Kyrgyzstan’s Borbashev returned to the boxing world with a title in the Vakhitov Tournament

The prestigious Rafael Vakhitov Tournament was held in Pavlodar, Kazakhstan where ten champions were crowned in the international event. Kyrgyzstan impressed with its three gold medals which were achieved by two youngsters as Bek Kamchybekov and Abdurakhman Abdurakhmanov, furthermore a veteran boxer Chyngyz Borbashev who returned to the world of boxing in the recent months.
The city of Pavlodar hosted the 2016 edition of the ASBC Asian Confederation Youth Boxing Championships and the Pavlodar Regional Boxing Federation organized another international event, the Rafael Vakhitov Tournament in the same venue this time for the men’s elite boxers.
The best team of the event was Kazakhstan’s Pavlodar region with their three gold medals but Kyrgyzstan also achieved three titles in the Vakhitov Tournament. Russia, Ukraine and at the very first time Serbia also sent teams to the Rafael Vakhitov Tournament to Pavlodar from the European continent.
Mr. Rafael Vakhitov is honoured coach of the Kazakh SSR, whose name is associated with the history of the formation and development of the Pavlodar boxing school. Since 1976, Mr. Vakhitov is a key figure of physical culture and sports of the Republic of Kazakhstan, his coaching experience is about 60 years.
The first gold medal was achieved by Kazakhstan’s Sabyr Zholaushiyev who walked over to the gold medal following his opponent, Kyrgyzstan’s experienced international boxer Mirlan Turkbay Uulu was unable to box against him. Kazakhstan’s Kanat Sangyl was a successful youth boxer who moved to the elite level in the recent months and impressed in the final of the flyweight (52kg) when he met with more experienced Akniyet Baltabayev.
Aybat Shukelov is not the most well-known bantamweight (56kg) boxer in Kazakhstan but following his semi-final success over Abylay Saylaubekov he was able to knock down Kyrgyzstan’s multiple international tournament winner Sirodjiddin Abdullaev in the final at the Vakhitov Tournament. Kazakhstan’s Maksim Goncharov is also a young hope who defeated international boxer Rustam Rustamov and Ayshulak Kasanov in the final stages of the lightweight (60kg).
Kyrgyzstan’s first gold medal was achieved by Bek Kamchybekov who used his powerful combinations to keep the control against all of his Uzbek and Kazakh rivals at the light welterweight (64kg). Kyrgyzstan’s another young hope Abdurakhman Abdurakhmanov won a tournament in Kazakhstan last year and he was able to beat all of his rivals including Nurzhan Makashbayev and Rustam Shaymerdinov.
Kazakhstan’s Vladislav Stolbovskiy was ASBC Asian Junior Champion in 2013 and joined to the elite age group in 2016 but his gold medal in Pavlodar was over his expectations. The 21-year-old middleweight (75kg) boxer eliminated Uzbekistan’s Jasurbek Toshtemirov in the semi-final and continued his winning path against Russia’s Ramazan Kazibekov in the final. The gold medal of the light heavyweight (81kg) went to Azamat Bakytov who walked over to the title against Kazakhstan’s ASBC Asian Youth Champion Dmitriy Akhtsiger.
Kyrgyzstan’s veteran Chyngyz Borbashev competed at the 2003 AIBA Cadet World Boxing Championships in the international level at the very first time and returned after two years of hiatus but his power was enough to beat Kazakhstan’s Artem Pchelyakov quickly in the final of the heavyweight (91kg). The tenth gold medal in the Vakhitov Tournament was achieved by Pavlodar’s Serik Musadilov who defeated Danila Semenov in the final.

List of the winners in the Vakhitov Tournament
49kg: Sabyr Zholaushiyev, Kazakhstan
52kg: Kanat Sangyl, Kazakhstan
56kg: Aybat Shukelov, Kazakhstan
60kg: Maksim Goncharov, Kazakhstan
64kg: Bek Kamchybekov, Kyrgyzstan
69kg: Abdurakhman Abdurakhmanov, Kyrgyzstan
75kg: Vladislav Stolbovskiy, Kazakhstan
81kg: Azamat Bakytov, Kazakhstan
91kg: Chyngyz Borbashev, Kyrgyzstan
+91kg: Serik Musadilov, Kazakhstan