Building a Sports Nation: The Legacy of Kazakh Boxing

Boxing today has become part of the national identity in Kazakhstan. We have some of the best boxers in the world, with respect to all global legends of a sport that I love so much.

Boxing gathers people at an early hour of the day and cheers for Gennady Golovkin, fills our heart with pride for our own Janibek Alimkhanuly, unites our whole country during World Championships and Olympic Games, and teaches us the right way of celebrating our victories and coping with our defeats. This is what boxing does for our society.

Boxing is a sport that matches the nature of the Kazakhs. In this sport, courage, patience, and honor are found, and unite us.

When I took over as President of the Boxing Federation in 2019, I felt a sense of responsibility immediately. The stakes were high, but I enjoyed the challenge. Together, we accomplished many important milestones in almost five years.

We honored not only boxers but also their mothers, naming them Altyn Ana, or ‘Golden Mother.’ Our saying is: ‘A hero is born of his mother.’ I think mothers play an important role in raising champions. Every victory starts with a mother’s prayer.

Moreover, we established an incentive system for young boxers at the very beginning of their careers. Today, when I look at world boxing champions who were once young boxers in Cuba, I feel very proud.

For me, the most memorable moment during the Federation was the World Championships in Tashkent, where we won four gold medals. We would never forget the people’s support and trust during that time.

In this regard, I personally invested my own time and funds in the development of boxing in Kazakhstan. I believe these investments fully justified themselves. I am proud of have led Kazakh boxing for so many years.

There are some things that are not simply measured in terms of results, but in terms of meaning as well.

Boxing is one such thing.