Kulibayev Prizes Tournament in Atyrau

Shaimurat Kusainov was the best boxer in the Kulibayev Prizes Tournament in Atyrau

The Kulibayev Prizes Tournament finished with 10 final contests in the city of Atyrau, Kazakhstan where the host country was able to win eight gold medals. Uzbekistan and Poland also won one weight class in the competition where 63 boxers fought for the medals and prizes one month before the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. The tournament was named by Askar Kulibayev who is the current President of the Kazakhstan Boxing Federation.
Uzbekistan’s Hasanboy Latibakhunov had great results among the youth boxers in his homeland in the recent two years. He won gold medal at the Pinweight class (46 kg) in one of their youth national event in 2015 and joined to the elite competitions in the recent months. The Light Flyweight class (49 kg) boxer defeated Kazakhstan’s Daniyar Serik in the first final of the Kulibayev Prizes Tournament winning the bout by split decision.
Kazakhstan’s Sagyndyk Moldashev had great youth results in 2012 and in 2013 and since then he reached the top level of the Flyweight class (52 kg). The 22-year-old Kazakh boxer defeated his teammate Erlan Tamemov in the final by split decision while experienced Akniyet Baltabayev claimed only bronze in Atyrau.
Kanat Turganbayev involved to the national team of Kazakhstan in 2010 when he competed in the Tammer Tournament in Tampere, Finland as a youth boxer. The 24-year-old Bantamweight class (56 kg) boxer had a few unexpected losses in the recent two years but returned with a tournament title in Atyrau where he was too strong for his compatriot Asylkhan Uzakbayev in the final.
Mirzhan Zhaksylykov is not an experienced boxer in the Lightweight class (60 kg) but his efforts were enough to get Kazakhstan’s third gold medal in Atyrau after beating Abdolla Nurgaliyev winning the final by split decision. Miras Nygmetov eliminated Kazakhstan’s Adil Serikov and Uzbekistan’s Ravshanbek Umurzakov in the road to the finals where he had to meet a promising hope Kambar Giniyatov. Kazakhstan’s talented pride did not give any chance for Giniyatov in the final and knocked down his rival.
Kazakhstan’s Kanagat Maralov competed in the Season V of the World Series of Boxing and won several international tournaments in the recent years. The Welterweight class (69 kg) boxer had more accurate punches in the final against ASBC Asian Confederation Youth Boxing Championships bronze medallist Ilya Ochkin and secured another title during his career. Bocskai Memorial Tournament winner Maksat Zheksenbay and former Youth National Champion Nursultan Salikhov both claimed only bronze medal in the Kulibayev Prizes Tournament.
Poland’s WSB boxer and Rio 2016 Olympian Tomasz Jablonski had a big battle against Tajikistan’s Mirzomukhammed Bakhtiyar in the quarter-final of the Kulibayev Tournament but finally his hand was raised. Following that success the best Polish boxer demonstrated his power over Kazakhstan’s Almaz Tleubergenov in the final of the Middleweight class (75 kg) where he needed only 50 seconds to beat his injured opponent.
Konakbayev Prizes Tournament winner Shaimurat Kusainov competed in various international events in Hungary, Germany, Czech Republic and in Belarus therefore he was high hope for the host country in the Kulibayev Prizes Tournament. Kusainov had to meet for the gold with Uzbekistan’s Oybek Mamazulunov who was ASBC Asian Champion in 2013 and achieved bronze at the AIBA World Boxing Championships in the same year. Their final was one of the most spectacular in the event in Atyrau where the judges picked Kusainov as the winner of the Light Heavyweight class (81 kg).
Kazakhstan’s Vakhitov Prizes Tournament silver medallist Serik Musadilov delivered the host nation’s seventh gold medal following his TKO success over Uzbekistan’s Feruzbek Matisayev. The last gold medal of the Kulibayev Prizes Tournament was achieved by Nurali Alimbekov who stopped his favourite teammate Olzhas Bukayev in the final of the Super Heavyweight class (+91 kg) in Atyrau.

Winners in the Kulibayev Prizes Tournament

49 kg: Hasanboy Latibakhunov, Uzbekistan
52 kg: Sagyndyk Moldashev, Kazakhstan
56 kg: Kanat Turganbayev, Kazakhstan
60 kg: Mirzhan Zhaksylykov, Kazakhstan
64 kg: Miras Nygmetov, Kazakhstan
69 kg: Kanagat Maralov, Kazakhstan
75 kg: Tomasz Jablonski, Poland
81 kg: Shaimurat Kusainov, Kazakhstan
91 kg: Serik Musadilov, Kazakhstan
+91 kg: Nurali Alimbekov, Kazakhstan