Natalya Bogdanova was the surprise winner at the Kazakhstan Women’s National Spartakyad
The city of Petropavl hosted the Kazakhstan Women’s National Spartakyad which finished with its 12 final contests. Several of the previous World Champions and Asian Champions won their weight classes but Natalya Bogdanova became the surprise of the finals.
The city of Petropavl is the capital of the North Kazakhstan region where the fans watched 78 outstanding female contests. The city of Astana earned four gold medals in the National Spartakyad and won the medal standings ahead of Almaty, Shymkent, Akmola region, and the Kyzyl-Orda region. Altogether sixteen teams shared the 48 medals in the Women’s National Spartakyad.
Almaty’s Alua Balkybekova is one of the best minimumweight (48kg) boxers in the whole world who defeated Dzhambul region’s Aigerim Sattibayeva in the first final. Almaty won the next two gold medals in the Spartakyad following the successes of Nazym Kyzaibay and Zhazira Urakbayeva. The first stopped Gulnar Turapbay at the important light flyweight (50kg), the second was too smart for Zhansaya Rakhymberdi.
The former Olympian and ASBC Asian Champion Zhaina Shekerbekova of Shymkent is 13-years-older than Almaty’s 21-year-old Anel Sakysh therefore she had the routine to take the title of the bantamweight (54kg) in Petropavl.
Akmola region’s Karina Ibragimova, another reigning ASBC Asian Champion, used her distance well against another tall opponent, Viktoriya Grafeyeva, and she had the technical skills to beat her U22 rival unanimously at the featherweight (57kg).
Astana’s Rimma Volosenko had a few unexpected losses in 2022 but she is in top shape this year and regained her national throne after beating her main rival, Kostanay region’s Vladislava Kukhta in the final of the lightweight (60kg). Astana’s next succeeded boxer was Aida Abikeyeva who triumphed over Laura Yessenkeldi at the light welterweight (63kg).
The Tokyo Olympian Nadezhda Ryabets was the main favourite at the welterweight (66kg) but one of the new Kazakh female sensations, Natalia Bogdanova surprised her in the final and bagged the title in Petropavl.
The former World Champion, Astana’s 27-year-old Valentina Khalzova switched to the middleweight (75kg) last year and her decision was paid off in the Spartakyad where she won her final by RSC over Aida Saribarova.
The former World Champion veteran Lyazzat Kungeibayeva won one of the dream finals in this Spartakyad, she defeated the Youth World Champion Dina Islambekova at the heavyweight (+81kg). Shymkent’s Madina Nurshayeva (70kg) and Kyzyl-Orda region’s Gulsaya Yerzhan (81kg) won the remaining gold medals in the National Spartakyad.
The list of the winners in the 2023 Kazakhstan Women’s National Spartakyad
48kg: Alua Balkybekova
50kg: Nazym Kyzaibay
52kg: Zhazira Urakbayeva
54kg: Zhaina Shekerbekova
57kg: Karina Ibragimova
60kg: Rimma Volosenko
63kg: Aida Abikeyeva
66kg: Natalya Bogdanova
70kg: Madina Nurshayeva
75kg: Valentina Khalzova
81kg: Gulsaya Yerzhan
+81kg: Lyazzat Kungeibayeva
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