#WrestleElJadida

African Championships preview: Oborududu chases record 11th title

Friday, May 13, 2022 - 16:57 By Vinay Siwach

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EL JADIDA, Morocco (May 13) -- Odunayo ADEKUOROYE (NGR) has spent around nine months off competition. A heartbreaking loss in Tokyo meant that she missed out on a medal at her second straight Games. But with African Championships and Commonwealth Games scheduled within three months, the World silver medalist is back for the continental tournament beginning next week in El Jadida.

As she is coming back after a break, the five-time African champion is jumping up to 59kg for the tournament. While she has nothing to prove at the competition, it will be a warm-up before she goes for her title defense at the Commonwealth Games in August.

Along with Adekuoroye, Nigeria will pin hopes on Blessing OBORUDUDU (NGR) to guide the country to defend their team title. The Tokyo Olympic silver medalist will be looking for her 11th straight African title.

Odunayo ADEKUOROYE (NGR)Odunayo ADEKUOROYE (NGR) will be eyeing her sixth African title. (Photo: UWW / Martin Gabor)

Oborududu, unlike her younger compatriot Adekuoroye, wrestled at the World Championships in Oslo after the Olympics but lost early. But she began the 2022 season with a gold medal at the Ranking Series in Istanbul in February.

That victory included a win over world champion Meerim ZHUMANAZAROVA (KGZ) in the final. Oborududu had defeated her in the quarterfinal of the Tokyo Games as well.

Nigeria has entered nine wrestlers out of ten weight classes as it has missed the 62kg. It may prove tricky as its biggest challenger Tunisia has entries in all 10 weight categories.

It will be a close battle between the two nations for the title as Tokyo Olympians Sarra HAMDI (TUN), Siwar BOUSETA (TUN), Zaineb SGHAIER (TUN) and Rio bronze medalist Marwa AMRI (TUN) are leading the charge for their country. Also in the mix is young star Khadija JLASSI (TUN) at 65kg.

Adekouroye and Bouseta will clash head-on at 59kg and that may prove to be crucial in deciding which country finishes at the top.

Samar HAMZA (EGY)Samar HAMZA (EGY) will be the favorite to win the 76kg weight class. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Usually, at continental championships, freestyle and Greco-Roman styles highlight the competition but that is not the case for African Championships.

Apart from Nigeria and Tunisia, Egypt will also be banking on making a good run at the tournament.

Its first-ever world medalist and defending champion Samar HAMZA (EGY) will be competing at 76kg and at her fifth continental championships. Ever since she began competing at the senior level in 2016, she is yet to lose a bout.

So when wrestling begins Saturday, all eyes will be on these stars who are chasing continental glory before the World Championships in Belgrade, Serbia in September.

Nicolaas DE LANGE (RSA)Nicolaas DE LANGE (RSA) will be making his senior African Championships debut. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

In freestyle and Greco-Roman, a few names stand out that fans need to follow.

Algeria is the favorite to defend their freestyle team title from 2020 and two-time African champion Abdelhak KHERBACHE (ALG) is jumping up to 61kg and will be looking for his third title and first at the new weight.

At 57kg, Tokyo Olympian Diamantino IUNA FAFE (GBS) will be eyeing his first African title after missing out on one in 2020 when he finished with a silver medal. His biggest challenge will be Salah KATEB (ALG) who is competing at the senior African Championships for the first time. He won the junior title in 2017.

Fateh BENFERDJALLAH (ALG) at 86kg will be a star attraction as the youngster chases his first gold at the tournament after missing out in 2020. The experience at the Tokyo Olympics will also be beneficial for him to negotiate the challenge of his opponents.

Junior world bronze medalist Nicolaas DE LANGE (RSA) will be the favorite to win the 97kg weight class but Abderrahmane BENACHA (ALG) will be a big name to overcome.

U23 world silver medalist from 2018 Youssif HEMIDA (EGY), who trains in the USA, will be the favorite to win the three-man 125kg bracket.

With Tokyo bronze medalist Mohamed EL SAYED (EGY) giving the tournament a miss, Egypt wrestler will have a challenging road if it wants to win the team title. The race may come down to Algeria and Tunisia as these two nations are the only ones with 10 wrestlers entered.

The U17 and U20 African Championships will also be held in El Jadida. The U17 tournament begins Tuesday, U20 begins Thursday and the senior will begin Saturday with women's and Greco-Roman. Freestyle will close out the tournament on Sunday.

Live action and highlights from all the three competitions will be on uww.org.

#UWWAwards

UWW Wrestlers of the Year: Tazhudinov, Tynybekova, Orta

Tuesday, December 19, 2023 - 13:11 By United World Wrestling Press

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CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (December 18) -- When the world was glued to their screens to watch a potential Kyle SNYDER (USA) vs Abdulrashid SADULAEV (AIN) semifinal at the World Championships in Belgrade. But Akhmed TAZHUDINOV (BRN) ruined those hopes by beating both Snyder and Sadulaev in back-to-back bouts.

For his scintillating run in 2023, a year in which the 20-year-old won gold at the World Championships, Asian Championships, Asian Games and a Ranking Series, Tazhudinov has been named the Freestyle Wrestler of the Year.

His incredible performances throughout the year also earned him 87,520 Ranking Series points helping him reach the number one rank at 97kg.

Having failed to medal at the Ibrahim Moustafa Ranking Series, Tazhudinov managed to change his fortunes with the Asian Championships, winning gold. He followed that up with a gold medal at the Bishkek Ranking Series.

Yet, Tazhudinov did not start as a favorite to win the world title. However, he was sure of winning the gold medal.

"On my way to Belgrade, I knew I could become the world champion," Tazhudinov said after winning the gold medal in Belgrade. "If I didn’t believe in myself, I wouldn’t have even come here."

With that confidence, he earned technical superiority wins over Rio bronze medalist Magomed IBRAGIMOV (UZB), Maxwell LACEY (CRC), and returning world champion Snyder. The semifinal against Sadulaev was seen as his big test as Tazhudinov, a student of Sadulaev School in Dagestan, was up against his mentor.

Sadulaev, a two-time Olympic champion, waned as the bout progressed and eventually pulled out due to injury. The final was no trouble for Tazhudinov as he pinned Magomedkhan MAGOMEDOV (AZE).

A week later, Tazhudinov traveled to Hangzhou, China and won the Asian Games gold medal at 97kg with a comfortable victory over Mojtaba GOLEIJ (IRI).

Greco-Roman Wrestler of the Year: Luis ORTA (CUB)

When Luis ORTA moved to 67kg at the start of the year, he handled two young stars Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE) and Danial SOHRABI (IRI) with ease at the Zagreb Open. But he fell to HUSIYUETU (CHN) in the semifinal. But he returned to the mat with a gold medal at the Pan-Am Championships. Looking to make his name in the new weight class, Orta traveled to Bishkek for the Ranking Series but Husiyuetu once again humbled him.

The World Championships in Belgrade was a big test for Orta, the Olympic champion at 60kg. In 2022, Orta missed a medal at the World Championships at 63kg. But with the Paris Olympics qualification on the line, a different Orta showed up.

After two victories via technical falls, Orta faced returning world champion and home favorite Mate NEMES (SRB). Orta would keep his nerves and eke out a 3-2 win. Slavik GLATSYAN (ARM) troubled him a little but Orta put him away 5-3. A final against Jafarov was never going to be easy but a defensive show managed to help Orta hang on for a 4-3 win and the title, his first.

"I already beat Jafrarov once, but all finals are different," Orta said after winning the title. "They can't be compared. We had a tough match. I think he was a very good opponent, and our fight was worthy of a final match for gold."

Orta was not done yet. His 2023 campaign had golds at the Pan-American Games, Central American and Caribbean Games, and the Henri Deglane tournament. His wins around the world helped Orta tally 86,400 points to emerge as the best Greco-Roman wrestler of the year.

Women's Wrestler of the Year: Aisuluu TYNYNBEKOVA (KGZ)

Every time people count out Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ), the Kyrgyzstan legend marks a thumping return. 2023 was Tynybekova's year as she orchestrated a stunning return to the top of the global stage, amassing an unparalleled 95,575 Ranking Series points after winning titles at the World Championships, Asian Championships, Hungarian and Egyptian Ranking Series events, while also closing out the season with an Asian Games bronze medal.

Tynybekova, 30, was denied world and Asian titles in 2022 by Nonoka OZAKI (JPN) but she avenged both her loss at the Asian Championships in Astana to win the 62kg gold.

Japan threw a new challenge at her in Sakura MOTOKI (JPN) at the World Championships but Tynybekova was up for it, beating Motoki 3-2 in the 62kg final to win her third world title.

The 2023 season also included a Ranking Series gold in Alexandria, a quick turnaround after losses at the Zagreb Ranking Series. Tynynbekova ended the season with a bronze medal at the Asian Games after losing to Ozaki.

Tynynbekova will be chasing history in Paris as she tries to become Kyrgyzstan's first Olympic champion after falling one win short in Tokyo. The silver medalist will have a strong to beat if she wants to win the top medal.