Zheksen and Toganbay defended their thrones in the Kazakhstan Junior National Championships

The Junior National Boxing Championships of the Republic of Kazakhstan was held in the city of Tekely which is located in the Almaty region of the country. Two young boxers such as Beybarys Zheksen and Sagyndyk Toganbay were able to defend their titles in the Kazakhstan Junior National Championships.
All regions in Kazakhstan competed in the Junior National Championships in Tekely where 10 different areas of the country won titles. Altogether 160 athletes competed for the medals and boxers who were born in 2001 and in 2002 were eligible to compete in the Junior National Championships. The winners have got chance to compete in the ASBC Asian Confederation Junior Boxing Championships which will be held later this year.
The first gold medal of the Kazakhstan Junior National Championships was achieved by Akylbek Mukhtarov who trains in the capital city in Astana and defeated a boxer from Almaty, Daulet Seidaliyev in the final of the 44kg weight class. Mukhtarov is a new face in Kazakhstan’s junior boxing life but defeated all of his rivals in the national event.
Makhmut Sabyrkhan lives in the South Kazakhstan region and following his title in the Southwestern Regional Junior Championships he was able to get a national title in the event. He has got excellent technique and his combinations were too quick for Almaty’s Yerasyl Tankay in the final of the pinweight (46kg).
Mangystau’s Nurbek Orysbay was only bronze medallist in the Southwestern Regional Junior Championships last December just before the Junior National Championships but his efforts were enough to get his first title during his career. The 15-year-old talent defeated Karagandy region’s Karim Serkbayev in the gold medal bout of the light flyweight (48kg).
Karagandy region’s next finalist Galib Dzhafarov Prizes Junior Tournament quarter-finalist Talgat Syrymbetov did it better and claimed the title in the Junior National Championships following his success over Mangystau’s Aldiyar Ishbergen. Syrymbetov was bronze medallist in the last Junior National Championships in 2016 and had enough experiences to beat his younger rival in Tekely.
Beybarys Zheksen was member of the Kazakh junior national team in 2016 and he claimed medals in the main competitions. The Children of Asia Games silver medallist and Akim Junior Prizes Tournament winner super talented Zheksen did not give any chance to Aldiyar Slambek in the final of the light bantamweight (52kg) and defended his throne.
Alikhan Sembay won the regional championships last October and moved down to the bantamweight (54kg) since that event. He had to do his very best to beat Pavlodar region’s Dmitriy Barmin who was in the Top8 in the last edition of the Kazakhstan Junior National Championships in 2016.
Merek Dzhusupov Schoolboys Tournament winner Akmola region’s Yerkanat Arystangali is also among the experienced junior boxers who controlled his final against Mukhtarkhan Zhumagali. The lightweight (60kg) gold medal went to South Kazakhstan region’s Bekzat Yerimbet who triumphed over Astana’s Bekbolat Abdikerim.
Salimzhan Salimgereyev won the regional championships at the light middleweight (70kg) in October but since then he moved back to his original category to the light welterweight (63kg). He won the Kazakhstan Schoolboys National Championships in 2014 and as a junior boxer he achieved his first national title in Tekely following his success over Nurym Sabetuly.
Almaty’s Almat Zhanibekuly did a small surprise in the final of the welterweight (66kg) where he defeated Makanalin & Nokerbekov & Satenov Junior Tournament winner Yersultan Nazarkulov who was the main favourite of the category in Tekely. The bronze medals were won by Alden Yesimzhanov and Kuanysh Abdalov in the national event.
Yermakhan Zhakpekov had amazing year as a junior in 2016 and his younger brother Yerasyl Zhakpekov was excellent in the new edition of the Kazakhstan Junior National Championships. Kazakhstan Schoolboys National Championships bronze medallist Yerasyl just joined to the junior age group in the recent weeks but the 2002-born boxer was enough strong to beat Kuandyk Maksut in the final of the light middleweight (70kg).
Dzhozef Okaro has got African roots but he lives and trains in Petropavlovsk in Northern Kazakhstan. He claimed the gold medal in the 2015 Kazakhstan Schoolboys National Championships and won an international junior tournament in Tyumen, Russia two months ago. The 16-year-old talent was in top form in the final of the middleweight (75kg) against Kagarandy region’s David Dyusembayev and won his next national title.
Sagyndyk Toganbay had an impressive performance in the last edition of the Kazakhstan Junior National Championships in Uralsk one year ago where he claimed the gold medal at the middleweight (75kg). Since then he moved up to the light heavyweight (80kg) but his skills were enough to beat Mangystau’s younger Azamat Nabatov in the 13th final of the Junior National Championships. The last gold medal of the event was achieved by Dzhambul region’s Arnur Akhmetzhanov who defeated Bakdaulet Shyrynkhan in the final of the heavyweight (+80kg).

Winners in the Kazakhstan Junior National Championships
44kg: Akylbek Mukhtarov, 2002
46kg: Makhmut Sabyrkhan, 2001
48kg: Nurbek Orysbay, 2001
50kg: Talgat Syrymbetov, 2001
52kg: Beybarys Zheksen, 2001
54kg: Alikhan Sembay, 2002
57kg: Yerkanat Arystangali, 2001
60kg: Bekzat Yerimbet, 2001
63kg: Salimzhan Salimgereyev, 2001
66kg: Almat Zhanibekuly, 2001
70kg: Yerasyl Zhakpekov, 2002
75kg: Dzhozef Okaro, 2001
80kg: Sagyndyk Toganbay, 2001
+80kg: Arnur Akhmetzhanov, 2001