NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan’s national team won eight gold medals across 10 weight categories in the Asian Boxing Confederation’s (ASBC) Asian Elite Women’s Boxing Championships held in Dubai, reports the ASBC press service. The team also won silver and bronze medals.
Nazym Kyzaibay beat her 10-years-older Indian rival Chungneijang Mary Kom Hmangte in the final. Photo credit: ASBCnews.org.
Among the athletes who won the gold for Kazakhstan at the women’s championship are Alua Balkibekova (48 kilograms), Nazym Kyzaibay (51 kilograms), Dina Zholaman (54 kilograms), Rimma Volosenko (60 kilograms), Milana Safronova (64 kilograms), Valentina Khalzova (69 kilograms), Fariza Sholtai (81 kilograms) and Lazzat Kungeybaeva (+81 kilograms). Valentina Kukhta (57 kilograms) and Maria Volnova (75 kilograms) who became the silver and bronze medalists respectively.
While Khalzova was defending her 2017 gold medal she earned at the Asian Women’s Elite Boxing Championship in Saigon, Balkibekova managed to get her revenge against Uzbek boxer Gulasal Sultonalieva who defeated Balkibekova at the 2019 AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championship.
Two-time International Boxing Association’s (AIBA) World Champion Kyzaibay defeated India’s boxing icon and defending champion Chungneijang Mary Kom Hmangte. Volosenko was up against Indonesia’s Huswatun Hasanah in the final, when Kazakh boxer swiftly decided the fate of the championship in the 60-kilograms weight category.
“I prepared a lot to achieve the gold medal in the ASBC Asian Elite Boxing Championships. The event is exciting and our team arrived in good shape for the event. We worked hard this year, that is the reason for our successes in Dubai. I am ready to compete in the next AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships to reach my next goal,” said Volosenko after the finals.
The Elite Boxing Championship is attended by 150 boxers in men and women’s categories with a $400,000 prize fund. Over 17 nations are represented at the tournament, including Afghanistan, Bahrain, Indonesia, India, Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Kuwait, Laos, Mongolia, Philippines, Qatar, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, United Arab Emirates, and Uzbekistan.
The men’s finals are scheduled for May 31. Five Kazakh boxers will compete for gold, including Vassiliy Levit (91 kilograms), Daniyal Sabit (49 kilograms), Ablaykhan Zhusupov (69 kilograms), Abilkhan Amankul (75 kilograms) and Kamshybek Kunkabaev (+91 kilograms).
