Twelve Kazakh gold medals and Paalam’s surprise in the finals of the Republic of Kazakhstan President’s Cup

The finals were held in the Republic of Kazakhstan President’s Cup in Astana, Kazakhstan where the host nation claimed incredible 12 gold medals in the last competition day. Besides to the Kazakh successes Philippines’ 19-year-old Carlo Paalam was able to get the 13th title in the President’s Cup in Astana.

Women’s flyweight (51kg):
Kazakhstan’s two-time AIBA Women’s World Champion Nazym Kyzaibay decided to box at the Olympic flyweight (51kg) once again and following her national title she is in top form at the President’s Cup in Astana. Following her first victories over Sevara Tadzhikulova and Ukraine’s Rio 2016 Olympian Tetiana Kob, she had to meet with her teammate, another Rio 2016 Olympian, Zhaina Shekerbekova. Kyzaibay used her energetic style and won the first gold medal in the Republic of Kazakhstan President’s Cup.

Women’s lightweight (60kg):
Kazakhstan’s Karina Ibragimova joined to the elite age group in 2015 and she is getting even better and better results in the competitions. The 21-year-old boxer moved down to the lightweight (60kg) and advanced to the final after beating Russia’s Lyudmilla Orlova in the last four. Ibragimova had to meet in the gold medal bout with Kazakhstan’s Rimma Volosenko who received the right to box in the last edition of the AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships in Astana but she was not able to qualify for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. The lightweight (60kg) boxer returned in top shape and defeated such strong rivals in the road to the finals but Ibragimova was able to stop her and the younger Kazakh talent won the second gold medal of the President’s Cup.

Women’s middleweight (75kg):
Kazakhstan’s Rio 2016 Olympic Games bronze medallist and defending ASBC Asian Women’s Champion Dariga Shakimova was excellent in her debuting contest against Uzbekistan’s Nafisakhon Askarova and defeated her teammate Akerke Bakhytzhan in her quarter-final. Shakimova was not enough satisfied yet and controlled her semi-final against India’s Lavlina Borgohain who joined to the national team last year. Shakimova’s final opponent was Russia’s young Darima Sandakova in the women’s middleweight (75kg) and she was able to solve that tactical issue in Astana.

Men’s light flyweight (49kg):
Philippines’ Carlo Paalam claimed bronze medal in the AIBA Youth World Boxing Championships in St. Petersburg and also in the ASBC Asian Confederation Youth Boxing Championships in Pavlodar one year ago. The 19-year-old Filipino light flyweight (49kg) talent did her very best in the final and defeated Kazakhstan’s Ashkhat Zhussupov while AIBA Youth World Champion Shalkar Aikynbay claimed only bronze in Astana.

Men’s flyweight (52kg):
Kazakhstan’s Bocskai Memorial Tournament winner Azat Makhmetov had a tough semi-final bout at the flyweight (52kg) but he was able to keep continuing his impulse in the final. The 25-year-old boxer met with Kazakh National Championships bronze medallist Olzhas Bayniyazov in the final and all of the judges picked him as the winner of the second men’s weight class in Astana. Kyrgyzstan’s three-time National Champion Zhanybek Musayev delivered also top performance in this category and claimed finally bronze medal.

Men’s bantamweight (56kg):
Philippines’ defending Southeast Asian Games winner Mario Fernandez produced superb performance in the road to the finals at the bantamweight (56kg) in Astana. The Filipino boxer knocked out South Korea’s ASBC Asian Confederation Boxing Championships bronze medallist tall Han Young Hun in the quarter-final and defeated also Kazakhstan’s Zhanbolat Kydyrbayev in the semi-final. He met for the title of the President’s Cup with Kazakhstan’s Incheon 2014 Asian Games winner Ilyas Suleimenov but he was not enough fresh to get Philippines’ second title in Astana.

Men’s lightweight (60kg):
Kazakhstan’s Sultan Zaurbek had a key contest in the road to the finals at the lightweight (60kg) but he was able to beat Uzbekistan’s Sulaymon Latipov who also claimed silver medals in the 2014 AIBA Youth World Boxing Championships in Sofia. Zaurbek, who claimed bronze medal in the Islamic Solidarity Games, was a bit effective also in the final of the event against defending Kazakh National Champion Adilet Kurmetov and won the title of the weight class in Astana.

Men’s light welterweight (64kg):
Kazakhstan’s newly crowned National Champion Bekdaulet Ibragimov achieved bronze medal in the ASBC Asian Confederation Boxing Championships in Tashkent and qualified for the Hamburg 2017 AIBA World Boxing Championships. The 21-year-old light welterweight (64kg) boxer delivered great performance in the President’s Cup and defeated Pavlodar’s Kuan Kuatov in the final which was a repeat match between them after the gold medal bout of the 2016 Kazakh National Championships.

Men’s welterweight (69kg):
Kazakhstan’s defending AIBA Youth World Champion Sadreddin Akhmedov won the gold medal at the Thailand International Invitational Tournament two months ago and eliminated Philippines’ promising hope, Joel Bacho and a Kazakh WSB boxer Bekzod Khalmetov in the road to the finals. The 19-year-old super talented boxer had to meet in a dream final with Uzbekistan’s Islamic Solidarity Games winner Bobo-Usmon Boturov. Akhmedov was well prepared, his tactic worked well and his efforts delivered to him a gold medal in the President’s Cup in Astana.

Men’s middleweight (75kg):
Kazakhstan’s Saparbay Aidarov delivered his best ever performance in the current Season VII of the World Series of Boxing and his skills were enough to beat former Kazakh National Champion Manat Omirzakov in the semi-final of the middleweight (75kg) split decision. Aidarov tried to do his best in the final against Kazakhstan’s star Abilkhan Amankul but his efforts were not enough to stop his 19-year-old rival for the title. Amankul, who has got perfect record also in the World Series of Boxing, amazed the crowd once again with his powerful combinations.

Men’s light heavyweight (81kg):
South Korea’s Military World Champion Yang Hee Guen eliminated the main favourite of the light heavyweight (81kg) in Astana, namely Kazakhstan’s Yerik Alzhanov and he defeated another host nation’s pride, Nurdaulet Zharmanov in the semi-finals. Yang, who will be turning to 27 this year, had to meet with Kazakhstan’s AIBA Youth World Boxing Championships silver medallist 19-year-old Bek Nurmagambet in the final but he was not able to find his younger opponent’s weak points. Nurmagambet won his next international event while Kyrgyzstan’s Rio 2016 Olympian Erkin Adylbek Uulu achieved bronze medal in the President’s Cup.

Men’s heavyweight (91kg):
Kazakhstan’s Rio 2016 Olympic Games silver medallist Vassiliy Levit arrived to Astana as ASBC Asian Champion and a fresh quota place for the Hamburg 2017 AIBA World Boxing Championships. The Kazakh heavyweight (91kg) star dominated all of his contests in the Republic of Kazakhstan President’s Cup and did not give any chance to India’s Gaurav Chauhan in the gold medal bout.

Men’s super heavyweight (+91kg):
Kazakhstan’s ASBC Asian Confederation Boxing Championships silver medallist Kamshybek Kunkabayev is the country’s top super heavyweight (+91kg) boxer who also qualified for the Hamburg 2017 AIBA World Boxing Championships in Tashkent. Kunkabayev, who has got strong record in the World Series of Boxing, walked over to the last 13th title as his 19-year-old opponent Nurlan Saparbay was not able to fight against him.

List of the winners in the Republic of Kazakhstan President’s Cup
Women’s 51kg: Nazym Kyzaibay, Kazakhstan
Women’s 60kg: Karina Ibragimova, Kazakhstan
Women’s 75kg: Dariga Shakimova, Kazakhstan
Men’s 49kg: Carlo Paalam, Philippines
Men’s 52kg: Azat Makhmetov, Kazakhstan
Men’s 56kg: Ilyas Suleimenov, Kazakhstan
Men’s 60kg: Sultan Zaurbek, Kazakhstan
Men’s 64kg: Bekdaulet Ibragimov, Kazakhstan
Men’s 69kg: Sadriddin Akhmedov, Kazakhstan
Men’s 75kg: Abilkhan Amankul, Kazakhstan
Men’s 81kg: Bek Nurmagambet, Kazakhstan
Men’s 91kg: Vassiliy Levit, Kazakhstan
Men’s +91kg: Kamshybek Kunkabayev, Kazakhstan