WORLD CLUBS CUP

16 Olympic and World Medalists to Compete at FR World Clubs Cup

By Ali Feizasa

The 2017 World Clubs Cup is set to be held in Tehran City, Iran, with many Olympic and World champions getting ready to step on mat at the Azadi Sport complex.

About 16 Olympic and World medalists will compete in the World Clubs Cup on Thursday and Friday.

The roster of two-time World Clubs Cup champion Bimeh Razi bolsters six Olympic and world medalists. Russian Olympic and world medalists who will be completing for Bimeh Razi include Olympic and World champion Abdulrashid SADULAEV (RUS), Rio Olympics runner-up Aniuar GEDUEV (RUS), and 2014 world champion and silver medalist Khetik TSABOLOV (RUS). 

Also wrestling for the tournament favorite, Bimeh Razi will be 2016 Olympic silver medalist Komeil GHASEMI (IRI), three-time world medal winner Masoud ESMAEILPOUR (IRI), and two-time world medalist Seyed Ahmad MOHAMMADI (IRI).  

Defending championships, Titan Mercury Wrestling Club will send another potential title team to Iran to defend last year’s championship. In last years narrow match, TMWC beat Bimeh Razi in Ukraine to win World Clubs Cup title.

In addition to 2016 Olympics and 2017 world champion Kyler Snyder, other world medalists in the Titan Mercury line-up include Thomas Gilman, Franklin Gomez, and Nick Gwiazdowski. 

Another Iranian team, Easy Pipe Kashan has signed contracts with Georgian stars Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO) and Vladimir KHINCHEGASHVILI (GEO). Also wrestling for Easy Pipe Kashan is 2015 world bronze medal Alireza KARIMI (IRI) and Russian Vladislav BAITSAEV (RUS). 

The third Iranian team, Setaregan Sari is lined with three world champions from Russia and Azerbaijan. Accompaning the team will be 2017 world champion Haji ALIEV, 2015 world champion Magomed Rasul GAZIMAGOMEDOV and 2016 world gold medal winner Magomed KURBANALIEV (RUS).

The event will be the first test for these champions to compete with the new weigh-in rules and the 10 weight categories.

Predictable roster of the teams before weigh-in for Freestyle World Clubs Cup:

Bimeh Razi (Iran)
57kg- Younes SARMASTI (IRI)
61kg- Masoud ESMAEILPOUR (IRI) – Iman SADEGHI (IRI)
65kg- Meysam NASIRI – Seyed Ahmad MOHAMMAD (IRI)
70kg- Hamed RASHIDI (IRI)
74kg- Khetik TSABOLOV (RUS) – Bahman TEYMOURI (IRI)
79kg- Aniuar GEDUEV (RUS)
86kg- Mohammad Javad EBRANHIMI – Kamran GHASEMPOUR (IRI)
92kg- Abdulrashid SADULAEV (RUS)
97kg- Mojtaba GOLEIJ (IRI)
125kg- Komeil GHASEMI (IRI) – Yadollah MOHEBI

Titan Mercury (USA)
57kg- Thomas GILMAN (USA)
61kg- Alan WATERS (USA)
65kg- Franklin GOMEZ (PUR) - B.J. FUTRELL (USA) 

70kg- Nazariy KULCHYTSKYY (USA)
74kg- Isaiah MARTINEZ (USA)
79kg- Kyle DAKE (USA)
86kg- David TAYLOR (USA)
92kg- TBD
97kg- Kyler SNYDER (USA)
125kg- Nick GWIAZDOWSKI (USA)

Easy Pipe Kashan (Iran)
57kg- Reza ATARI (IRI)
61kg- Vladimir KHINCHEGASHVILI (GEO) 
65kg- Mehran NASIRI (IRI) – Farzad Amouzad KHALILI
70kg- Mohammad NADERI (IRI) – Hamidreza ZARRINPEYKAR
74kg- Saeid DADASHPOUR (IRI) – Hossein ELYASI (IRI)
79kg- Reza AFZALI (IRI) 
86kg- Alireza KARIMI (IRI)
92kg- Hossein SHAHBAZI (IRI) – Arashk MOHEBBI (IRI) 
97kg- Vladislav BAITSAEV (RUS) 
125kg- Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO)

Georgia Club
57kg- Roberti DINGASHVILI (GEO) 
61kg- Otari GOGAVA (GEO) – Teimuraz VANISHVILI (GEO)

65kg- Edemi BOLKVADZE (GEO) – Nika BUSHELASHVILI
70kg- Levan KELEKHSASHVILI (GEO)
74kg- Giorgi LOBJANIDZE (GEO)
79kg- Tariel GAPHRINDASHVILI 
86kg- Zaur BERADZE (GEO)
92kg- Saba CHIKLADZE 
97kg- Zurabi AKHOBDZE
125kg- Levani GOGRICHIANI (GEO)

Setaregan Sari (Iran)
57kg- Nader HAJAGHANIA (IRI) 
61kg- Mohammad RAMEZANPOUR – Mohammad NAMJOUMOTLAGH
65kg- Haji ALIEV (AZE) - Hassan MORADGHOLI 
70kg- Magomed KURBANALIEV (RUS) - Sajad ZABIHI (IRI) 
74kg-Magomed Rasul GAZIMAGOMEDOV 
79kg-Omid HASANTABAR
86kg- Esmaeil MAHMOUDI 
92kg- Abazar ESLAMI  – Seyed Mohammad SADATI (IRI)
97kg- Esmaeil NEJATIAN (IRI)
125kg- Jaber SADEGHZADEH (IRI)

India Club
57kg- Amit KUMAR (IND) 
61kg- Ravinder (IND)
65kg- Sonu (IND)
70kg- Vinod KUMAR (IND)
74kg- Ver Dev GULIA (IND) 
79kg- Jitender (IND)
86kg- Pawan Kumar (IND)
92kg- Somveer (IND)
97kg- Viky (IND)
125kg- Pushpender Singh (IND)

Mongolian Club
57kg- TSEVEENSUREN Tsogbakrakh MGL) 
61kg- BATCHULUUN Basaniam (MGL) 
65kg- TUMUR OCHIR Tulga (MGL) 
70kg- LUTBAYAR Batbayar
74kg- BOLDKHUU Batsukh (MGL) 
79kg- TBD
86kg- GANBATAAR Gankhuyag
92kg-  TBD
97kg- TUMURBAT Mungushagai (MGL)  
125kg- MUNKHTUR Lkhagvegerel (MGL)

Hungary Club
57kg- Tamas ROMAN (HUN)
61kg- Jozsef MOLNAR 
65kg- TBD
70kg- Norbert LUKACS (HUN) 
74kg- Zsombor GULYAS (HUN)
79kg- Botond LUKACS (HUN)
86kg- Patrik SZUROVSZKI (HUN)
92kg- TBD
97kg- Balazs JUHASZ (HUN)
125kg- Mihaly NAGY (HUN) 

Kazakhstan Club
57kg- Gulomjon ABDULLAYEV – Zhavokhir IRUSTAYEV
61kg- Assylkhan KARIPBEKOV
65kg- Sultan BEISOV (KAZ)
70kg- Dauren ZHUMAZAZYYEV – Yerlan TOLEBAY
74kg- Tsotne BARAMIDZE (KAZ) – Muhamedsultan KOPBAYEV
79kg- Adam HASIEV
86kg- Sandro AMINASHVILI (GEO)
92kg- Alisher YERGALI (KAZ)
97kg- Akhmed BATAEV (RUS) 
125kg- Rassul KHATAYEV

Kirgizstan Club
57kg- Nurlat TAKIROV 
61kg-Zhainak TURGUNBAEV (KGZ)
65kg- Edil KADYRBEK UULU (KGZ) 70kg- Adilet MAMATAEV (KGZ)
74kg- Atai IZABEKOV (KGZ)
79kg- TBD
86kg- Dinislambek TAALAIBEK UULU (KGZ)
92kg- TBD
97kg- Kantoro TALANBEK UULU (KGZ)
125kg- Emil ASHYRALIEV (KGZ)

Canada Club
57kg- Trevor BANKS (CAN)
61kg- Steven TAKAHASHI (CAN)
65kg- Vicent DE MARINIS
70kg- TBD
74kg- Ahmed SHAMIYA (CAN)
79kg- Guseyn RUSLANZADA (CAN)
86kg- Alexander MOORE (CAN)
92kg- Jordan STEEN (CAN)
97kg- Frederick CHOQUETTE (CAN)
125kg- Korey JARIVS (CAN)

Bulgaria Club
57kg- TBD
61kg- Strahil PARALOV 
65kg- Boycho BOYCHEV (BUL)
70kg- Miroslav HRISTOV (BUL)
74kg- Persiyan MIHOV (BUL)
79kg- Hasan MOLLA (BUL)
86kg- Petar SAVAKOV
92kg- Georgi DIMITROV (BUL) 
97kg- Dimitar KARAIVANOV
125kg- Mert EMIN

 

 

#WrestleIstanbul

Spencer Lee one step closer to Olympic dream

By Vinay Siwach

ISTANBUL, Turkiye (May 3) -- The world will finally see the return of Spencer LEE (USA) on a big stage. The one-time phenom is coming to Istanbul in a bid to qualify the United States for the Paris Olympics at 57kg.

Lee is a former U17 and U20 world champion and was primed to be the next superstar from the U.S. However, he could never get going at the international stage and only participated in an international tournament in 2024, eight years after his U20 world title. At the Pan-Am Championships this year, Lee won the gold medal at 57kg.

Despite his three NCAA titles and a college record a few can dream of, Lee hasn't returned to the international scene partly due to injuries and partly due to his college commitments. After two surgeries, battles with health, a heartbreaking loss in NCAAs, a long return and wins over former Iowa teammate Thomas GILMAN (USA) at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials, Lee is finally here.

"I’ve had such a tough time trying to stay healthy and trying to compete to the best of my ability,” Lee said after winning the trials. "I’m still not healthy but I’m healthy enough to wrestle hard against really, really good opponent.”

That's what he will have to do in Istanbul. In the 57kg bracket, Lee will be unseeded and can be drawn against any of the big names in the first round. Tokyo Olympian Georgi VANGELOV (BUL), former U23 world champion AMAN (IND), world silver medalist Alireza SARLAK (IRI) and local star Muhammet KARAVUS (TUR) are a few names he will have to keep an eye on.

The field also includes world bronze medalists Zanabazar ZANDANBUD (MGL) and Horst LEHR (GER) along with former European champion Vladimir EGOROV (MGL), Asian Games silver medalist Chong Song HAN (PRK) and Andrii YATSENKO (UKR).

If his opponents need a form check, Lee won four bouts at the trials, outscoring his opponents 35-11 with wins over Tokyo bronze medalist Gilman and Zane RICHARDS (USA). And his attacks are solid as ever as Gilman found out in the best-of-three series.

Three wrestlers in each Olympic weight class will receive Paris 2024 quotas in Istanbul, two being the winners of the semifinals and the third will be decided with a playoff between the two bronze medal winners. Lee would hope to secure it as the winner of the semifinal and avoid going, if fortunate, through repechage.

Apart from qualifying the U.S. in Istanbul, there is extra motivation for Lee to win in Istanbul. Lee's mother, Carry, is from France where she met Lee's father, Larry, both judokas. And, he can become the first Olympic champion for the U.S. in the lowest weight class since 2008.

Lee is aware that the road to Paris is still 'long and hard'. But the 25-year-old is ready.

"I have work to do."