Negmatulloev defeats high hope Mardonov in the Galym Zharylgapov Memorial Tournament

The Galym Zharylgapov Memorial Tournament was held in the city of Karagandy where 15 champions have been crowned in the event. Young stars as India’s Shyam Kumar Kakara, Uzbekistan’s Shukurjon Rakhimov, Kazakhstan’s Zhusip Kuandyk and Tajikistan’s Shabbos Negmatulloev all shined in the top international event.
Karagandy is famous of its sport schools from where several key boxers of our world began their career in Kazakhstan. The competition was held for women and men elite boxers in Karagandy where competitors from five countries achieved titles.
The first gold medal of the whole Galym Zharylgapov Memorial Tournament was gone to Kazakhstan’s Rio 2016 Olympian Zhaina Shekerbekova who controlled her final contest at the women’s flyweight (51kg). The 28-year-old boxer, who was involved to the national team in 2009, dominated her final against Aigerim Kasenayeva.
Rano Parkhatova is Kazakhstan’s No.2 at the women’s bantamweight (54kg) behind AIBA Women’s World Champion Dina Zholaman shocked her top teammate Aida Tuyakbay in the final. Saniya Sultankyzy has got experiences from Asian and World level as well but in the recent two years she lost her place in Kazakhstan’s top squad. In spite of her previous difficulties she defeated Dametken Kelimbet in the final of the featherweight (57kg).
Kazakhstan’s young talent Aizhan Khodzhabekova moved up to the lightweight (60kg) in the recent months. The AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships bronze medallist eliminated Tajikistan’s Shoira Zulkaynarova in the semi-final and walked over to the title when she met with Karina Ibragimova. Kazakhstan’s new young sensation Aida Ondash moved down to the middleweight (75kg) and won her first elite competition in that category following her quick success over Violetta Knyazeva.
Shyam Kumar Kakara is India’s most promising light flyweight (49kg) boxer who qualified for the Nanjing 2014 Youth Olympic Games and has been shining also in the elite level. The 21-year-old Indian got the title against Kyrgyzstan’s Mirlan Turkbay Uulu who was unable to box against him in the final. Kazakhstan is looking for a new talent at the flyweight (52kg) which is relatively weak point in the country nowadays. Their Akniyet Baltabayev was enough strong to beat all of his Uzbek and Kazakh rivals in Karagandy.
Orazbek Asylkulov had successful youth career at the light flyweight (49kg) and at the flyweight (52kg) but the 19-year-old boxer made his successful debut at the bantamweight (56kg) in the Galym Zharylgapov Memorial Tournament. Kazakhstan’s Asylkulov looked fresh and energetic in the final against his teammate Sherkhan Sugirbekov and celebrated his title after the final bell.
Uzbekistan’s lone title in the event was achieved by Shukurjon Rakhimov who moved ahead into a next level in the recent months performing amazingly in the international events. The 21-year-old Uzbek lightweight (60kg) talent, who attended at the Sofia 2014 AIBA Youth World Boxing Championships, defeated India’s Manish Kaushik in the final.
Azamat Nurken is now a well-known boxer in Kazakhstan but his efforts were enough to win the light welterweight (64kg) at the Galym Zharylgapov Memorial Tournament. The new face in the elite competitions was enough strong to beat Miras Yertanov and Askar Yerubek in the final stages of the competition.
Kyrgyzstan’s Abdurakhman Abdurakhmanov joined to the national team in 2014 as a youth talent but his title at the welterweight (69kg) in the Zharylgapov Memorial Tournament was his career highlight. The 20-year-old Kyrgyz talent was impressive in the semi-final against Uzbekistan’s WSB star Fazliddin Meliboev and continued his tough performance when he met with Kazakhstan’s Demezkhan Saydagali in the title bout.
Kazakhstan’s new middleweight (75kg) talent Zhusip Kuandyk used his strength to keep the best fighting distance in all of his four contests in the Galym Zharylgapov Memorial Tournament. Kuandyk eliminated Uzbekistan’s former ASBC Asian Youth Champion Akmalbek Kosimov as first and he had a quick success in the final over Kazakhstan’s Amandyk Manashev.
Tajikistan’s Shabbos Negmatulloev started his career as a genius in our sport and the native talent combined this skill with hard work. His continuous efforts paid off in the Galym Zharylgapov Memorial Tournament where he did wonderful performance against Uzbekistan’s AIBA Youth World Boxing Championships bronze medallist Kozimbek Mardonov in the final of the light heavyweight (81kg).
India’s AIBA Youth World Boxing Championships bronze medallist Naman Tanwar is only 19 but his stamina is incredible at the heavyweight (91kg). The Indian teenager moved forward as an engine and won his three difficult contests in Karagandy. India’s top super heavyweight (+91kg) boxer Satish Kumar was involved to the national squad still in 2012 and his used up his advantages against Kazakhstan’s two youngsters as Dmitriy Zisko and Rustem Bayeshev as well.

List of the winners in the Galym Zharylgapov Memorial Tournament
Women’s 51kg: Zhaina Shekerbekova, Kazakhstan
Women’s 54kg: Rano Parkhatova, Kazakhstan
Women’s 57kg: Saniya Sultankyzy, Kazakhstan
Women’s 60kg: Aizhan Khodzhabekova, Kazakhstan
Women’s 75kg: Aida Ondash, Kazakhstan
Men’s 49kg: Shyam Kumar Kakara, India
Men’s 52kg: Akniyet Baltabayev, Kazakhstan
Men’s 56kg: Orazbek Asylkulov, Kazakhstan
Men’s 60kg: Shukurjon Rakhimov, Uzbekistan
Men’s 64kg: Azamat Nurken, Kazakhstan
Men’s 69kg: Abdurakhman Abdurakhmanov, Kyrgyzstan
Men’s 75kg: Zhusip Kuandyk, Kazakhstan
Men’s 81kg: Shabbos Negmatulloev, Tajikistan
Men’s 91kg: Naman Tanwar, India
Men’s +91kg: Satish Kumar, India