The first boxing tournament among the Turkic countries, WBC Amateur Turksoy, held in the spiritual capital of the Turkic world – the city of Turkestan, marked a landmark event for the entire Turkic community. This unique tournament united athletes, fans, and cultural figures, demonstrating the power and significance of sporting events in strengthening cultural and political ties between the Turkic states.
Turkestan is not just a city with a thousand-year history; it is a vital symbol of the unity of all Turkic peoples. Located in Kazakhstan, Turkestan has long been a crossroads for cultural and spiritual exchanges among the Turks. The city is home to the mausoleum of the great Sufi poet and preacher Akhmed Yasawi, one of the most important figures in the Islamic world and Turkic culture. In recent years, Turkestan has been designated the spiritual capital of the Turkic world, making it the ideal location for the first boxing tournament among Turkic countries, held under the auspices of WBC Amateur Turksoy.
The tournament was organized by the World Boxing Council, Rakhimzhan Erdenbekov, President of the Kazakhstan Federation of Professional Boxing, and the international organization TURKSOY, which has been actively involved in preserving and developing cultural ties between Turkic peoples since 1993. TURKSOY has implemented various cultural and sports projects aimed at popularizing the Turkic heritage. In 2024, for the first time, the organization decided to unite countries not only on the cultural stage but also in the sports arena, choosing one of the most popular and rapidly growing sports – boxing.
Amateur boxing teams from the Turkic world, including Kazakhstan, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Turkmenistan, participated in the tournament. Each country presented its top boxers, making the matches intense, spectacular, and captivating. The bouts took place across seven (7) weight categories.
The first WBC Amateur Turksoy tournament was a successful beginning for a new sporting tradition. Future tournaments are planned to be held regularly, providing more opportunities for amateur boxers from Turkic countries to showcase their talent on the international stage.
