Vladislava Kukhta won her first ever elite title in the Kazakhstan Women’s National Championships
The women’s finals saw impressive battles in the Kazakhstan Elite National Championships where 10 champions have been crowned in the city of Shymkent. Two-time AIBA Women’s World Champion Nazym Kyzaibay regained her place in the top of the flyweight (51kg) while Vladislava Kukhta earned the title at the very first time.
Kazakhstan earned nine quota places for the Tokyo Olympic Games including one sport in the female part of the Asian & Oceanian Olympic Boxing Qualifying Event in Amman. That quota place was achieved by 20-year-old Nadezhda Ryabets therefore the other four female categories were selection for their bests to the World Olympic Boxing Qualifying Event.
All of their top boxers are attending to attend in the National Championships which will be a great comeback for them after eight months of trainings without any events. Shymkent is located in the Southern part of the country in the valley of the Sayram River near to the border of Uzbekistan and famous of its boxing schools.
Altogether 94 women and 196 men boxers attended in the Kazakhstan Elite National Championships in Shymkent. The competition was the first ever unified Kazakhstan National Championships for both genders in Shymkent while some of the spectators are approved also to follow the bouts.
Balkybekova and Zholaman are still the best boxers of their categories
Dzhambul region’s Alua Balkybekova joined to the elite national team in 2017 and the 24-year-old boxer defended her throne in Shymkent after beating Nur-Sultan’s young Arailym Marat in the final of the light flyweight (48kg). Dina Zholaman was AIBA Women’s World Champion in 2016 but she has been dominating the national events at the bantamweight (54kg) since 2010. The 28-year-old well-experienced boxer was too strong and aggressive for former AIBA Women’s Youth World Champion Balaussa Muzdiman.
Lukas vs. Kyzaibay for the final of the women’s flyweight (51kg)
Nazym Kyzaibay won the gold medals at the light flyweight (48kg) in the 2014 and 2016 AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships. Following that the strong technical boxers moved up to the flyweight (51kg) but she was not able to achieve the same results yet. The 27-year-old boxer eliminated Zhansaya Abdraimova in the semi-finals and met with Shymkent’s Angelina Lukas who represented Kazakhstan at the Asian & Oceanian Olympic Boxing Qualifying Event in Amman. The Almaty-based Kyzaibay was hard target for Angelina Lukas and her counter-attacks decided the contest.
Vladislava Kukhta won the women’s featherweight (57kg) at the very first time
The featherweight (57kg) is an Olympic category therefore its importance was high in the National Championships. Karagandy region’s AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships bronze medallist Aizhan Khodzhabekova was the main favourite of the category but she could not repeat her semi-final performance. The 21-year-old Vladislava Kukhta represented Kazakhstan as a youth boxer in 2017 and the Kostanay region’s talent proved strong developments. Kukhta won two out of the three rounds in Shymkent and became National Champion at the very first time.
Rimma Volosenko remained on the top at the women’s lightweight (60kg)
Nur-Sultan’s Rimma Volosenko won high number of international tournaments in the recent four years but she was not able to get big results in the top championships yet. The 28-year-old boxer met with Akmola region’s Karina Ibragimova who achieved bronze medal at the New Delhi 2018 AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships. Volosenko knew her opponent’s weak points and worked from closer range against Ibragimova which paid off in the tough final.
Khalzova defeated Shakimova for the title of the women’s welterweight (69kg)
Valentina Khalzova achieved her career highlight at the Astana 2016 AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships four years ago at the age of 20 but she did not attend any of the events in 2018 and in 2019. Khalzova returned to the world of boxing in the recent one year and regained her previous top form. She met with Rio 2016 Olympic Games bronze medallist Dariga Shakimova of Almaty in the final of the welterweight (69kg). Khalzova was taller and quicker than her veteran rival and won her first national title since 2017.
Ryabets, Sholtay and Kungeibayeva won the heaviest weight categories in Shymkent
Kazakhstan’s lone female boxer who qualified for the Tokyo Olympic Games is 20-year-old Nadezhda Ryabets who defeated a veteran boxer, London 2012 Olympic Games bronze medallist Marina Volnova in the final of the middleweight (75kg). Shymkent’s Fariza Sholtay was too strong for Violetta Knyazeva at the light heavyweight (81kg) while former AIBA Women’s World Champion Lazzat Kungeibayeva was slightly better than AIBA Women’s Youth World Champion 20-year-old Dina Islambekova.
List of the winners in the Kazakhstan Women’s Elite National Championships
48kg: Alua Balkybekova 51kg: Nazym Kyzaibay 54kg: Dina Zholaman 57kg: Vladislava Kukhta 60kg: Rimma Volosenko 64kg: Milana Safronova 69kg: Valentina Khalzova 75kg: Nadezhda Ryabets 81kg: Fariza Sholtay +81kg: Lazzat Kungeibayeva
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