Albert Batyrgaziev / Photo: © IBA / Ruslan Kolesnikov
Olympic champion and former interim WBA super featherweight champion Albert Batyrgaziev decided to take a break from his professional career.
At the beginning of July in Istanbul at the “IBA.PRO 8” tournament, Batyrgaziev lost early to the British James Dickens and lost the IBA.PRO champion and interim WBA champion titles in the second featherweight division. For the 27-year-old Russian, this was the first defeat in his professional career.
— I want to tell you honestly about my plans. Many people ask about their future career. Now I have decided to take a conscious break from my professional career. For me, boxing has been and remains a huge part of my life. Therefore, this choice is now very difficult. My whole sports life has been a race to the top: four Russian championships, an Olympic medal in Tokyo and then turning professional, where I went undefeated.
The last fight on July 2 was a turning point for me. The first defeat made me look at many things differently. I thank Allah for the trials and mercies that helped me become a better person. Since I have always felt a responsibility not only in the ring, but also before society, now is the time to become more active in projects that I have long planned, for example, supporting the development of sports infrastructure in my native regions. This doesn’t mean I’m saying goodbye to the ring. I remain an active boxer. But now all my work is outside of it. I thank everyone for their incredible support along this path: both in moments of triumph and in moments of challenge. She gives strength. I promise this new chapter will be just as honest and purposeful. I’m not saying goodbye, I’m just saying “goodbye,” Batyrgaziev wrote in the Telegram channel.
Batyrgaziev won gold in the weight category up to 57 kg at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. In the professional ring he has 12 wins and one loss.
Source: Sportbox
Hi, my name is Jayden James. I am a writer at Sportish, and I mostly cover sports news. I have been writing since high school and have been published in various magazines and newspapers. I also write book reviews for a website. In my free time, I enjoy playing soccer and basketball.
