Debutant Zhantilek Nurtilepuly clinches gold at Qazaqstan Barysy 2026

The Master of Sport of Kazakhstan dominated throughout the tournament. In the semifinals, the wrestler defeated the Kostanay region's Almas Zhumagali, also a Master of Sport, to advance to the final.

In the decisive match, Nurtilepuly faced one of the country's most titled wrestlers—Galymzhan Kyrykbay (“Barys”) from the Zhambyl Region, a two-time medalist and champion of the Qazaqstan Barysy 2023 tournament.

In a tense final, Zhantilek Nurtilepuly emerged victorious, capturing the Qazaqstan Barysy gold belt for the first time in his career.

It is noted that he is one of the youngest wrestlers in the tournament.

The bronze medal was won by Nursultan Kozhageldyuly from Shymkent, the adult champion of Kazakhstan. In the third-place match, he defeated Almas Zhumagali from the Kostanay region.

The tournament winner received the Qazaqstan Barysy gold belt and a cash prize of 15 million tenge.

The runner-up was awarded a silver belt and 3.5 million tenge, while the third-place wrestler received a bronze belt and 1.5 million tenge.

Qazaq kuresi is a traditional Kazakh wrestling style that is practiced in more than 40 countries and has been recognized by UNESCO as part of the world's intangible cultural heritage, reflecting its deep roots in the nation's history

Earlier, it was reported that Kazakhstan’s synchronized swimmers won a historic silver medal at the World Artistic Swimming Championships.