ASTANA – With less than a week before the 2024 Paris Games, Kazakh athletes departed for Paris on July 17. Twelve referees from Kazakhstan will officiate at the Olympics, scheduled from July 26 to Aug. 11.
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Eighty athletes will compete, with the national men’s boxing team being the only full team among the country’s representatives. They are expected to be strong contenders for prestigious awards.
In an interview with Kazinform news agency, renowned Kazakh boxer Yermakhan Ibraimov shared his expectations for the upcoming Olympic Games.
“The Summer Olympics in Paris will be the eighth for athletes from independent Kazakhstan. Our team has qualified boxers capable of delighting the country with their performance. We have obtained a full set of licenses and will be represented in all weight categories,” he said.
Yermakhan Ibraimov, a renowed Kazakh boxer. Photo credit: sports.ru
The main hopes for medals rest with experienced boxers like Saken Bibossinov, a bronze medalist at the Tokyo Olympics and World Champion in 2021, and Kamshybek Kunkabayev from Kyzylorda, also a bronze medalist at the Tokyo Olympics and a two-time silver medalist at the World Championships in 2017 and 2019.
The team captain, Aslanbek Shymbergenov from the Zhambyl Region, is the 2023 World Champion, along with another 2023 World Champion, the skilled Makhmud Sabyrkhan.
Ibraimov noted that other boxers, including brothers Aibek and Nurbek Oralbay and Mukhammedsabir Bazanbaiuly, have strong chances of medaling. They have proven their worth and are ready for significant achievements.
“The athletes bear a great burden of responsibility, which they understand well. They will try to do everything possible to return from Paris with their heads held high,” he said.
“There is always an unspoken plan for boxers to win medals. Many fans are unhappy we left Tokyo without gold, but setbacks are part of the journey. As we say in boxing: those who have not fallen, have not risen,” he added.
Reflecting on his own Olympic experience, Ibraimov recalled the immense psychological burden of his first Olympics in Atlanta, where he was entrusted with carrying the flag of Kazakhstan at the opening ceremony. Overcoming this psychological barrier was challenging, but confidence grew during the competition.
At the Sydney 2000 Olympics, Ibraimov was once again the flag bearer.
“The burden of responsibility on me was significant. After winning bronze in Atlanta, everyone expected only gold from me. And I became a champion,” he said.
He emphasized the tremendous work done by the Kazakhstan Boxing Federation.
“In our country, a lot of attention is paid to boxing. Athletes are provided with comfortable conditions, and the coaching staff is highly professional. I hope this team will repeat our Sydney result and even surpass it. I wish the national team’s coaching staff good luck and the boxers resounding victories,” he said.
The national boxing team also includes women, such as two-time world champion Nazym Kyzaibay, three-time World Championship medalist Karina Ibragimova, and 2016 World champion Valentina Khalzova.
Recently, the National Olympic Committee (NOC) of Kazakhstan and the Bayan Sulu confectionery factory produced a limited batch of chocolate bars as a symbol of support and inspiration for the Kazakh athletes at the Summer Olympics in Paris.
