Grafeyeva and Kizatova caused the top surprises in the women’s finals of the Elorda Cup
The women’s finals took place in the second edition of the Elorda International Cup in Astana, Kazakhstan today. All of the twelve winners came from Kazakhstan and China in the women’s finals where Viktoriya Grafeyeva and Zhasmin Kizatova caused top surprises.
The Elorda Cup will be a money prize event, all of the gold medallists will earn 700 USD, the silver medallists 400 USD and the two boxers who will take the bronze medals each will get 200 USD from the local organizers. Bahrain, China, India, Japan, host Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Serbia, Tajikistan, Thailand, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan sent boxers to the 2nd edition of the Elorda Cup.
The first female winner at the 2nd Elorda Cup was Alua Balkybekova who had a busy job against her developing teammate, Aigerim Sattibayeva at the minimumweight (48kg). Nazym Kyzaibay, the next local star, kept the gold medal of the light flyweight (50kg) in Astana after beating a promising Tajik, Rukhafzo Khaknazarova.
China’s Wu Yu worked well enough throughout the three rounds to beat Kazakhstan’s young and technician Zhansaya Rakhymberdi in the next final. Zhaina Shekerbekova had a hard bout against Thailand’s brilliant Jutamas Jitpong but the 34-year-old Kazakh was able to take the title of the women’s bantamweight (54kg).
Kazakhstan’s World Boxing Championships silver medallist and reigning ASBC Asian Champion at the women’s featherweight (57kg), Karina Ibragimova was not enough shape today. The star boxer suffered an unexpected loss to a local U22 boxer, Viktoriya Grafeyeva who used her distance world-class to beat Ibragimova, causing the sensation of the day.
Rimma Volosenko moved forward without any stoppage against China’s former World Champion veteran Yang Wenlu and she succeeded in the final of the lightweight (60kg). The next Chinese finalist, Yang Chengyu has also excellent pedigree and she has the skills and speed to beat Kazakhstan’s Bocskai Memorial winner Laura Yessenkeldi.
The southpaw Natalia Bogdanova and Rio Olympics medallist Dariga Shakimova both eliminated veteran Chinese stars in the semi-final stage of the welterweight (66kg) and the two Kazakhs met each other in a specific final. The bout was also one of the selections for the Asian Games and the faster Bogdanova won their meeting with excellent performance.
Zhasmin Kizatova, the 2021 Youth World Championships bronze medallist, delivered the next upset of the women’s finals when she defeated the ASBC Asian Champion Madina Nurshayeva at the light middleweight (70kg).
China’s Li Qian lost only a few international contests in the recent seven years and she learnt new tactical weapons which she introduced in her busy final against Kazakhstan’s former World Champion Valentina Khalzova. The Chinese middleweight (75kg) boxer moved forward more than in her semi-final and she landed enough shots to win the gold medal in this Olympic category.
The list of the women winners at the 2023 Elorda Cup
Women’s 48kg: Alua Balkybekova, Kazakhstan
Women’s 50kg: Nazym Kyzaibay, Kazakhstan
Women’s 52kg: Wu Yu, China
Women’s 54kg: Zhaina Shekerbekova, Kazakhstan
Women’s 57kg: Viktoria Grafeyeva, Kazakhstan
Women’s 60kg: Rimma Volosenko, Kazakhstan
Women’s 63kg: Yang Chengyu, China
Women’s 66kg: Natalia Bogdanova, Kazakhstan
Women’s 70kg: Zhasmin Kizatova, Kazakhstan
Women’s 75kg: Li Qian, China
Women’s 81kg: Wang Lina, China
Women’s +81kg: Eldana Talipova, Kazakhstan
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