Nurzhan Nasanov, head coach of Kazakhstan's men's national boxing team, has summed up the 2026 Asian Games in Japan: the national team won two gold medals and one bronze, and one of the main tasks, according to the specialist, was to restore Kazakhstan's victories at the Asian Games after a 12-year gap, the website infohub.kz reports.
"We were set the task of bringing back the Asian Games gold medals in boxing, which Kazakhstan had not won for 12 years. That task has been fulfilled," Nasanov said in an interview with the Kazakhstan Boxing Federation.
Torekhan Sabyrkhan won Kazakhstan's first Asian Games gold since 2014 in the up to 70 kg weight category. The second top prize was delivered by team captain Aibek Oralbay (+90 kg). Makhmud Sabyrkhan (55 kg) took bronze. As a result, Kazakhstan's men's team finished second in the medal standings with two golds and one bronze, behind Uzbekistan.
In total, six Kazakh boxers competed at the tournament. Orazbek Asylkulov (60 kg) and Sabyrzhan Akkalykov (80 kg) ended their run after their first bouts in the round of 16. Nurbek Oralbay (90 kg) reached the quarterfinals.
Nasanov noted that not all bouts went according to the coaching staff's plan and that the team's performance still needs to be analyzed in detail.
"We assess this result objectively and understand that certain aspects of preparation and of how the bouts were conducted require further analysis. Following the competition, the coaching staff will thoroughly review every fight. It is important for us to identify the causes of the mistakes made, evaluate the performance of the athletes and coaches, and draw the appropriate conclusions," the head coach said.
According to him, the team will need to work on consistency of performance and tactical preparation. At the same time, Nasanov called the return of gold medals after a 12-year gap the main result of the Asian Games.
"The Asian Games are an important stage, but not the ultimate goal. New international competitions, new rivals and new tasks lie ahead," the specialist emphasized.
The next stage will be the Kazakhstan championship, which will be held in Taraz from October 29 to November 6. According to Nasanov, at the tournament the coaching staff will evaluate young boxers and form the national team roster for 2027.