Kazakhstan claims 10 victories ahead of Asian Para Games opening ceremony
Kazakh athletes secured 10 victories in para table tennis and boccia competitions on the second day of competition at the 5th Asian Para Games, ahead of the official opening ceremony scheduled for October 18 in Nagoya, Japan, Qazinform News Agency cites the Tourism Ministry.
Eight of the wins came in para table tennis, where Kazakh athletes contested 18 group-stage matches.
Marat Surtubayev defeated India’s Chogule Dattaprasad 3-0, Ali Makhulbekov overcame Vietnam’s Pham Minh Tuan by the same score, and Talgat Yerekeev beat Pakistan’s Ali Muhammad Zain 3-0.
Altynai Yerzhankyzy defeated Vietnam’s Nguyen Thi Hoa Phuong, while Azamat Orazbek beat Nepal’s Rai Bibek, with both matches ending 3-1.
Aruzhan Giniyatova earned a hard-fought 3-2 victory over South Korea’s Yang Bok Sun, while Ardak Nurmagambetov defeated India’s Madan Jehan by the same score.
Antonina Rogova was awarded a technical victory after Thailand’s Wangprachum Pronwimol failed to appear for the match.
Meanwhile, Balziya Tash (twice), Igor Khudyakov, Azamat Orazbek, Raushan Orynbayeva, Aruzhan Giniyatova, Ali Makhulbekov, Talgat Yerekeev, Ardak Nurmagambetov, and Alexandra Stepanova suffered defeats in their other matches.
In boccia, Itana Shingiskhanova added two more victories for Kazakhstan. She defeated China’s Dong Lin 5-1 before edging Mongolia’s Dawkharbayar Dagmidma 5-4. Her next opponent will be a representative from Hong Kong.
Elsewhere, Almat Yerkhat lost 3-4 to Indonesia’s Muhamad Siafe, Azamat Ayazbayev was beaten 0-15 by China’s Zheng Yuansen, and Elmira Musraliyeva fell 2-3 to Iran’s Mariam Malekifalah.
In upcoming matches, Yerkhat will face an athlete from Hong Kong, Ayazbayev will compete against opponents from Thailand and Malaysia, while Musraliyeva is set to take on competitors from Thailand, China, and Hong Kong.
The boccia tournament features 85 athletes from 22 countries, with Kazakhstan represented by five competitors. In addition to individual events, the national team will also compete in pair and team competitions.
Overall, Kazakhstan is represented by 150 athletes across 12 sports at the Games, which will run through October 24.
Noteworthy, Kazakhstan won gold and bronze at World Para Taekwondo Grand Prix in Paris.