Ilham Aliyev watched final bouts of the 16th world boxing championship

The 16th world boxing championship has ended in Baku.

President Ilham Aliyev and his wife Mehriban Aliyeva watched the final bouts at the Heydar Aliyev Sports and Concert Complex.
Sportsmen and spectators watching the final stage of the competition warmly welcomed the head of state and his wife. A total of 570 boxers from 113 countries around the world participated in the world championship which lasted from 26 September to 8 October.

The world’s strongest boxers came to the Azerbaijani capital also to compete for licenses for the 2012 London Olympic Games.

In the final stage of the championship athletes competed in 10 weight categories. Azerbaijan was represented by two athletes at this stage. Azerbaijani boxer Teymur Mammadov, competing in the weight category of 91 kg, faced Ukraine’s Alexander Usik. Suffering a 25:15 defeat in an intense bout, the Azerbaijani boxer won a silver medal of the world championship.

Another Azerbaijani athlete Mahammadrasul Majidov, fighting in the weight category of above 91 kg, defeated British boxer Anthony Joshua 22:21 and won the gold medal. Majidov has also been named the best boxer of the world championship.

President Ilham Aliyev congratulated the athletes and gave them medals.

The Azerbaijan national anthem was played.

The head of state had a picture taken with winners, the President of the International Boxing Association, Ching-Kuo Wu, and members of the International Olympic Committee.