Amateur boxing returns to old system

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MILAN — The World Boxing Championships in Milan, Italy run throught Sept. 12. The Kazakh and Uzbek teams have boxers in all 11 weight divisions battling for world supremacy, and have made a confident start. Four of the top eight fighters representing Kyrgyzstan, however, are already out of contention. Approximately 700 athletes from 113 countries are taking part in the event.

The rules of the match were changed in the run-up to the International Amateur Boxing Association (AIBA) World Championships. Boxers will now fight according to previous rules (three rounds of three minutes each) with "closed scores," which means that the totals for each bout are announced after the fight. As in tennis, the best competitors will be seeded, and do not meet at the beginning of the championship.

The new system left some unhappy. "If you don't know the scores, you have to fight hard to the end. If the scores are known, boxers who have the advantage may try to avoid fighting. In the third and fourth rounds, that leads to gymnastics rather than boxing," commented Kazakhstan’s chief coach, Damir Budanbekov.

Kazakhstan's Rustam Svayev (up to 64kg), Ivan Dychko (over 91kg) and two-time world champion in the 69kg category Serik Sapiyev all got off to successful starts. Svayev easily overcame Albania's Albi Sorra with a score of 16-4, while Ivan Dychko beat Dominik Milko 13-0. Sapiyev won his match against Gabon's Hugo Mayk Miyenikoue 8-1.

Uzbek boxers have not fared as well. Khurshid Tozhibaev beat Jordan's Mahmood Esheish 13-8 in the 60kg category. In the 75kg category, Abbos Atoyev confidently outboxed Ahmed Saraku from Ghana 16-4, while in the 64kg category, Sandjarbek Rahmanov trounced Egypt's Jaber Al-Shiari 19-4. Shakhrivor Isakov beat Alberto Davila of Peru 18-9, but Sardor Abdullayev (91kg and over) lost 5-11 to China's Zhang Zhilei.

Five boxers representing Kyrgyzstan already have been knocked out. Only Asadulla Baimuratov (69kg) and Kanat Sadykbekov (64kg) have been able to progress beyond the first round.

Tajik boxers Jahongir Ubaiduloyev (69kg) and Anwar Yunusov (54kg) were victorious, but no Turkmen fighters made it through the first qualifying round.

Italian, Cuban, American and Russian boxers are the main favourites to win the championships.

[AIBA.org, Sports.kz, CA-News.org, AKIpress.org]