Kazakhstan’s Nursultan Altynbek made a great debut at the 60kg in the Great Silk Way Tournament opened in Baku, Azerbaijan today where Sabuhi Alizadeh, Alexander Shaw, Sakhil Alakhverdovi and Tayfur Aliyev also managed to win their openers.
Altogether 29 female and 97 male boxers are participating in the annual Great Silk Way Tournament in the heart of Azerbaijan.
Baku hosted several big events in the recent 20 years, including the Men’s Elite World Boxing Championships in 2011, the Youth World Boxing Championships and the Cadet World Boxing Championships.
The bout of the day
Azerbaijan’s Sabuhi Alizadeh had the height and weight advantage against Algeria’s newcomer Abderrahim Magta and he used that well in the first round. The Azeri super heavyweight boxer stopped the Algerian attacks in the second and third periods and Alizadeh celebrated a well-deserved success after the last gong.
The surprise of the day
Australia’s Alexander Shaw won their Elite National Selection Tournament this year and he used his strength to take the lead against Moldova’s Nicolae Burdiuja at the +90kg. The Aussie boxer found the wholes between the wholes of the Moldovan boxer and his body shots also worked well in their meeting therefore Shaw joined the next stage of the event.
The Round-Up
Australia’s Alana Selak competed in Sweden, Colombia and the United States in the recent 15 months and she conquered Azerbaijan in the opening bout of the second competition day. The Aussie girl controlled all of the three rounds against Azerbaijan’s Lala Madatova and she joined the next stage at the women’s 48kg.
Kazakhstan’s Anel Kudaybergen achieved already a bronze medal at the 2018 Youth World Boxing Championships in Budapest and she had a perfect opener in the Great Silk Way Tournament against Azerbaijan’s Mehpara Mammadova. Her teammate at the 54kg, Anzha Sadvakassova had a tight victory over Algeria’s Douaa Rouaz and she needed a great finish to win this bout.
Turkey’s southpaw, Berfin Kabak competed in the 2024 edition of the European U23 Boxing Championships and he represented the country in various events from Poland to Bulgaria. The 24-year-old Turkish faced Hungary’s Diana Cifra in the Round of 16 at the women’s 65kg weight category and she expected a hard fight today. The Hungarian was competitive in the first round but from the second Kabak had the dominance and a stoppage in the third round favoured the Turkish athlete.
Kazakhstan’s Nursultan Nuridenov had impressive youth results in the past but he was not able to make the real breakthrough among the elite boxers yet. The 50kg Kazakh had the technician style of boxing in all of the three rounds against Moldova’s Mihai Porombac and his hand was raised after the last gong.
Georgia’s Sakhil Alakhverdovi is a European Champion, World bronze medallist boxer in the smallest weight class and he is one of the top names at the Great Silk Way Tournament. The Georgian was patient in the attacks and he controlled all of the three rounds against Azerbaijan’s Ramal Yolchuyev with his longer reach.
The 60kg weight class is fantastic at the Great Silk Way Tournament in Baku where a local boy, Umud Rustamov won the first preliminary bout against Australia’s Johnny Dale. Bulgaria’s Yasen Radev continued the winning series and he had the right responses to Georgia’s Davit Mushkudiani.
Kazakhstan’s Asian U22 Champion Nursultan Altynbek moved up to the 60kg this year and he had the technical superiority against Azerbaijan’s Nadir Malikov. One of the most talented local hopes in this weight class, Mahammadali Gasimzadeh was confident in his debuting contest but Algeria’s Mouatez Bechagra and the veteran Tayfur Aliyev also impressed in the Round of 16.