Taimanov & Utemisov Memorial Tournament

Amazing two Syrian gold medals in Atyrau

The Issatai Taimanov & Makhambet Utemisov Memorial Tournament was held in Atyrau, Kazakhstan where the host nation’s two boxers Rashid Salauatov and Amandyk Manashev were able to defend their titles while the Syrian squad demonstrated its power and won two gold medals in the competition.
The competition was named by Issatai Taimanov and Makhambet Utemisov who were real warriors and poets two hundred years ago. The Syrian elite team competed in Atyrau and all of their four boxers claimed medals in the Issatai Taimanov and Makhambet Utemisov Memorial Tournament in spite of the political crisis in their country.
Alaaldin Ghossoun eliminated Russian and Uzbek boxers in the road to the final where he triumphed over Belarus’ London 2012 Olympian veteran Mikhail Dauhaliavets. The 24-year-old Syrian Light Heavyweight class (81 kg) boxer demonstrated his power in the gold medal bout and his gold was a great motivation for him before the Final AOB World Olympic Qualification Event.
His teammate Manaf Asaad moved up to the Super Heavyweight class (+91 kg) and claimed Syria’s second gold medal in Atyrau following his triumph over Kazakhstan’s Esengali Shungarin. The first gold medal of the competition was achieved by Russia’s Andrei Potemkin at the Light Flyweight class (49 kg) where he had to defeat a Syrian boxer Hussin Al-Masri which was a narrow fight. Syria’s fourth medal a bronze was delivered by ASBC Asian Confederation Boxing Championships bronze medallist Ahmad Ghossoun at the Welterweight class (69 kg).
Kazakhstan’s Rashid Salauatov was the first boxer who could defend his throne in the Issatai Taimanov & Makhambet Utemisov Memorial Tournament following his victory over Uzbekistan’s newcomer Sirodjiddin Gulomzhonov in the final of the Flyweight class (52 kg). Belarus’ Dzmitry Asanau has already qualified for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games with his bronze from the Doha 2015 AIBA World Boxing Championships but he had tough Kazakh opponents in Atyrau such as Zhanbolat Tilegenuly and Kanat Turganbayev therefore he needed to do his very best to win the gold medal.
Anuarbek Bekenbetov is not a well-known boxer in Kazakhstan but he has put himself into the spotlight when he eliminated former ASBC Asian Youth Champion Kanat Koptleuov in the quarter-finals. In the next round he should have been meeting with Kazakhstan’s Rio 2016 Olympian star Berik Abdrakhmanov but he could not fight in the semi-finals. After the walk over triumph Bekenbetov defeated Kazakh National Champion Yerzhan Ordabayev in the final of the Lightweight class (60 kg) which was one of the main sensations of the Issatai Taimanov & Makhambet Utemisov Memorial Tournament in Atyrau.
The host nation’s Danat Karymsak is also a newcomer in the international events but he needed less than one round to stop Yerbolat Yermekov in the final of the Light Welterweight class (64 kg). Azamat Dosmagambetov secured medals in the recent editions of the National Championships of the Republic of Kazakhstan and claimed gold medal in Atyrau after beating Uzbekistan’s tough Odil Aslonov in a close contest.
Kazakhstan’s Amandyk Manashev put himself into the spotlight in the recent years and besides to Rashid Salauatov he was the second boxer who could defend his throne in the competition in his new category at the Middleweight class (75 kg). Uzbekistan’s ASBC Asian Confederation Youth Champion Obidjon Tokhirov joined to the elite age group only in January but he was enough strong to win the Heavyweight class (91 kg) in Atyrau.

List of the winners in Atyrau

49 kg: Andrei Potemkin, Russia
52 kg: Rashid Salauatov, Kazakhstan
56 kg: Dzmitry Asanau, Belarus
60 kg: Anuarbek Bekenbetov, Kazakhstan
64 kg: Danat Karymsak, Kazakhstan
69 kg: Azamat Dosmagambetov, Kazakhstan
75 kg: Amandyk Manashev, Kazakhstan
81 kg: Alaaldin Ghossoun, Syria
91 kg: Obidjon Tokhirov, Uzbekistan
+91 kg: Manaf Asaad, Syria