Kyrgyzstan returns in boxing at the Paris Olympics
Kyrgyzstan’s Munarbek Seyitbek Uulu impressed in the 2nd World Olympic Boxing Qualifying Event in and became his nation’s lone boxer at the Paris Olympic Games. His quota means that Kyrgyzstan can return to the Olympic Games after eight years of hiatus.
Kyrgyzstan produced impressive results by the time of the Soviet Union when Nikolay Lodin, Valeriy Grishkovets, and Vladimir Roslov were their first top boxers. Their golden age was at the ‘1980s when Ikram Mirbabayev, Orzubek Nazarov, Nurlan Abdykalykov, Adylkan Bekbolotov, Abdybakyt Khalmurzaev, Daniyar Jusubaliev, Yevgeniy Alekseyev and Andrei Kurnyavka were their stars and champions.
The independent Kyrgyz team competed first at the Atlanta 1996 Olympic Games following their successful qualification process. Kyrgyzstan qualified three boxers to the Atlanta 1996 Olympic Games including veteran AIBA World Champion Andrei Kurnyavka who had a tight contest against Cuba’s legend Felix Savon.
The Central Asian country had record number of five qualified boxers in the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. A former Soviet Union Schoolboys Champion from 1990, Nurbek Kassenov qualified for two Olympic Games and represented Kyrgyzstan in Atlanta and also in Sydney.
Asylbek Talasbayev was also two-time Olympian, he qualified for the Athens2004 and Beijing 2008 editions. Almazbek Raimkulov reached the quarter-finals in the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games and he was near to get the country’s first medal.
Kyrgyzstan’s tall light heavyweight (81kg) boxer, the AIBA Asian & Oceanian Olympic Qualification Event bronze medallist Erkin Adylbek Uulu was selected as Team Kyrgyzstan flag bearer for the Opening Ceremony of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games in their last appearance before Munarbek Seyitbek Uulu’s quota.
Munarbek Seyitbek Uulu lost his semi-final in the 2nd World Olympic Boxing Qualifying Event in Bangkok a few weeks ago but he was excellent in the specific Box-off and he defeated India’s Sachin for the last Olympic spot at the featherweight (57kg).
Kyrgyzstan has strong potential in boxing, the country has thousands of boxers with good coaches and their fighting spirit and technical skills are also on the top level.
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