Kazakhstani Federation of Muay Thai receives award

 Muay Thai Federation of Kazakhstan represented by Karim Massimov, the Prime Minister of the country, has received a unique cup in appreciation for the dedication and engagement in fostering and promoting the sport, Tengrinews reports citing Vesti.kz.

Kairat Teleubayev, the coach of the Kazakhstan's muay thai team, commented on the role of the local federation in the promotion of the combat sport.

Coach Kairat Teleubayev. Photo © Turar Kazangapov

"This cup was awarded for a significant contribution in development and promotion of muay thai not only in Kazakhstan but also internationally. In 2001, Astana hosted the first Asian Muay Thai Championship. Before that no other country had hosted the Asian championship. The competition was hosted on a high level with 22 participating countries. (...) In 2003, the World Championship was hosted in Almaty which was the first time the competition was hosted outside Thailand. 300 participants from 54 countries arrived for the 2003 World Championship," Teleubayev said.

The IFMA also presented the Muaythai Revelead book to the Kazakhstani Federation. Photo © Vesti.kz

The Kazakhstani Federation, according to Teleubayev, is working with the International Federation of Muaythai Amateur (IFMA) on ways to organizing another international championship in the country. "We have two cities that can host the events – Astana and Almaty. The capital Astana is certainly the priority," the coach said.

This year, the Kazakhstani team brought 18 medals from the IFMA Royal World Cup. Teleubayev said that this year the focus was on the youth.

“This year we placed stakes on the youth. We wanted to try them out and understand what to expect and what to work on. The coaching staff was satisfied with the result. But satisfactory is neither good nor bad. There is always room for improvement. There are certain aspect we will be working on,” the coach added.

Maksat Dyusengali, 13, winner of a gold medal at The IFMA World Youth. Photo © Vesti.kz

The 13 y.o. gold medal winner Maksat Dyusengali said that the training was very difficult. "The World Championship was very difficult for me. The training and camps were exhausting.  Training was intense and we were exhausted. It was not easy to wait for the final. The only thought on my mind was: "When? When am I fighting?" At night I was told the time of the fight. (...) I haven't really slept that night. To be honest I was afraid before the fight. It was my first World Championship. I lost the first round. But I did not back off. On the contrary, I won the following two rounds. When they raised my arm, I couldn't believe it. 'How is this possible?' I asked myself," Maksat said.

Vice President of the Kazakhstani federation Farkhat Amankulov noted that the competition in Thailand was intense and demanding. "Guys from our team who competed at similar tournaments have already adapted and knew about the intense atmosphere. As for the younger kids to include in the first team, we ended in an intriguing situation. Who is capable of what? In total we have 18 medals with one gold, six silver and eleven bronze. Six fighters competed in the semi-finals of the A class. A class sportsmen compete by the rules close to professional ones, which means they do not use wests, helmets and gloves. A number of Kazakhstanis fought against Thais for the chance to compete in the finals. They performed alright, but in terms of points it is difficult to compete with the pioneers of the sport. (...) Youth competing in 16-17 y.o. category made our day. For example, Nikolay Samsuyev who competed not in his weight division worked worthily, took out his main competitors and showed himself from a very good side in general. Besides he is only 16 y.o. Our guys showed some stamina and spirit," Amankulov said.

By Gyuzel Kamalova