Four Turkmen athletes advanced to the quarterfinal stage at the ASBC Junior & Schoolgirls & Schoolboys Boxing Championships in Al Ain, Abu Dhabi (UAE).
The competition gathered a total of 462 boxers from 26 countries, competing for medals in 13 weight categories among juniors born in 2008-2009 and 15 weight categories among schoolboys and schoolgirls born in 2010-2011.
Turkmenistan's team consists of 10 boxers, led by coaches Sapardurdy Bagyyev and Myrat Pazzyyev, with two competing in the younger age group and eight in the older group.
In the junior group, those who reached the quarterfinals are: Begench Kakamyradov (weight category up to 50 kg), Abdyrahman Rejepov (up to 63 kg), and Sapargeldi Nuryagdyev (up to 70 kg).
Begench beat Siva Chainarong (Thailand) – 3:2 by judge’s split decision in a tense 1/8 final match. Judges from Sri Lanka, the UAE and Kyrgyzstan awarded the victory to the Turkmen boxer with a minimal margin of 28:27, while judges from Tajikistan and Serbia gave the same score to the Thai athlete.
Commenting on this fight, the press service of the Asian Boxing Confederation noted that Turkmenistan's best junior boxer, Begench Kakamyradov, moved up two weight categories this year and was considered one of the favorites in the flyweight category up to 50 kg. The 16-year-old Turkmen performed better in the ring, gaining an advantage in the judges' notes within two minutes. At the beginning of the second round, Siva Chainarong changed his fighting rhythm. However, in the third round, Kakamyradov seized the initiative and "won this fantastic fight."
In the quarterfinals, Begench Kakamyradov will face Fan-Rui Shao from Taiwan.
Sapargeldi Nuryagdyev also performed brilliantly in his 1/8 final match, winning in the third round due to a clear advantage over Nahyan Al-Ghafri from the UAE.
"Nuryagdyev seemed to dance across the ring and enjoyed every moment of this fight, which became his brilliant debut in the green city of Al Ain", commented the press service of the Asian Boxing Confederation on the 16-year-old Turkmen boxer's victory.
Sapargeldi Nuryagdyev will face Usman Kaparov (Kyrgyzstan) in the next fight in the welterweight category up to 70 kg.
In another 63 kg quarterfinal match, Abdyrahman Rejepov will face Iranian boxer Ashkan Hashemi.
Quarterfinal winners will secure at least a bronze medal.
Unfortunately, the fourth Turkmen quarterfinalist, Ezbermuhammet Myratdurdyev, had to part with this dream, as he lost in the schoolboys' 58 kg weight category by a split decision to Akbarjon Abdulaev (Tajikistan) – 2:3. Notably, two judges from Thailand and Nepal awarded the victory to the Turkmen boxer with a significant point advantage – 30:27 and 30:26, respectively, while three judges from India, Tunisia and Iraq gave a minimal score advantage of 29:28 to the Tajik athlete.
During the ASBC Junior & Schoolgirls & Schoolboys Boxing Championships, the Asian Boxing Confederation (ASBC) Extraordinary Congress was held in Al Ain, attended by Durdymammet Kuljaev, Secretary General of the Turkmenistan Boxing Federation.
The congress addressed the issue of transitioning the organization under the aegis of World Boxing. In the debate, D. Kuljaev emphasized the unity of Asian boxing. After the discussions, out of 36 national federations present, 14 voted in favor of joining World Boxing, 21 against, and one delegate abstained. Thus, ASBC remained part of the International Boxing Association (IBA).
