Serik Qonaqbayev

Serik Qonaqbajew versus José Aguilar Pulsán in 1980

Serik Kerimbekuly Qonaqbajew ( Kazakh Серік Керімбекұлы Қонақбаев , Russian Серик Керимбекович Конакбаев Serik Kerimbekowitsch Konakbajew * 25. October 1959 in Pavlodar ) is a former Soviet - Kazakh boxer . He was vice-world champion in 1982 in the welterweight division, winner of the silver medal in the light welterweight division at the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow and two-time European champion .

Career

Serik Qonaqbajew grew up in Kazakhstan . There he developed into an outstanding boxer who was accepted into the Soviet national boxer team in 1978. His first international assignment in this national team was in February 1979 in Lafayette, United States, on the occasion of an international match between the USA and the Soviet Union . He lost it in the welterweight division against Donald Bowers on points. In the second start in Troy in the United States, he was points winner over Don Curry.

In 1979 he also won an international tournament in Alma-Ata with a points win in the final over Alexei Galuschko, USSR. Surprisingly, Serik Qonaqbajew was nominated for the 1979 European Championship in Cologne without having previously been a Soviet champion . He competed there in the light welterweight class (up to 63.5 kg body weight) and reached the final with points wins over Kazimierz Szczerba from Poland , Peter Davitt from Ireland and a demolition win in the third round over Karl-Heinz Krüger from the GDR . In this he was with 4: 1 judges' votes winner over the Italian Patrizio Oliva and thus European champion.

At the Soviet championships taking place after these European championships, the newly crowned European champion then suffered a point defeat in the semifinals against the Armenian Israel Akopkochjan and came in 3rd place. Despite this defeat, he was sent to the first World Cup in New York . In New York he defeated Hugo Hernandez from Cuba and Azumah Nelson from Ghana at this almost world championship event by breaking off in the 2nd round and won the final against Lemuel Steeples from the USA on points.

At the end of 1979 Serik Qonaqbajew won the light welterweight division in Belgrade with a point win over the strong Yugoslav Mirko Puzović and the tournament for the Belgrade Golden Belt.

In 1980 he won the Soviet light welterweight championship for the first time with a victory over Israel Akopkochjan and thus qualified for the Olympic team for the Games in Moscow . There Serik Qonaqbajew won over Simion Cuțov from Romania on points, beat Imre Bacskai from Hungary by breaking off in the 2nd round, came to a non-fighting victory over José Angel Molina from Puerto Rico and won in the semifinals against José Aguilar Pulsán from Cuba with 4: 1 judge's vote on points. In the final he met Patrizio Oliva, whom he had defeated in the final battle of the European Championship the previous year. This time, however, the super technician Oliva turned the tables and became points winner and thus Olympic champion . Serik Qonaqbayev won the silver medal .

In 1981 Serik Qonaqbajew won in Riga the elimination tournament for the Soviet welterweight championship with victories over Peter Galkin, Valeri Laptev and Israel Akopkochjan. In the actual Soviet championships that year he could not take part because of an injury. In between was the European Championship in Tampere , where he started in the welterweight division. He successively defeated Joseph Fenlon from Ireland , Sreten Mirkovic from Yugoslavia, Tibor Molnar from Hungary and Karl-Heinz Krüger from the GDR and became European champion for the second time .

Mark Breland (left) and Serik Qonaqbajew 2010

In the autumn of 1982 Serik Qonaqbajew started the 2nd World Cup in Montreal and won this tournament with victories over Antonio Guerra, Venezuela , Louis Howard, USA and Ruschko Lomski, Bulgaria . At this year's World Cup in Munich , he defeated Jose Louis Hernandez from Cuba, Ganem Mahrum from Israel and Roland Omoruyi from Nigeria on points. In the final, however, he was defeated by Mark Breland from the USA with a 5-0 judge's vote.

In 1983 and 1984 Serik Qonaqbajew was each Soviet welterweight champion. At the European Championships in 1983 he was not used. In 1984 the Olympic Games took place in Los Angeles , which were boycotted by the Soviet Union. Instead of the Olympic Games, the pugilists of the socialist countries started in a "friendship" tournament in Havana . Serik Qonaqbajew won there in the quarterfinals over Son Sun Ion from North Korea on points and was defeated in the semifinals against Jose Louis Hernandez.

After this event, Serik Qonaqbajew, Honored Master of Sports, finished his international boxer career and completed a sports degree. In 1991 he became president of the boxing association of professional boxers of Kazakhstan at the suggestion of his former Soviet national relay comrade Viktor Ageev . He is also a member of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Country battles by Serik Qonaqbayev

• 1979 in Lafayette / USA, USA against USSR, point defeat against Donald Bowers,
• 1979 in Troy / USA, USA against USSR, points winner over Donald Curry ,
• 1980 in Moscow , USSR against USA, points winner over Darrel Chambers,
• 1982 in Moscow, USSR against USA, points winner over Darryl Robinson,
• 1983 in Las Vegas , USA against USSR, points winner over Louis Howard,
• 1984 in Moscow, USSR against USA, points winner over Mylon Watkins

swell

• Box Sport trade journal from 1978 to 1984,
• Box Alamanach 1920–1980, publisher of the German Amateur Boxing Association, 1980,
• Website "www.sports123.com",
• Website "www.amateur-boxing.strefa.pl"

Web links

• Serik Qonaqbajew in the Sports-Reference database (English; archived from the original )