Nazym Kyzaibay overpowers India star MC Mary Kom as Kazakhstan dominate Asian Boxing Championships

Two-time world champion secures women’s 51kg flyweight division gold

MC Mary Kom, in red, lost to Nazym Kyzaibay in the Asian Championships flyweight final at the Le Meridien Grand Ballroom in Dubai on Sunday, May 30, 2021. Courtesy BFI

Nazym Kyzaibay prevented six-time world champion MC Mary Kom from winning an unprecedented sixth continental gold in the Asian Boxing Championships at the Le Meridien Grand Ballroom in Dubai on Sunday.

The Kazakh, a two-time world champion herself, put up a solid performance to edge out the veteran Indian star by points 3-2 in the women’s 51kg flyweight division.

Mary Kom, 38, had the first round in her favour but Kyzaibay took the next two and the bout using her longer reach to score from punches consistently through the three rounds.

Kazakh women, who were in nine of the 10 finals, bagged the first three golds before Sitora Turdibekova of Uzbekistan broke their domination by defeating Vladislava Kukhta in the featherweight division.

Alua Balkibekova provided them the perfect start. The bottom seed outclassed Uzbek Gulasal Sultonalieva by points 4-1 in the light flyweight final.

Kyzaibay then doubled their gold tally before top seeded Dina Zholaman edged out Uzbek Sitora Shogdarova 3-2 in the bantamweight division to make it three on the bounce for Kazakhstan.

Rimma Volossenko stopped Huswatun Hasanah of Indonesia in round-1, Milana Safronova overcame India’s Lalbuatsaihi 3-2 and Valentina Khalzova defeated Uzbek Navbakhor Khamidova 5-0.

Kazakhstan took their gold tally to eight after Farida Sholtay defeated Uzbek Ruzmetova Sokhiba 5-0 in the light heavyweight and Lazzat Kungeibayeva got the better of India’s Anupama 3-2 in the heavyweight.

The Tokyo Olympics-bound Pooja Rani won India’s only gold with unanimous decision over Mavluda Movlonova of Uzbekistan in the middleweight.

The International Boxing Association (AIBA), for the first time, has allocated a prize fund of $400,000 for the championships. The winners of both women and men categories will receive $10,000 each while the runners-up and bronze medallist $5,000 and $2,500, respectively.