Syria did sensational performance with their four gold medals in the Askar Kulibayev Prizes Tournament in Atyrau

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The Askar Kulibayev Prizes Tournament was held in Atyrau, Kazakhstan which city is located off the coast of the Caspian Sea. The Syrian team competed in the event with 5 boxers and all of them advanced to the finals in Atyrau. Finally four Syrian boxers, those who have qualified for the Hamburg 2017 AIBA World Boxing Championships, won the gold medals in the tournament which is a historical result for their strong athletes.
The number of the boxers was exactly 100 in the Askar Kulibayev Prizes Tournament in Atyrau. The city is very active hosting international events every year and after the Issatai Taimanov & Makhambet Utemisov Memorial Tournament Atyrau hosted the Askar Kulibayev Prizes Tournament for the men’s elite boxers. Mr. Askar Kulibayev is the President of the Kazakhstan Boxing Federation and donated the medallists with money prizes.

Light flyweight (49kg):
Syria’s Hussin Al-Masri won his important Box-off in the ASBC Asian Confederation Boxing Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan and qualified for the Hamburg 2017 AIBA World Boxing Championships. The 26-year-old Syrian light flyweight (49kg) boxer eliminated Uzbekistan’s teenage talent Fozil Abdumurodov in the semi-final and he was too strong for Kazakhstan’s rising hope Great Silk Way Tournament bronze medallist 19-year-old Zhandos Nesipzhan in the final.

Flyweight (52kg):
Kazakhstan’s Orazbek Asylkulov was born in 1998 and following his youth successes he joined to the elite age group this January. The Golden Gloves of Vojvodina Youth Tournament winner teenage talent eliminated Kazakhstan’s experienced Sagyndyk Moldashev in the quarter-final and Kyrgyzstan’s 2013 ASBC Asian Champion Azat Usenaliev in the road to the finals. The 19-year-old Kazakh talent had to meet with a local favourite, Taimanov & Utemisov Memorial Tournament winner Rashid Salauatov but he was able to solve his tactical job in a narrow final bout.

Bantamweight (56kg):
Nursultan Koshegulov won the gold medal in the Governor Cup in St. Petersburg, Russia in 2009 and since then he competed high number of international events. The 27-year-old boxer, who has got also experiences from the World Series of Boxing, defeated Abylai Saylaubekov in the semi-final and found the best fighting distance against Kazakhstan’s former AIBA Junior World Boxing Championships bronze medallist Olzhas Kalaubek. Uzbekistan’s strong Mirazizbek Mirzakhalilov travelled back to home without any medal.

Lightweight (60kg):
Yerzhan Ordabayev has been boxing in the elite level since 2012 and since then he won one national title in Kazakhstan. The 23-year-old boxer walked over to the final of the Askar Kulibayev Prizes Tournament as his Kazakh opponent, Asylkhan Uzakbayev was not able to fight against him in the last four. Ordabayev had the right game plan against Beknur Ozhanov in the final and after the final gong he celebrated his gold medal in Atyrau.

Light welterweight (64kg):
Andrey Leykhener was member of the Kazakh youth national boxing team in 2012 but since then he was not able to get top results in the elite level. Leykhener, who has got German roots in Kazakhstan, walked over to the final against Nurtas Azhbetov and had to meet with Youth National Champion Kazbek Sapenov for the title of the event. The 23-year-old Leykhener had great fighting spirit in the final which was enough for him to beat his teenage rival in the gold medal bout. Kyrgyzstan’s ASBC Asian Confederation Boxing Championships bronze medallist Nurlan Kobashev lost his first preliminary bout in the event.

Welterweight (69kg):
Syria’s Ahmad Ghossoun was bronze medallist in the 2015 ASBC Asian Confederation Boxing Championships and he is among the country’s top talents. The 21-year-old welterweight (69kg) boxer, who has already qualified for the Hamburg 2017 AIBA World Boxing Championships, eliminated Miras Nygmetov in the semi-final and delivered sensational performance against Kazakh National Champion Almasbek Alibekov who is eight years older than his Syrian rival. Ghossoun claimed the gold medal in the event while Kazakhstan’s promising star Maulen Oskenbek was failed to get any podium places.

Middleweight (75kg):
Odiljon Aslonov claimed silver medal in the 2016 Uzbekistan National Boxing Championships and since then he moved up to the middleweight (75kg). The 22-year-old boxer had to beat Kyrgyzstan’s National Champion Ilyaz Akmataliyev in the semi-final and after that triumph he was able to triumph over Kazakhstan’s Amandyk Manashev as well. Kyrgyzstan’s second top boxer in this weight class, Yktyiar Shabdanbayev achieved bronze medal in the Askar Kulibayev Prizes Tournament as his teammate.

Light heavyweight (81kg):
Nauryzbek Sagimbayev is not an experienced boxer in Kazakhstan, he has got relatively low number of bouts at the light heavyweight (81kg). He lost his first preliminary contest in the 2016 Kazakhstan National Boxing Championships but since then he won the Abdusalam Nurmakhanov Memorial Tournament in Turkestan. The young boxer dominated all of his contests in Atyrau including his final against Russia’s tough Sadam Elbiyev.

Heavyweight (91kg):
Syria’s Alaaldin Ghossoun moved up to the heavyweight (91kg) this year and achieved bronze medal at the ASBC Asian Confederation Boxing Championships in Tashkent. The Syrian boxer, who is member of the national team since 2011, defeated three powerful Kazakh athletes in the Askar Kulibayev Prizes Tournament in Atyrau: Saken Nagi in the quarter-final, Batyrkhan Gabbasov in the semi-final and WSB boxer Yerkin Mukhametzhan in the final of the event.

Super heavyweight (+91kg):
After three Syrian triumphs in the Askar Kulibayev Prizes Tournament the country’s two top super heavyweight (+91kg) boxers advanced to the last final. Two-time ASBC Asian Confederation Boxing Championships bronze medallist Mohamed Moulayes and Islamic Solidarity Games silver medallist Manaf Asaad eliminated all of their Kazakh rivals in the road to the finals. Moulayes, who qualified for the Hamburg 2017 AIBA World Boxing Championships, was slightly better in the final and achieved the title in Atyrau.

List of the winners in the Askar Kulibayev Prizes Tournament
syria 49kg: Hussin Al-Masri, Syria
Kazakhstan 52kg: Orazbek Asylkulov, Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan 56kg: Nursultan Koshegulov, Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan 60kg: Yerzhan Ordabayev, Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan 64kg: Andrey Leykhener, Kazakhstan
syria 69kg: Ahmad Ghossoun, Syria
uzbekistan 75kg: Odiljon Aslonov, Uzbekistan
Kazakhstan 81kg: Nauryzbek Sagimbayev, Kazakhstan
syria 91kg: Alaaldin Ghossoun, Syria
syria +91kg: Mohammed Moulayes, Syria