A former Kazakh athlete shared a heartfelt tribute post for her late coach.

Vladislava Kukhta is a Kazakh athlete currently competing for Hungary, who dedicated a heartfelt post to her coach Agzam Barlybaev, who passed away unexpectedly at the age of 60, as reported by Caravan.kz.

The former athlete of the Kazakhstan women's boxing team, Vladislava Kukhta, noted that she is deeply affected by the loss of her mentor, who was like a second father to her.

“I can hardly believe that my coach is no longer with us… with immense sorrow and emptiness in my heart, I am flying to Kazakhstan. This is a significant loss for me, for my family, his relatives, and all who knew him. He was one of the closest people to me, like a second father. Our relationship was built on deep respect and loyalty. Right now, I am in confusion, unable to envision what comes next. On one hand, everything dims in this context: the person with whom we pursued a common goal is gone, risking everything and selflessly betting it all. But on the other hand, now all these goals and plans take on a different, even deeper meaning. I know how he lived and was passionate about boxing, how he wanted to lead me to the Olympics, and how many nerves he spent over these 10 years of our collaboration. I also know how proud he was of me and believed in my abilities,” Vladislava Kukhta wrote.

The athlete admitted that her thoughts are currently muddled, and she cannot yet believe that she will never see him again or hear his guidance.

“Now, there is no one with whom to share the joy of victory or the bitterness of defeat so sincerely. This was our shared endeavor; he always told me: ‘At least two Olympic cycles’… And now he is gone, just a week short of his 60th birthday. Eternal bright memory! Iman dy bolsyn,” Vladislava Kukhta wrote.

The athlete expressed her gratitude to everyone for their condolences and words of support, adding that she usually does not display her feelings publicly, always writing about significant events in her life in a restrained and concise manner, but this tragic event has been catastrophic for her.