The Mengerey Khayrutdinov Youth Tournament in the former Kazakhstan capital of Almaty saw the host nation’s boxers fall just one gold short of a clean sweep in what proved to be the ideal start to next year’s AIBA Youth World Boxing Championship preparations. Kazakhstan claimed nine gold medals in all, with only Uzbekistan able to offer enough resistance in the heavyweight final.

It was the hosts’ light flyweight talent Nurtay Ibadulla who set the tone in a stunning gold-medal contest with Kyrgyzstan’s 17-year-old Syrgak Dzhanseitov. Team-mate and Zhetysu Youth Cup winner Ayatulla Takizhanov then continued his strong run of form, controlling the light welterweight final against Heydar Aliyev Junior Cup gold medallist Aybol Zhambirbay.

Oleg Matveychuk, who trains locally in the Almaty region, had also won Zhetysu Youth Cup gold in October and was too strong for the current ASBC Asian Junior Champion, 16-year-old Aldiyar Tursynali, in the welterweight final.

Uzbekistan’s lone gold medal came in the heavyweight class as ASBC Asian Junior champion and AIBA Junior World Boxing Championships bronze medalist Profsor Rorimsha defeated China’s Xinjiang-based Abdurashit Rimola.

“I wasn’t satisfied with my bronze at the AIBA Junior World Boxing Championships in St. Petersburg and my goal was always the gold. I will return next year for the AIBA Youth title and I am now in the early stages of preparation, so I could have been quicker in Almaty, but I am happy with the gold,” said 16-year-old Rorimsha.

Kazakhstan’s Rustem Bayeshev and Uzbekistan’s newly crowned National Youth Champion Abdulla rounded off the competition with a world-class super heavyweight final, taken by the home team’s youngster by unanimoius decision.

Full list of winners at the Khayrutdinov Youth Tournament

 49 kg: Nurtay Ibadulla, Kazakhstan

 52 kg: Nurbolat Kozhakhmetov, Kazakhstan

 56 kg: Myrzabek Bolatov, Kazakhstan

 60 kg: Askar Yerubek, Kazakhstan

 64 kg: Ayatulla Takizhanov, Kazakhstan

 69 kg: Oleg Matveychuk, Kazakhstan

 75 kg: Mikhail Kokhanchik, Kazakhstan

 81 kg: Bogdan Filatov, Kazakhstan

 91 kg: Profsor Rorimsha, Uzbekistan

 +91 kg: Rustem Bayeshev, Kazakhstan

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