The Bakhtiyar Artayev Junior Tournament started with a 80 preliminary bouts in Astana
The new edition of the Bakhtiyar Artayev Junior Tournament opened in the capital city of Astana in Kazakhstan. Astana will be the host of the ASBC Asian U22 & Youth Boxing Championships from April 25 but the city is always busy with national and international tournaments.
The competition was named after Mr. Bakhtiyar Artayev who is an Olympic Games winner from the Athens 2004 edition and he claimed two bronze medals in the 2005 and 2007 World Boxing Championships as well. Kazakhstan’s welterweight and middleweight star in the 2000s was also silver medallist at the Doha 2006 Asian Games and he reached the quarter-finals at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.
The 2008 and 2009 born boxers are attending in the Bakhtiyar Artayev Junior Tournament in Astana, Kazakhstan. Record number of 298 talents are competing in the event in 14 weight categories from the 44kg up to the heavyweight (+80kg).
All of the regions from Kazakhstan, furthermore Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan sent teams to the Bakhtiyar Artayev Junior Tournament to Astana. The Uzbeks has the biggest delegation with 31 boxers in the competition and the host city’s team has 24 junior boys in these 14 weight categories.
The first competition day was very long with 80 bouts in two rings and most of these preliminaries have been decided by points decisions. Most of the winners of Day1 are advanced to the Round of 16 in the junior competition.
Atyrau region’s Mukhammad Manarbekuly, a 14-year-old Kazakh talent, won the first contest of the Artayev Junior Tournament at the 44kg after beating Nurbol Berdykhaliyev. Another Kazakh youngster from the 2009 age group, Syrym Muratbek won the opener against Yersultan Serik in the Ring B.
A fantastic bout was held between Kostanay region’s Aidos Usenov and Kyrgyzstan’s Nursultan Duishenaliyev at the pinweight (46kg). Among the Uzbeks, Dilshod Akhmadjanov (57kg), Asylbek Jurayev (60kg), Doniyor Narzullayev (63kg), and Bakhtiyar Issayev (80kg) all impressed in their first bouts. One of the exciting battles in the first competition day was held between Tajikistan’s Biloljon Iksanov and Kazakhstan’s Nurassyl Ongarbay at the bantamweight (54kg). Both have strong international routine from the past but the Tajik had the better footwork to win this Round of 32 preliminary bout by split decision.
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