ASTANA – Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev congratulated Janibek Alimkhanuly, who defended IBF and WBO middleweight titles by knocking down France’s Anauel Ngamissengue on April 5 in the Kazakh capital.
Photo credit: Janibek Alimkhanuly’s Instagram page
Tokayev emphasized that the entire nation feels a sense of pride for the athlete, who worthily defended the honor of the country on his native land, demonstrating fortitude and a high level of skill, said Ruslan Zheldibay, press secretary of Kazakh President, reported Kazinform.
Alimkhanuly (17-0, 12 KOs) triumphed over Ngamissengue (14-1, 9 KOs) by knockout in the fifth round at a highly anticipated event in Astana. The 32-year-old Kazakh secured his 17th professional win.
In his post-fight comments, Alimkhanuly thanked his supporters and the people of Kazakhstan.
“It was a great responsibility, because the fight took place on my native land, in Astana. We wanted to give the audience an exciting fight, and now you have witnessed this event. Once again, I thank everyone,” he said.
Alimkhanuly’s manager, Berik Sultan, also expressed pride in the victory, noting that it was a milestone for Kazakhstan’s boxing community.
“This is a historic moment. We have defended two championship titles, and now we aim to claim all four belts,” he said.
The event featured additional victories for other Kazakhstan boxers, including Batyr Dzhukembayev, Balausa Muzdiman, Torehan Sabyrkhan, Makhmud Sabyrkhan, and Alisher Abdulalim.
