The Baku edition of the traditional Great Silk Way International Boxing Tournament continues to attract attention not only for its high-level organization but also for the vision it represents for the future of Azerbaijani boxing.
Idman.biz reports that Samir Huseynov, advisor to the president of the Azerbaijan Boxing Federation (ABF), emphasized the importance of hosting such events:
"It's commendable that such a prestigious tournament is being held in Baku. A total of 175 boxers from 9 countries are participating, and it's especially noteworthy that both our male and female athletes are involved."
Huseynov highlighted the upcoming 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, where for the first time in history, there will be full gender equality in boxing – with 7 male and 7 female quotas available.
"We are placing special emphasis on the development of women's boxing. Today, two of our female boxers became champions, and one claimed silver. Recently, at the ISF Gymnasiade in Serbia, eight of our girls returned with medals. These results are part of our Olympic preparation strategy."
He also praised the Gymnasiade performance overall:
"Out of 22 participants, 21 won medals. Our aim is to develop homegrown talent starting from lower age groups, rather than relying on foreign athletes. Promising boxers are emerging from the regions as well."
In line with this vision, new boxing facilities are planned. A Southern Regional Boxing Center is scheduled to open in Lankaran by the end of April. Large-scale boxing bases are planned for Ganja and Nakhchivan, with initial steps already taken.
"These are part of the federation’s strategic development plan to expand our infrastructure and nurture talent across the country," Huseynov added.
The Great Silk Way Tournament features boxers from Azerbaijan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Cambodia, Montenegro, Kyrgyzstan, Georgia, Russia, and Kazakhstan. Azerbaijan is represented by 47 male and 11 female boxers.
Aytaj Sahed
Idman.biz
