Dzmitry Asanau proves his talent in the Liventsev Memorial Tournament

June 2nd, 2015 / All

The latest edition of the Liventsev Memorial Tournament was held in Minsk, Belarus, where the strong level of competition was among the best in the history of the event.

Athlete of the tournament

19-year-old Belarusian Dzmitry Asanau successfully defended his title in Minsk, but had to defeat Uzbekistan’s AIBA Youth World Boxing Championships silver medallist Murodjon Akhmadaliyev in a tough Bantamweight (56 kg) final.

Both Asanau and Akhmadaliyev have a similar attacking style, and their final was an entertaining clash which contained many spectacular moments.

Asanau’s uppercuts were particularly impressive, and he won a deserved gold medal after the match was completed.

Team of the tournament

After the success of Dzmitry Asanau, Belarus claimed three further gold medals in Minsk, beginning with veteran Vazgen Safaryants who defeated Turkey’s young hope Yasin Yilmaz in the Lightweight (60 kg) final.

EUBC European Continental Championships bronze medallist Pavel Kastramin won the Welterweight (69 kg) gold in a gruelling final against Uzbekistan’s Makhmud Gaipov, while Middleweight (75 kg) Viktar Murashkin defeated his teammate Andrei Tratsevskiy.

Surprises of the tournament

Kazakhstan’s relatively unknown Erkin Mukhamedzhan delivered the main surprise of the Liventsev Memorial Tournament when he outperformed Uzbekistan’s AIBA World Boxing Championships quarter-finalist Rustam Tulaganov in the final of the Heavyweight class (91 kg).

The Uzbek boxer took the lead in the opening round after using great combinations, but tired as the fight progressed.

Mukhamedzhan’s stamina was impressive for a Heavyweight, and his attacks began to destroy the Uzbek boxer’s defense, which led to a split decision victory.

One to watch

Uzbekistan’s Incheon 2014 Asian Games silver medallist and Sportaccord World Combat Games winner Shakhobiddin Zoirov has been a member of their national elite team since 2011, and the 22-year-old Flyweight class (52 kg) boxer impressed against Belarus’ Ivan Figurenka in the semi-finals, before showcasing his power over Armenia’s Narek Abgaryan in the gold medal bout.

Fact of the tournament

Georgia, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan all achieved gold medals in Minsk, while Turkey achieved their first triumph in the tournament since 2011.

Gold medal winners in the Liventsev Memorial Tournament