Young sensations in the Rafael Vakhitov Tournament in Pavlodar

Young sensations in the Rafael Vakhitov Tournament
The annual Rafael Vakhitov Tournament was held in the city of Pavlodar which is located in Kazakhstan and where the host nation secured seven gold medals. The tournament was named by Mr. Rafael Vakhitov who had 18 national champions in Kazakhstan and 15 prize winners from the Soviet Union National Boxing Championships.
Kazakhstan’s Shaimurat Kusainov was the lone boxer who could defend his throne in the Rafael Vakhitov Tournament in Pavlodar. The competition was held for elite men boxers and besides to the host nation China, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan also sent teams to Pavlodar.
The first gold medal of the Rafael Vakhitov Tournament was achieved by Kazakhstan’s Darkhan Kambarov who defeated Tajikistan’s National Champion Shukhrat Sabzaliyev in the gold medal bout while Kyrgyzstan’s experienced Mirlan Turkbay Uulu claimed only bronze in the Pavlodar international event.
Kazakhstan’s Almaz Nurgali defeated his teammate Bagdat Tolybayev and bagged the title of the Flyweight class (52 kg) in Pavlodar. Kazakhstan’s third gold medal was achieved by Sabyr Kuanysh who triumphed over Kyrgyzstan’s Ismoil Hamzaaliyev Memorial Tournament winner Kanatbek Abduvakhab Uulu in the final of the Bantamweight class (56 kg).
Maimaiti Abduraim has been training in the Xinjiang region of China and became the first foreign boxer who could win gold at the Rafael Vakhitov Tournament. The Chinese Lightweight class (60 kg) boxer defeated Kazakhstan’s younger hope Sergei Makarikhin in the final while experienced national team member Zhaksylyk Ilyasov bagged only bronze.
Former ASBC Asian Confederation Youth Boxing Championships silver medallist Anvar Turapov claimed Uzbekistan’s lone gold medal in the event where he was too strong for Turkmenistan’s Incheon 2014 Asian Games bronze medallist Aziz Bebitov while host nation’s athletes took the bronze medals.
Kazakhstan’s ASBC Asian Confederation Youth Boxing Championships bronze medallist Ilya Ochkin defeated Uzbekistan’s Youth National Cup winner 18-year-old Muzaffar Rashidov in the final of the Welterweight class (69 kg) while Turkmenistan’s Shokhrat Durdiyev and Tajikistan’s National Champion Mirzomukhammed Bakhtiyar secured bronze medals.
Danat Imanbekov was gold medallist in the Rafael Vakhitov Tournament two years ago and tried to keep his title in the final of the Middleweight class (75 kg) but he had to meet with Tajikistan’s new sensation 18-year-old Shabbos Negmatulloev who eliminated Uzbekistan’s Incheon 2014 Asian Games silver medallist Israil Madrimov in the semi-final. Tajikistan’s teenage hope defeated Imanbekov as well and continued his winning path after the Abdaliyev Tournament where he also won the title.
Kazakhstan’s National Championships bronze medallist Shaimurat Kusainov was the lone athlete who could defend his throne after beating Kyrgyzstan’s Erkin Adylbek Uulu who competed at the Doha 2015 AIBA World Boxing Championships. Kazakhstan’s sixth gold medal was achieved by Olzhas Bukayev who moved down to the Heavyweight class (91 kg) and did not give any chance to Kazakhstan’s Serik Musadilov.
Dinmukhamed Tasybayev was silver medallist in the last edition but this time he was able to win the gold in Pavlodar. The Super Heavyweight class (+91 kg) boxer defeated Mongolia’s Kazakh-descent Tolek Erbolat in the gold medal bout whilst Uzbekistan’s strong Ikrom Saidov secured only bronze this time.

Winners in the Rafael Vakhitov Tournament
49 kg: Darkhan Kambarov, Kazakhstan
52 kg: Almaz Nurgali, Kazakhstan
56 kg: Sabyr Kuanysh, Kazakhstan
60 kg: Maimaiti Abduraim, China
64 kg: Anvar Turapov, Uzbekistan
69 kg: Ilya Ochkin, Kazakhstan
75 kg: Shabbos Negmatulloev, Tajikistan
81 kg: Shaimurat Kusainov, Kazakhstan
91 kg: Olzhas Bukayev, Kazakhstan
+91 kg: Dinmukhamed Tasybayev, Kazakhstan