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

 

 

#wrestlebishkek

Susaki regains Asian crown but shows cracks in pre-Paris prep

By Ken Marantz

BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan (April 13) -- Reigning world and Olympic champion Yui SUSAKI (JPN) finally showed some chinks in her armor. Not enough to suffer a first-ever loss to a non-Japanese opponent, but enough to give her something to think about with four months to go to the Paris Olympics.

Susaki faced the rare situation of trailing in a match in the women's 50kg final at the Asian Championships but managed to right the ship and defeat Ziqi FENG (CHN) 8-4 on Saturday at Bishkek Arena to regain the title she won in her last appearance in 2017.

"To go through such troubling matches before the Olympics is an important experience in order to win the gold in Paris," said Susaki, who earlier overcame a tough challenge from Yong Ok HWANG (PRK). "I want to make use of this feeling of regret so that after I win the gold, I can say it was good I had this experience."

Japan won two of the four other women's golds at stake on the third day of the competition, with two-time world champion Nonoka OZAKI (JPN) triumphing in her first international foray at the Olympic weight of 68kg and 2022 world U23 champion Moe KIYOOKA (JPN) winning the 55kg title in her senior Asian debut.

World silver medalist Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ) sent the home fans happy by rallying to a thrilling victory in the 76kg final to cap the night, which earlier saw world champion Qi ZHANG (CHN) storm to the 59kg gold to follow up her victory over two-time Olympic champion Risako KINJO (JPN) in the afternoon session.

Yui SUSAKI (JPN)Yui SUSAKI (JPN) attempts an unsuccessful front headlock roll against Ziqi FENG (CHN) in the 50kg final during the Asian Championships (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

For Susaki, the stop in Bishkek is part of her final preparations in the run-up to the Paris Olympics. Instead, it turned into a wake-up call, although she is trying to see it in a positive light.

"To be in a tough situation and still be able to come out with a victory gives me a boost of confidence," said the four-time world champion.

In the final against Feng, Susaki was facing an opponent she had beaten twice in the past seven months -- an 8-2 win in the semifinals at last year's World Championships in Belgrade and a 10-0 rout in the final of the Zagreb Open in January.

But it became obvious that her opponents are doing their homework on the superstar, who has only three losses in her entire career, all to the same Japanese opponent, Yuki IRIE (JPN).

Feng got on the scoreboard first with a counter lift for 2, but Susaki rolled through it and gained 2 of her own. But she lost the criteria advantage when Feng stuffed her on a front headlock roll for a 4-2 lead. It looked like it would stay that way to end the period, but Susaki came back with a driving takedown off a high crotch just seconds before the buzzer.

In the second period, Susaki kept her composure and scored a pair of takedowns to clinch the victory, which runs her current streak to 54 wins in a row.

"I wasn't trying for any specific tackle and I tried to hit a front headlock roll," Susaki said. "But I realize I can improve on the combination and it makes me want to quickly get back to practice."

Susaki's first bump in the road came in her opening match in the quarterfinals against Hwang, a 2019 bronze medalist who, like the rest of her compatriots, had been out of the international wrestling scene for much of the past five years.

Susaki received two activity points before Hwang came to life and scored a stepout late in the second period. She was close to scoring another when Susaki wriggled out of danger, then stopped a desperate front roll attempt to win 4-1.

"She came up with a strategy to keep the score low and put everything into deciding it at the end," Susaki said. "I allowed her to dictate the match. I'm going to go back to Japan and figure out how to deal with an opponent who avoids contact and saves it for the end."

Even with the close calls, Susaki remains among the most popular wrestlers on the circuit, as attested by the cheers for her from the Bishkek crowd.

"It was my first Asian Championships in seven years," Susaki said. "Seven years ago, it was my first challenge at a senior tournament. It was very moving to be back after seven years. The Kyrgyz people supported me and I was very happy to be able to compete with so many cheering for me. I'm very grateful to the fans."

Nonoka OZAKI (JPN)Nonoka OZAKI (JPN) completes a takedown against world silver medalist Delgermaa ENKHSAIKHAN (MGL) in the 68kg semifinals during the Asian Championships. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

Ozaki had her own issues to deal with, mainly handling a move from 62kg to 68kg over one year, with a stop at 65kg in between to win another world title. The extra weight proved to be no problem, at least on the continental level.

"My objective was winning the title, but it didn't matter if I lost as long I took something away from it," Ozaki said. "I wanted it to be a test of what level I am at."

Her level is quite high, to say the least. Ozaki won the gold with a 15-2 victory over 2022 Asian U23 champion RADHIKA (IND), her third consecutive technical fall of the day in which she was on the mat for a combined time of just over seven minutes.

"My transition from standing to the ground position was good and I could get big points," Ozaki said. "I want to continue working on that in practice."

Ozaki, the 2022 world champion at 62kg, suffered a devastating setback when she lost out on the place at the Paris Olympics in that weight class to Sakura MOTOKI (JPN). After moving up to 65kg for another chance to win a world title, which she accomplished, the opportunity to earn a ticket to Paris arose at 68kg, and she grabbed it by beating Ami ISHII (JPN) in a playoff in January.

As a natural 62kg wrestler, Ozaki has a speed advantage over her opponents. Since earning the Olympic spot, she has been spending time filling out into the heavier weight.

"I still have room to get bulkier and put on weight," she said. "I think I'll be much bigger the next time you see me."

Moe KIYOOKA (JPN)Moe KIYOOKA (JPN) scores a two-point takedown in her 7-0 win over Kyong OH (PRK) in the 55kg final during the Asian Championships. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

At 55kg, Kiyooka pulled away in the second period for a 7-0 victory over Kyong OH (PRK), adding the senior Asian gold to the world U23 and U20 titles she won in 2022.

"Last year, I was supposed to be here, but I got injured and that was tough to take," the 20-year-old Kiyooka said. "This makes up for that."

In the final, Kiyooka received an activity point for the lone score of the first period. In the second period, she scored a pair of takedowns, sandwiched around an exposure for stopping a reverse fireman's carry that the Korean wrestlers use so effectively.

"The Japan team has many top-level wrestlers and I got power from them," Kiyooka said. "I was very nervous, but I was able to move just as I do in practice."

To earn a spot on the team to Bishkek, Kiyooka defeated former world champion Haruna OKUNO (JPN) for the first time at the All-Japan Championships in December. She said her goal now is to secure a ticket to this year's senior World Championships.

While Kiyooka's job is done in Bishkek, she still has a future interest in the city. Her older brother Kotaro KIYOOKA (JPN) will be coming in an attempt to earn an Olympic quota in freestyle 65kg at the Asian Olympic Qualifier, which follows on April 19-21.

"I wanted to create good momentum to pass off to my brother," Kiyooka said. "I didn't see him before I left, but he messaged me and said, 'If you stay relaxed, you can win.'"

Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ)Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ) celebrates after winning the 76kg final during the Asian Championships in Bishkek on Saturday. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

For Medet Kyzy, her 10-7 victory over Yuanyuan HUANG (CHN) in the 76kg final was similar in nature to a match between them 10 months ago in Bishkek, but far more dramatic and with more at stake.

Medet Kyzy, who trailed 4-0 after the first period, bulled her way to a 4-point takedown -- her second of the match -- with 35 seconds left to regain the Asian title she won in 2022 in her fifth straight trip to the final.

"To be honest, the final match was a little hard for me, but you saw that there were lots of our fans in the stands and each of them needed to see my victory, so I did my best to win," Medet Kyzy said.

At the Bishkek Ranking Series tournament last June, Huang led 3-0 after the first period of the final when Medet Kyzy rallied to a 5-3 win, scoring the winning takedown with 23 seconds left.

Qi ZHANG (CHN)Qi ZHANG (CHN) celebrates after beating two-time Olympic champion Risako KINJO (JPN) in the 59kg quarterfinal during the Asian Championships. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

In the 59kg final, Zhang needed less than a minute to score a takedown, lock up an arm and score four straight rolls to vanquish Anudari BATKHUYAG (MGL) 10-0. That gave her her first Asian title after a pair of bronzes from 2017 and 2019.

It was Zhang's second straight 10-0 win after her victory over Kinjo. The Chinese beat the two-time Olympic champion by getting the latter of two activity points and win 1-1 on criteria.

Risako KINJO (JPN)Risako KINJO (JPN) won the bronze medal at 59kg at the Asian Championships. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

Kinjo rebounds to take bronze

Kinjo, a four-time world and Asian champion, made sure she would not leave Bishkek empty-handed, overwhelming Dilfuza AIMBETOVA (UZB) 13-2 in a 59kg bronze-medal match.

"Am I disappointed, or am I happy, I'm not even sure myself," said Kinjo, who capped her victory with a driving 4-point takedown that ended the match with five seconds left in the first period.

Kinjo was appearing in her first international competition since winning the 57kg gold at the Tokyo Olympics. After that, she got married, gave birth, and missed out on a place at the Paris Olympics at 57kg to world champion Tsugumi SAKURAI (JPN), who will be in action on Sunday.

Still wanting to compete, Kinjo moved up to 59kg and won the national title to earn the ticket to Bishkek.

Asked about the loss to Zhang, Kinjo said, "The opponent is the world champion. I don't know if she even knew I had changed my name. She is not an opponent that I can't beat. But strategically the match went her way. I lost, but it was enjoyable six minutes."

Host Kyrgyzstan picked up two bronze medals, and both in dramatic fashion at the expense of opponents from rival neighbor Kazakhstan.

At 55kg, Aruuke KADYRBEK KYZY (KGZ) gave up what should have been a decisive 2-point arm throw to Zulfiya YAKHYAROVA (KAZ) with four seconds left, only to come away with a 5-3 win by managing to score a reversal with less than one second on the clock. An unsuccessful challenge accounted for the final score.

Gulnura TASHTANBEKOVA (KGZ) also gave up early points to Albina KAIRGELDINOVA (KAZ) at 68kg, but came back with a counter to the back and scored a fall at 2:09.

Diana KAYUMOVA (KAZ) took home the other bronze at 59kg with a wild 11-8 victory over Pushpa YADAV (IND). Kayumova was leading 7-7 on criteria when she clinched the win with her second 4-point move of the match -- a Greco-like back suplex.

In a surprise at 76kg, Hui Tsz CHANG (TPE) prevented Japan from having a medalist in every weight class when she overcame a four-point deficit to defeat 2022 world U23 bronze medalist Yasuha MATSUYUKI (JPN) 8-6.

Elmira SYZDYKOVA (KAZ), whose defense of her 76kg title ended with a semifinal loss to Medet Kyzy, also worked her way out of a four-point hole, but did it by pancaking PRIYA (IND) and scoring a fall in the second period.

At 50kg, Shivani PAWAR (IND) used her counter style of wrestling to maximum effect, pulling off a last-second victory with a counter lift to stun three-time world medalist Otgonjargal DOLGORJAV (MGL) 9-7.

In arguably the biggest victory of her career, Pawar, the 2021 world U23 silver medalist, had given up a go-ahead takedown to Dolgorjav with 20 seconds left.

Hwang, who won a bronze medal as a member of the last DPR Korea team to appear at the Asian Championships in 2019, will go home with another after defeating Thi Xuan NGUYEN (VIE) 4-2 at 50kg.

Min ZHANG (CHN), the 2023 Asian U23 champion, denied Dulguun BOLORMAA (MGL) a fourth senior Asian medal when she notched an entertaining 15-5 victory at 55kg.

Zhang led by a modest 2-1 in the second period when she scored a takedown and two rolls to go up 8-1. Bolormaa caught Zhang with a 4-point headlock throw, but her inability to secure the fall was her undoing, as Zhang came back with a 4-point takedown and gut wrench to finish the technical fall at 5:26.

World silver medalist Delgermaa ENKHSAIKHAN (MGL) earned her fourth senior Asian medal -- still none gold -- when she edged Zelu LI (CHN) 2-1 for the other 68kg bronze, with all of the points coming on the activity clock.

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Day 3 Results

Women's Wrestling

50kg (13 entries)
GOLD: Yui SUSAKI (JPN) df. Ziqi FENG (CHN), 8-4

BRONZE: Yong Ok HWANG (PRK) df. Thi Xuan NGUYEN (VIE), 4-2
BRONZE: Shivani PAWAR (IND) df. Otgonjargal DOLGORJAV (MGL), 9-7

55kg (10 entries)
GOLD: Moe KIYOOKA (JPN) df. Kyong OH (PRK), 7-0

BRONZE: Min ZHANG (CHN) df. Dulguun BOLORMAA (MGL) by TF, 15-5, 5:22
BRONZE: Aruuke KADYRBEK KYZY (KGZ) df. Zulfiya YAKHYAROVA (KAZ), 5-3

59kg (8 entries)
GOLD: Qi ZHANG (CHN) df. Anudari BATKHUYAG (MGL) by TF, 10-0, :50

BRONZE: Risako KINJO (JPN) df. Dilfuza AIMBETOVA (UZB) by TF, 13-2, 2:54
BRONZE: Diana KAYUMOVA (KAZ) df. Pushpa YADAV (IND), 11-8

68kg (9 entries)
GOLD: Nonoka OZAKI (JPN) df. RADHIKA (IND) by TF, 15-2, 4:28

BRONZE: Delgermaa ENKHSAIKHAN (MGL) df. Zelu LI (CHN), 2-1
BRONZE: Gulnura TASHTANBEKOVA (KGZ) df. Albina KAIRGELDINOVA (KAZ) by Fall, 2:09 (7-2)

76kg (9 entries)
GOLD: Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ) df. Yuanyuan HUANG (CHN), 10-7

BRONZE: Elmira SYZDYKOVA (KAZ) df. PRIYA (IND) by Fall, 4:25 (2-4)
BRONZE: Hui Tsz CHANG (TPE) df. Yasuha MATSUYUKI (JPN), 8-6