Zaurbek and Fernandez were the stars in the Republic of Kazakhstan President’s Cup on Day4

The fifth edition of the Republic of Kazakhstan President’s Cup continued with its fourth competition day in Astana, Kazakhstan where 18 bouts were held in one session. The winners of today’s women contests advanced to the semi-final stage of the event while of the men boxers are already finalists in the Kazakh capital.
Kazakhstan’s two-time AIBA Women’s World Champion Nazym Kyzaibay decided to box at the Olympic flyweight (51kg) once again and following her national title she is in top form at the President’s Cup in Astana. Following her first victory she was too energetic to her younger teammate Sevara Tadzhikulova who abandoned their contest in the third round. Her main national rival Rio 2016 Olympian Zhaina Shekerbekova also advanced to the semi-finals.
Ukraine’s best woman boxer Rio 2016 Olympian Tetiana Kob has been competing in the international events in Kazakhstan since 2011 and returned to Astana to box at the flyweight (51kg). The Ukrainian boxer was amazing in the quarter-final stage of the event against Kazakhstan’s former National Champion Aigerim Kasenayeva and advanced to the semi-finals as Kyzaibay and Shekerbekova.
Kazakhstan’s former ASBC Asian Champion Temirtas Zhussupov had successful WSB Semi-final last week but he decided not to relax after that busy contest and travelled to Astana. The 29-year-old light flyweight (49kg) boxer had to meet in the semi-final with his younger teammate AIBA Youth World Champion Shalkar Aikynbay and he did enough to win his key bout by split decision.
Philippines’ AIBA Youth World Boxing Championships bronze medallist Carlo Paalam is only 19 but had enough experiences to do top performance in the tough President’s Cup in Astana. The Filipino light flyweight (49kg) boxer was quicker than Kyrgyzstan’s new National Champion Mirlan Turkbay Uulu and will have the chance to win the title of the category in the President’s Cup.
Kyrgyzstan’s three-time National Champion Zhanybek Musayev delivered the main sensation of the fourth competition day when he was able to beat the favourite of the flyweight (52kg) Kazakhstan’s National Champion and ASBC Asian Confederation Boxing Championships bronze medallist Azamat Isakulov in Astana. The final verdict was 3:2 to Musayev who won the Taimanov & Utemisov Memorial Tournament this year.
Uzbekistan’s Abrorjon Kodirov was excellent in the Season VII of the World Series of Boxing and following his participation in the Islamic Solidarity Games he travelled to Astana to compete in his next important AOB event. The Uzbek flyweight (52kg) boxer found Philippines’ Ian Clark Bautista’s weak points and won their contest by unanimous decision.
Philippines’ defending Southeast Asian Games winner Mario Fernandez produced superb performance in the first preliminary round at the bantamweight (56kg) in Astana. The Filipino boxer continued his amazing winning path against South Korea’s ASBC Asian Confederation Boxing Championships bronze medallist tall Han Young Hun. Fernandez needed less than two minutes to knock out his Korean rival and advanced to the next stage.
Kazakhstan’s Sultan Zaurbek and Uzbekistan’s Sulaymon Latipov both claimed silver medals in the 2014 AIBA Youth World Boxing Championships in Sofia and now the two talents are in the same lightweight (60kg). The older Zaurbek, who claimed bronze medal in the Islamic Solidarity Games, was a bit effective in the bout in comparison to Latipov and won their narrow bout by split decision in Astana.
Kazakhstan’s Saparbay Aidarov delivered his best ever performance in the current Season VII of the World Series of Boxing and his skills were enough to beat former Kazakh National Champion Manat Omirzakov in the semi-final of the middleweight (75kg) by 3:2 while Kazakhstan’s star Abilkhan Amankul walked over to the final of the event.