Kazakhstan was the most powerful nation in the Shuchinsk Women’s International Tournament

Photo Source: Galina Topoleva

The Shuchinsk International Women’s Tournament was held in Kazakhstan where top female boxers competed for the medals. Among Kazakhstan’s current AIBA Women’s World Champions Dina Zholaman and Lazzat Kungeibayeva were able to win their weight classes in the strong international event.
Kazakhstan’s women’s boxing life reached the level of their tough men boxers in the recent two years. The Kazakhstan Boxing Federation hosted the AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships in Astana last May which was organized in the highest level. The Kazakhstan Boxing Federation started the year with this strong international event.
Kazakhstan’s two-time National Champion Alina Turlubayeva competed in the last edition of the ASBC Asian Confederation Women’s Boxing Championships in Wulanchabu two years ago and the technician light flyweight (48kg) boxer returned with a title in Shuchinsk. Turlubayeva, who could not compete in the last edition of the AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships, eliminated two Russian boxers before the finals where she was able to beat her teammate Alua Balkybekova in a close contest.
Ukraine’s Tetiana Kob qualified for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games which was her career highlight but she did not stop with the trainings and arrived to Shuchinsk as a medal contender. The Ukrainian flyweight (51kg) boxer had an amazing success in the semi-final against Kazakhstan’s AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships bronze medallist Zhaina Sherkerbekova and following that great performance she could beat also Kazakhstan’s two-time AIBA Women’s World Champion Nazym Kyzaibay.
Kazakhstan’s defending AIBA Women’s World Champion at the bantamweight (54kg) Dina Zholaman used her pressurizing tactic in the whole competition which is her best weapon. The 24-year-old boxer eliminated her main local rival Aida Tuyakbay in the semi-final while she was also too strong for Ukraine’s Snezhana Kholodkova in the gold medal bout. The final verdict was unanimous decision to the Kazakh boxer who won her next title.
Kazakhstan’s new face Dametken Kelimbet was reserve boxer in the 2016 AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships in Astana and since then her skills developed well to win such a great international event as it was held in Shuchinsk. The Kyzyl-Orda-based boxer defeated her main national rival Saniya Sultankyzy in a hectic final at the featherweight (57kg).
Kazakhstan’s Rimma Volosenko received the right to compete for her country in the last edition of the AIBA Youth World Boxing Championships in Astana but she was not able to qualify for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. Kazakhstan’s lightweight (60kg) talent returned to the ring of the world in better physical condition and she was able to beat all of her rivals including Kazakhstan’s Karina Ibragimova and Russia’s Natalia Samokhina.
Russia’s lone gold medal was achieved by their current EUBC European Women’s Champion Aleksandra Ordina who was enough to strong to beat all of her Kazakh rivals in Shuchinsk. The experienced Russian, who claimed bronze in the Golden Girl Boxing Championships in Sweden one month ago, defeated Laura Abdrakhmanova, Aliya Abdraimova and finally two-time Kazakh National Champion Zarina Tsoloyeva as well.
Kazakhstan’s Zura Kusainova was not the main favourite of the welterweight (69kg) but her efforts were enough to beat 18-year-old Bayan Akbayeva in the final while AIBA Women’s World Champion Valentina Khalzova of Kazakhstan could not box in the semi-final. Kazakhstan’s Rio 2016 Olympic Games bronze medallist Dariga Shakimova had a hard semi-finak against Ukraine’s Maria Borutsa but after that bout she had to meet with Russia’s top boxer Iaroslava Iakushina in the gold medal bout. Shakimova reduced the fighting distance and her stong jabs delivered for her a title in Shuchinsk.
Kazakhstan’s Moldir Bazarbayeva was involved to their national squad in 2010 but her development is superb in the recent two years and her skills were enough to beat Akbota Isagulova in the semi-final and Fariza Sholtay in the final of the light heavyweight (81kg). Former AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships silver medallist Yulduz Mamatkulova claimed only bronze medal in Shuchinsk.
The host nation’s top heavyweight (+81kg) boxer Lazzat Kungeibayeva is the defending AIBA Women’s World Champion in her category and she did not give any chance to her rivals in Shuchinsk. She triumphed over younger opponents in the event such as Ukraine’s Iryna Vynnyk and Russia’s AIBA Women’s Youth World Champion Maria Shishmareva.

List of the winners in the Shuchinsk International Women’s Tournament
48kg: Alina Turlubayeva, Kazakhstan
51kg: Tetiana Kob, Ukraine
54kg: Dina Zholaman, Kazakhstan
57kg: Dametken Kelimbet, Kazakhstan
60kg: Rimma Volosenko, Kazakhstan
64kg: Aleksandra Ordina, Russia
69kg: Zura Kusainova, Kazakhstan
75kg: Dariga Shakimova, Kazakhstan
81kg: Moldir Bazarbayeva, Kazakhstan
+81kg: Lazzat Kungeibayeva, Kazakhstan