Five Uzbek gold medals after the first part of the finals at the Strandja Memorial Tournament
The first part of the finals featured in the 73rd edition of the Strandja Memorial Tournament in Sofia, Bulgaria on Day7. Among the twelve gold medals, the Asian boxers earned six titles in the Bulgarian capital where Uzbekistan amazed with five titles while Kazakhstan won one category after the session.
The Strandja Memorial is Europe’s oldest international boxing tournament and has a strong brand name therefore high number of stars decided to attend in the event. IBA arranged the money prizes and boxers could earn new world ranking points in the 73rd Strandja Memorial Tournament.
Strong Asian teams as India, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan are attending at the upcoming Strandja Memorial Tournament in Sofia, Bulgaria, which is one of the most exciting competitions in the world. The new 73rd Strandja Memorial Tournament is the first from the World Boxing Tour’s Golden Gloves Series and take place between February 18 and 28 in Sofia.
Impressive number of 39 nations registered to attend in the new edition of the Strandja Memorial Tournament in Sofia. The competition will be also a preparation event for the upcoming big goals as the IBA Women’s World Boxing Championships, multisport events and many other continental competitions.
Uzbekistan’s Hasanboy Dusmatov earned the first title at the Strandja
Uzbekistan’s Olympic Games winner and two-time ASBC Asian Champion Hasanboy Dusmatov returned to the national team after a break just before the Belgrade 2021 AIBA Men’s Elite World Boxing Championships. The Uzbek flyweight (51kg) boxer eliminated Kazakhstan’s Timur Kabdeshov in the semi-final and he met with another boxer from the Central Asian boxing power. His opponent, Kazakhstan’s Damir Abdikadyr is not their most experienced boxer yet but he advanced to the final after beating Russia’s Volodya Mnatsakanyan. Dusmatov was smaller than his Kazakh rival but he had energetic punches and speed difference to beat Abdikadyr in the final of the Strandja Memorial Tournament earning the first gold medal.
Abdumalik Khalakov achieved Uzbekistan’s second gold
Uzbekistan’s Abdumalik Khalakov is not only a top future hope anymore but he is their No.1 who enjoyed all of his previous contests at the Strandja Memorial Tournament. The Uzbek boxer won the big three in 2018 as a youth boxer and after a few years of experiences as elite, he claimed silver medal at the 2021 AIBA Men’s World Boxing Championships. The 21-year-old Uzbek moved down to the featherweight (57kg) but he has the strength to beat his rivals in Sofia. He stopped Russia’s EUBC European Champion Vsevolod Shumkov in the semi-final and continued his winning path against Bulgaria’s ex-Cuban Javier Ibanez. The host nation’s pride tried to do his very best and attacked permanently but Khalakov was a hard target and earned Uzbekistan’s second gold in Sofia.
Mujibullo Tursunov dominated his light welterweight final
Uzbekistan’s third finalist Mujibullo Tursunov won national title in his homeland after beating the stars of the light welterweight (63.5kg). He achieved silver medal at the 2021 CISM Military World Boxing Championships and he had the closest bout with Cuba’s unbeaten star, Andy Cruz in Belgrade. The 22-year-old Uzbek was highly confident to join to the finals at the Strandja Memorial Tournament and he had the right game plan against Ukraine’s Tokyo Olympian Yaroslav Khartsyz. Tursunov was able to change his tempo in the second round which looked uncomfortable for the Ukrainian therefore the third-in-a-row Uzbek success confirmed after the last gong.
Kazakhstan’s Nazym Kyzaibay returned with a gold medal
Kazakhstan’s experienced Nazym Kyzaibay achieved gold medals at the 2014 and 2016 AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships in Jeju and in Astana when she boxed in the smallest weight class. She moved up one category in 2017 but she was not enough successful and Kyzaibay had a few poor years in comparison to her previous level. The Kazakh boxer trained hard to regain her previous form and arrived to the Strandja Memorial Tournament in fantastic shape. She bowed out France’s EUBC European U22 Champion Romane Moulai in the last four and faced with Algeria’s Roumayssa Boualem in the final of the light flyweight (50kg). The Kazakh boxer proved she is better in all aspects of boxing already in the first round, and took the lead on the scorecards. Kyzaibay enjoyed the last round well enough and she returned to the boxing world with a gold medal at the Strandja.
Uzbekistan’s next hero was Odiljon Aslonov
Uzbekistan’s Odiljon Aslonov is two-time National Champion and he moved up to the light heavyweight (80kg) to give himself a chance to compete in the international stage. Aslonov had nice successes during his road to the semi-finals at the light heavyweight (80kg) and he worked hard to beat the new Italian hope in this category, Alfred Commey. Following that bout, he moved ahead without any stoppage in his final against Bulgaria’s Kristiyan Nikolov. Aslonov caught his Bulgarian opponent with strong jabs in the first and second rounds, but his younger local rival tried to do his very best in the third. Aslonov handled the tactical change of the Bulgarian boxer and achieved Uzbekistan’s fourth gold medal in Sofia.
Saidrakhimov won Uzbekistan’s fifth title in Sofia
Wuhan 2019 World Military Games winner Madiyar Saidrakhimov had also a tough rival in the sixth day of boxing, Kazakhstan’s Abzal Kuttybekov who eliminated such star Spain’s Emmanuel Reyes. The Uzbek boxer gave in everything to the decisive third round and he won their narrow contest at the heavyweight (92kg) in Sofia. Following his semi-final success, the former WSB boxer used his longer hands well against Bulgaria’s Radoslav Pantaleev in the first round and took the lead on the judges’ scorecards. The 24-year-old Uzbek finished the second round with a massive jab and he proved that he is faster than the 2019 AIBA World Boxing Championships bronze medallist. Pantaleev moved ahead without any stoppage but Saidrakhimov’s technical skills decided their contest.
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