ALMATY – Captain of Kazakhstan’s women’s boxing team Nazym Kyzaibay has entered the top-10 pound-for-pound rankings of the world’s best female amateur boxers, according to the latest list published by BoxRec.
Nazym Kyzaibay. Photo credit: Turar Kazangapov/olympic.kz
In the updated ranking, Kyzaibay placed seventh overall, becoming the only representative of Kazakhstan in the top ten regardless of weight category.
The current BoxRec women’s pound-for-pound top features Wu Yu of China in first place, followed by Kellie Harrington of Ireland, Pan Chol Mi of North Korea, Tammara Thibeault of Canada, Buse Naz Çakıroğlu of Türkiye, and Nune Asatryan of Russia. Kazakhstan’s Nazym Kyzaibay ranks seventh, ahead of Aoife O’Rourke of Ireland, Anastasia Shamonova of Russia, and Nitu Ghanghas of India.
Kyzaibay is not the only Kazakh athlete featured in the global ranking as four more boxers from Kazakhstan made the top-50 list of the world’s best amateur fighters, including Alua Balkibekova ranked 11th, Aida Abikeyeva placed 20th, Viktoriya Grafeeva ranked 22nd, and Natalya Bogdanova placed 35th.
Kyzaibay remains one of the most decorated boxers in Kazakhstan’s history. She became the first athlete in the country to win three gold medals at the World Boxing Championships, claiming titles in 2014, 2016 and 2025.
Her achievements also include gold at the 2021 Asian Championships and a bronze medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
