Kazakhstan explained why their boxer lost to the Uzbek champion.

Kazakh boxer Saken Bibosynov was unable to continue his quest for medals at the Asian Boxing Championship in Chiang Mai (Thailand) due to an injury sustained just before his quarterfinal match. Bibosynov's opponent in the 51-kilogram weight category was Uzbekistan's Asilbek Jalilov.

The coach of the Kazakhstan national boxing team, Kairat Satjanov, shared details of the incident in an interview on Ruslan Bakytzhan's YouTube channel. According to the coach, Bibosynov injured the ligament of his calf muscle during warm-up, just minutes before entering the ring. Medical assistance was provided to the athlete, and he was able to step into the ring, but it later turned out that he was competing under the influence of a painkiller.

"The decision to allow Saken to participate in the match was made under difficult circumstances. Given the injury, it might have been better to withdraw from the fight," Satjanov explained.

After returning to Kazakhstan, the boxer underwent a medical examination, including an MRI scan. The examination results confirmed the severity of the injury and the need for surgical intervention.

"Saken significantly outclasses the Uzbek boxer he faced in this match," emphasized Satjanov. The national team coach expressed regret over the incident, noting Bibosynov's high potential.

For Saken Bibosynov, the 2019 world champion, a bronze medalist at the 2021 World Championship, and a bronze medalist at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, the quarterfinal match in Chiang Mai was his first at this tournament. Unfortunately, the injury prevented him from continuing to compete and vying for medals.