhetibayev, Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan 52kg: Azamat Issakulov, Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan 56kg: Nurbol Kalzhanov, Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan 60kg: Berik Abdrakhmanov, Kazakhstan
uzbekistan 64kg: Elnur Abduraimov, Uzbekistan
uzbekistan 69kg: Makhmud Gaipov, Uzbekistan
uzbekistan 75kg: Israil Madrimov, Uzbekistan
Kazakhstan 81kg: Bekzod Nurdauletov, Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan 91kg: Abzal Kuttybekov, Kazakhstan
uzbekistan +91kg: Bakhodir Jalolov, Uzbekistan