Seven Asian gold medals in the Islamic Solidarity Games where Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Syria delivered sensational performance

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The gold medal bouts were held in the boxing tournament of the Islamic Solidarity Games in Baku, Azerbaijan where seven Asian boxers from Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Syria won the titles. Altogether 23 Asian men’s elite boxers achieved medals and among them 11 advanced to the final stage of the competition. Kazakhstan, Syria, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Iraq and Jordan were the bests among the Asian countries in the Islamic Solidarity Games in Baku.

Light flyweight (49kg):
Syria’s Hussin Al-Masri was quarter-finalist in the ASBC Asian Confederation Boxing Championships in Tashkent but won his Box-off in the Uzbek capital and qualified for the Hamburg 2017 AIBA World Boxing Championships. The Syrian light flyweight (49kg) boxer was delivered a big sensation in the semi-final when he defeated Uzbekistan’s unbeaten WSB athlete Mironshokh Ibragimov. Al-Masri had easier final against Iraq’s experienced Hasan Ali Naser who was not enough fresh in the gold medal bout after his tough previous contests. The Syrian boxer reached his career highlight with his title at the Islamic Solidarity Games.

Flyweight (52kg):
Kazakhstan’s former National Champion and Bocskai Memorial Tournament winner Azat Makhmetov joined to the international events in 2013 and he achieved several titles in the AOB events. The 26-year-old boxer, who claimed silver in the last Kazakh National Championships in 2016, needed to do his very best against Turkmenistan’s Zarip Jumayev in the preliminary round but after that he had an easier bout against Pakistan’s Syed Muhammad Asif. Makhmetov walked over to the final as his young Algerian opponent, Oussama Mordjane was not able to fight against his in the semi-final. The Kazakh boxer met with Morocco’s WSB team member Abdelali Daraa in the gold medal bout and his technique was enough to beat his North African rival in Baku.

Bantamweight (56kg):
Uzbekistan’s Abdulkhay Sharakhmatov arrived as main favourite of the bantamweight (56kg) in the Islamic Solidarity Games and he was able realize his objective in Baku. The 20-year-old Uzbek boxer, who is unbeaten in all of his WSB contests, was too strong for Kazakhstan’s Nurbol Kalzhanov, Turkey’s Olympian boxer Selcuk Eker and Azerbaijan’s Tayfur Aliyev in the road to the finals. His last opponent was Turkmenistan’s Yakub Meredov, who is member of their national team since 2011, but could not handle Sharakhmatov’s strength and tactical skills in the final of the event. Meredov’s silver medal was great success for the Turkmen boxer who was satisfied with that result after the final gong.

Lightweight (60kg):
Asia’s lone finalist in this category was Iraq’s experienced Ammar Jabbar Hassan Karbalai who joined to the national squad still back in 2011 and his aggressive style was successful in the semi-final against Turkmenistan’s Hursand Imankuliyev which was a narrow semi-final in the Islamic Solidarity Games. The 24-year-old Iraqi boxer met for the title with Azerbaijan’s AIBA World Champion Javid Chalabiyev but he was not able to solve that hard job in the Games and achieved silver medal in Baku. Kazakhstan’s Nanjing 2014 Youth Olympic Games silver medallist Sultan Zaurbek lost to Chalabiyev in a close semi-final and claimed finally bronze in Baku.

Light welterweight (64kg):
Uzbekistan’s former AIBA Junior World Champion Aliyor Noraliyev eliminated Azerbaijan’s favourite and experienced Elvin Isayev in the quarter-final with top performance and he was able to continue his winning path against Kazakhstan’s 21-year-old Kuan Kuatov. The 22-year-old Uzbek boxer was amazing in the semi-final and dominated his final against Egypt’s Mohamed Eslam Aly who had a narrow bout against Jordan’s Rio 2016 Olympian and Incheon 2014 Asian Games bronze medallist Obada Al-Kasbeh in the last four. Technician Noraliyev proved he is now enough strong to beat top rivals and he is near to get a place in the Uzbek top team.

Welterweight (69kg):
Uzbekistan’s current National Champion in this weight class Bobo-Usmon Boturov finally received the right to show his skills in the international level and he dominated his contests against Turkey’s Rio 2016 Olympian veteran Onder Sipal and Syria’s ASBC Asian Confederation Boxing Championships bronze medallist Ahmad Ghossoun in the road to the final. His last opponent for the gold medal in the Games was Azerbaijan’s Tamerlan Abdullayev who eliminated Kazakhstan’s Ilya Ochkin on Day6. Boturov was fresh, energetic and his effectiveness was excellent in his fourth bout and following Sharakhmatov and

Middleweight (75kg):
Kazakhstan’s Strandja Memorial Tournament winner and ASBC Asian Youth Champion Tursynbay Kulakhmet knocked down Iran’s Seyed Shahin Mousavi in the first preliminary round in Baku eliminated his second opponent Uzbekistan’s promising boxer in this weight class Makhmud Gaipov which bout was an early final between the two favourites. Kulakhmet continued his winning path against Cameroon’s All Africa Games winner Dieudonne Wilfried Seyi Ntsengue and did not give any chance to Azerbaijan’s Kamran Shakhsuvarly in the final. The Azeri boxer claimed bronze medal in the Rio 2016 Olympic Games and defeated Kazakhstan’s Zhanibek Alimkhanuly therefore Kulakhmet did revenge in Baku.

Light heavyweight (81kg):
Turkmenistan’s Arslanbek Achilov qualified for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games from the World Olympic Qualification Event which was held in Baku one year ago. Turkmenistan’s pride returned to the Azeri capital and spent less than one round in the ring against Ivory Coast’s Adama Kone when the referee confirmed his RSC success in the quarter-final. The 24-year-old Turkmen boxer did not give any chance also to Turkey’s Cem Karlidag in the semi-final and controlled his final fight against Azerbaijan’s former EUBC European Youth Champion Rauf Rahimov. Achilov moved up to the light heavyweight (81kg) only in the recent months but his skills were enough to reach such a great success as the gold medal in the Islamic Solidarity Games.

Heavyweight (91kg):
Syria proved top performance in the last edition of the ASBC Asian Confederation Boxing Championships in Tashkent where the country claimed two medals and four quota places for the Hamburg 2017 AIBA World Boxing Championships. Alaaldin Ghossoun, who moved up to the heavyweight (91kg) only in the recent months, claimed bronze medal in Tashkent repeated that performance in the Islamic Solidarity Games. Ghossoun proved top performance in the semi-final against Azerbaijan’s star Teymur Mammadov and he was near to beat his top rival in Baku.

Super heavyweight (+91kg):
Syrian National Champion Manaf Asaad replaced two-time ASBC Asian Confederation Boxing Championships bronze medallist Mohamed Mulayes this time at the super heavyweight (+91kg) but he amazed the crowd with his tough punches against Morocco’s three-time Olympian Mohammed Arjaoui in the semi-final. The Syrian boxer gave in everything against Azerbaijan’s two-time AIBA World Champion Mahammadrasul Majidov but finally he could get silver in Baku while Jordan’s Rio 2016 Olympian Hussein Iashaish achieved bronze in the Games.

List of the winners in the Islamic Solidarity Games
syria 49kg: Hussin Al-Masri, Syria
Kazakhstan 52kg: Azat Makhmetov, Kazakhstan
uzbekistan 56kg: Abdulkhay Sharakhmatov, Uzbekistan
Azerbaijan 60kg: Javid Chalabiyev, Azerbaijan
uzbekistan 64kg: Aliyor Noraliyev, Uzbekistan
uzbekistan 69kg: Bobo-Usmon Boturov, Uzbekistan
Kazakhstan 75kg: Tursynbai Kulakhmet, Kazakhstan
turkmenistan 81kg: Arslanbek Achilov, Turkmenistan
Azerbaijan 91kg: Teymur Mammadov, Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan +91kg: Mahammadrasul Majidov, Azerbaijan