Kazakh boxer Orazbek Asylkulov has ended his run at the 2026 Asian Games after losing his very first bout. In the round of 16 of the 60 kg division, the reigning Asian champion fell to South Korea's Dong Hwan Chang by split decision, 1:4, according to infohub.kz.
The opening round was the closest: two judges scored it for Asylkulov, while three favored the Korean boxer. In the second three-minute round, Dong Hwan Chang led 4:1 on the judges' scorecards. The judges scored the final round by the same margin.
These were Asylkulov's first Asian Games. In 2025, the Kazakh won the IBA world title in Dubai at 57 kg, and in the spring of 2026 he took the World Boxing Asian championship in Ulaanbaatar, this time at 60 kg. He had also previously claimed silver at the 2024 Asian championship.
Asylkulov became the second member of Kazakhstan's men's team to exit the tournament. Earlier, Sabyrzhan Akkalykov also lost his opening bout in the 80 kg category.
Also today, 2024 Olympic bronze medalist and three-time world champion Nazym Kyzaibay ended her run at the 2026 Games.
The XX Summer Asian Games in Japan officially opened on September 19. The competition, featuring athletes from 45 countries, will award 460 sets of medals. Kazakhstan's team at the 2026 Asian Games includes 558 athletes competing in 35 sports.
Asian Games 2026 recaps: Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, Day 5.