Kanat Islam

Kanat Islam (Kazakh: Қанат Ислам Qanat Ïsläm; Chinese: 哈那提 斯拉木; pinyin: Hanati Silamu; born 13 September 1984) is a Kazakh professional boxer who currently lives and trains in Miami as part of Nelsons promotion company and co-promoted byZef Ramirez of ZR Entertainment . Islam was a Chinese amateur boxer of Kazakh ancestry best known for winning bronze at welterweight at the 2008 Summer Olympics, the 2007 World Amateur Boxing Championships, and the 2006 Asian Games.

At the 2004 Olympics he lost his match to Ruslan Khairov. He qualified for the Athens Games by ending up in first place at the 1st AIBA Asian 2004 Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Guangzhou, China. In the final he defeated Aliasker Bashirov of Turkmenistan.

At the Asian Games 2006 he beat Behzodek Yunusov in round one but lost to eventual southpaw winner Bakhyt Sarsekbayev in the semi-finals 30:37.

At the 2007 World Amateur Boxing Championships he beat Yusunov again, then upset old foes Ruslan Khairov and Bakhyt Sarsekbayev 20:14 but lost to Non Boonjumnong 20:23 in the semi-finals.

Islam beat Zambian boxer, Precious Makina, in the Men's Welterweight (69 kg) Round of 32 on the second day of the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Olympic Games results

2004 (as a welterweight)

• Defeated Sadat Tebazaalwa ( Uganda) 29-17
• Lost to Ruslan Khairov ( Azerbaijan) 16-26

2008 (as a welterweight)

• Defeated Precious Makina ( Zambia) 21-4
• Defeated Joseph Mulema ( Cameroon) 9-4
• Defeated Tureano Johnson ( Bahamas) 14-4
• Lost to Carlos Banteux ( Cuba) 4-17 ( Bronze)

World Amateur Championships results

2007 (as a welterweight)

• Defeated Bohzodbek Yunusov ( Uzbekistan) 22-16
• Defeated Gerard O'Mahony ( Australia) 23-17
• Defeated Ruslan Khairov ( Azerbaijan) 26-6
• Defeated Bakhyt Sarsekbayev ( Kazakhstan) 20-14
• Lost to Manon Boonjumnong ( Thailand) 20-23 ( Bronze)

In 2012 Kanat turned pro and decided to train in the U.S. state of Florida. He was captain of the "Astana Arlans" in the World Series of Boxing (WSB). In January 2011, after arriving in Kazakhstan at the request of Kazakh businessman and philanthropist Baurzhan Ospanov, Islam became a citizen of Kazakhstan.