Interview with Mr. Yermakhan Ibraimov

Former Olympic Champion Mr. Yermakhan Ibraimov is expecting strong performance from Aidos Arapov in Pavlodar

Kazakhstan’s national boxing icon Mr. Yermakhan Ibraimov is visiting the ASBC Asian Confederation Youth Boxing Championships in Pavlodar who is an official of the Kazakh youth team during the competition. He claimed gold medal in the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games and bronze in the Atlanta 1996 Olympic Games while was silver medallist at the 1997 AIBA World Boxing Championships in Budapest.
The Asian Boxing Confederation interviewed Mr. Yermakhan Ibraimov during the ASBC Asian Confederation Youth Boxing Championships in Pavlodar.

– Mr. Ibraimov first of all congratulations to your great boxing career. What is the difference in boxing between 2000 when you won the gold medal in the Sydney Olympic Games and in our present days?

– Boxing is getting better from year to year. There is a big progress in boxing, athletes improved their techniques and punches. If we compare the today’s boxing with the sport in 2000, there is difference of course. Boxing have got different psychology, skills and tactics. For example, in 1980 when Mr. Serik Konakbayev was boxing in Moscow it was different, after that in 2000 we were fighting differently and nowadays boxers found new ways. The boxing became more aggressive, with more techniques and tactics. I want to point out that in Sydney there was another rule, we had to box 4 rounds each in 2 minutes. The judgment became more professional since our age. Referees give to athletes more freedom, maximum what they can do is to announce break or set apart the athletes from clinching. That is why I can tell you that boxing today is much better, athletes are better trained.

– What is your opinion about Kazakhstan’s participation and results in the international competitions?

– In my opinion Kazakhstan is very active in all AIBA programs. We always support its programs and beginnings: AOB, WSB and APB. Kazakhstan is one of leading countries of the world with great background. Our last achievements are 4 gold medals in the AIBA World Boxing Championships in 2013 and 6 gold medals in the 2015 ASBC Asian Confederation Boxing Championships in Bangkok. I think these are good results. In 2015 we won only two silver medals in the Doha AIBA World Boxing Championships, but we did not lay down our arms, because boxers never lay down their arms. We are in the way of preparing to the Olympic Games, and 2013 and 2015 AIBA World Boxing Championships were only preparations for Rio. Kazakhstan has to win minimum one old, silver and bronze total three medals. It all depends on our athletes as we have got all conditions for that.

– What is Kazakhstan’s biggest strength in boxing in your opinion?

– I think the first thing is the school of boxing and tradition of boxing. Mr. Shokhr Boltekuly begins to develop boxing in Kazakhstan 83 years ago. He has established the first Kazakh school of boxing; he could build the right of our combat sport. Kazakhstan had always great fighters, fighting is in our nature and genetics. Our strength is our traditional way of boxing and every region has its own traditional school of boxing and that is why we have strong competitions within Kazakhstan.

– How do you feel yourself in the ASBC Asian Confederation Youth Boxing Championships? Please let me know your thoughts about the level of the championships and the environment?

– I am an official representative of Kazakhstan team at this ASBC Asian Confederation Youth Boxing Championships. I am the Director of the Olympic Training Center and I am responsible for the young generation boxers of Kazakhstan (for junior and youth). I am responsible also for their trainings, financing, results, etc. We have got honored coaches such as Mr. Galym Kenzhebayev, Mr. Kairat Satzhanov, Mr. Zhanibek Kulniyazov and Mr. Arkadiy Topayev. They are experienced coaches, I trust of them and I always support them and they delivered for us such good results in the recent three years.
As you can see the ASBC Asian Confederation Youth Boxing Championships is organized very well. All conditions are arranged for the athletes and I think it is the best organized Asian Championships ever. I want to thank first of all the President of Pavlodar Regional Boxing Federation, Mr. Shukhrat Danbay, also to the akim of Pavlodar region, who supported this event. Also special thanks to Mr. Azamat Makazhanov, to Mr. Eleussyz Duysekov and many other people who organized this great championship.

– Some of the Kazakh youth boxers were also successful juniors with you. Are you following their performance?

– Sure, I am following their performance. All the present members of the National Team trained in junior and youth teams at Olympic Training Center. For example, London 2012 Olympic Games silver medallist Adilbek Niyazymbetov trained there too. The last example is Abylaykhan Zhussupov, who changed from youth to elite men recently and could successfully perform at AIBA Asian & Oceanian Olympic Qualification Event. He is one of our hopes for a medal at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

– Who is your favourite Kazakh youth boxer in Pavlodar?

– There are 10 participants from Kazakhstan at this ASBC Asian Confederation Youth Boxing Championships. All of them are the best in their weight categories and winners of our national and international competitions. But I would like to point out Aidos Arapov, team captain, he is a leader, he won the tournament in Germany and several other nations. Kazbek Sapenov from Atyrau is a new great story for us, his boxing surprised me. Oleg Matviechuk is a winner of international tournament in Anapa so we are expecting great results from him. All of our boxers are very strong and we are performing very good at this championships. I would like to say that we need to develop boxing everywhere. I wish all countries to develop their boxing. Good luck to everyone! Thank you!