Yeleussiov led the Kazakhstan team to one of the best results seen by a team in a single World Championships as his country won eight medals, including four golds, in Almaty tonight.

For these efforts Yeleussiov was awarded AIBA Elite Man Boxer of 2013.

"I would like to thank the Kazakhstan Boxing Federation for his support and also my coaches," said Yeleussiov.

"I would also like to thank all the members of AIBA for offering me such an amazing award."

Kazakhstan's Daniyar Yeleussiov claims the AIBA Elite Man Boxer of 2013 award



Elias Emigdio was given the award for Best World Series of Boxing (WSB) Boxer of the Year after his success with the Mexico Guerreros team this season.

The Mexican added six wins to his record, losing just once, and took his career total to 14 wins to just three defeats.

He helped his team reach the semi finals in season III of the WSB, losing to eventual winners Astana Arlans Kazakhstan.

"I'm very grateful for having been recognised as the best boxer amongst so many talented athletes", he said.

"I think this is a reward for all my hard work, I'm very happy about this and I'm highly motivated for the upcoming season.

"I would like to thank my coach, my family, my friends without whom this wouldn't have been possible.

"I would also like to say that anything is possible and this proves that it is important that young athletes dare to dream".

America's Claressa Shields took home the Best AIBA Youth Woman Boxer of the Year award following a terrific season for the youngster.

The 18-year-old added to her 2012 Olympic gold medal by cruising to victory in the 2013 AIBA Women's Youth World Championships.

Shields has been a phenomenal athlete since bursting onto the scene to win gold at the 2011 US Women's National Championships and looks only to be getting better as the years go by.

"My dream has always been to be the best boxer in the world" she said.

"To receive this award from AIBA means a lot to me and it shows that I am getting there.

"I would like to thank my coach, AIBA and all the referees and judges, who have always been very fair to me, thank you very much."

American boxer Claressa Shields took home the Best AIBA Youth Woman Boxer of the Year award



Ireland's Ciara Ginty, 15, picked up the award for Best AIBA Junior Woman Boxer of the Year.

The teenager became only the second Irish woman to win AIBA World Championship gold medal when she took the lightweight crown at Championships in Albena, Bulgaria, earlier this year.

"I was very happy with the way I performed at the competition and I was delighted when I found out I was getting the award," she said.

"I think everyone was really pleased for me

"It is an honour to receive this and I would like to accept it on behalf of my country, my club and my family.

"Thank you very much".

The final award to be handed to a boxer was the Best AIBA Junior Man Boxer of the Year which was awarded to another American, Shakur Stevenson.

The 16-year-old won the light bantamweight category of the AIBA Junior World Championships in Kyiv earlier this month and becomes the first American boxer ever to pick up the award.

"It feels great to win this award and especially to be the first boxer from the United States to ever win it," he said in a video message.

"I worked really hard with my coach Pedro [Roque] this year and it definitely paid off.

"I'm going to keep training hard and go after my goal of winning an Olympic gold medal".

Alongside the athlete's awards, members of the boxing community including coaches, referees and supervisors were recognised for their contribution the sport.

Ukraine's Sergiy Korchynsky and Kazakhstan's Myrzagaly Aitzhanov took the awards for Coach of the Year for the WSB and AIBA respectively.

Aitzhanov led his country to their most successful World Championships ever in Almaty, while Korchynsky led the Astana Arlans Kazakhstan team to victory in season III of the WSB.

Ukraine's Sergiy Korchynsky won WSB Coach of the Year after he led the Astana Arlans Kazakhstan team to victory in season III of the WSB



Germany's Helmut Ranze took the award for Best Technical Officer of the Year after his contribution to the smooth operations at the World Championships in Almaty and America's Ray Silvas won Best WSB Supervisor of the Year for his work in ensuring all WSB events ran according to plan.

Best AIBA and WSB Referee and Judge of the Year awards were given to England's Mik Basi and Argentina's Gerardo Poggi respectively.

The pair have been instrumental in their duties in and out of the ring leading them to receive the prestigious accolades.

The final award of the night went to Turkey's Eyüp Gözgeç for Best Sportsmanship of the Year.

The Turk is the President of the Turkish Boxing Federation and made the decision to withdraw the Federation's own bid to host the 2014 AIBA Congress upon seeing the application to host the event by Jiju Island in south Korea.

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


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