#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.

#WrestleAstana

Asian Championships, Greco-Roman Day 2 finals set

Monday, April 10, 2023 - 04:58 By Ken Marantz & Vinay Siwach

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ASTANA, Kazakhstan (April 10) -- Iran annihilated the field on day one of the Asian Championships, winning four out of the five gold medals. The only one it failed, went to world champion Akzhol MAKHMUDOV (KGZ) after Amin KAVININEJAD (IRI) forfeited due to injury. Can they add more gold medals today, day two of the continental championships?

MATCH ORDER | WATCH LIVE

The finals for the second day are set.

60kg - Zholaman SHARSHENBEKOV (KGZ) vs. Hanjae CHUNG (KOR)
67kg - Kyotaro SOGABE (JPN) vs. Abror ATABAEV (UZB)
72kg - Ibragim MAGOMADOV (KAZ) Sajjad IMENTALABFOUMANI (IRI)
82kg - Dias KALEN (KAZ) vs. Akylbek TALANTBEKOV (KGZ)
97kg - U. DZHUZUPBEKOV (KGZ) vs. Mehdi BALIHAMZEHDEH (IRI

14:33:  Mehdi BALIHAMZEHDEH (IRI) will get a shot at defending his 97kg title and add to the Iranian gold haul after posting a 7-1 semifinal victory over Yiming LI (CHN). Balihamzehdeh jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the first period with a pair of gut wrenches from par terre.

14:31: U. DZHUZUPBEKOV (KGZ) is into the final at 97kg! He gets a big win over Narinder CHEEMA (IND). A par terre position and then a takedown outside the zone. A second passivity against Cheema and Dzhuzupbekov throw Cheema for four! He wins 9-0

14:20: Dias KALEN (KAZ) puts another home wrestler in the final. He never looked in any trouble to see off Yuya MAETA (JPN) 7-1 in the 82kg semifinal.

14:18: And another Iranian bites the dust. Asian U23 champion Akylbek TALANTBEKOV (KGZ) jumps out to a 6-0 lead with a takedown and big throw against Alireza MOHMADIPIANI in their 82kg semifinal. Talantbekov then gets a takedown that Iran challenges for a head outside the ring, but it is turned down for a 9-0 win. Taletbekov celebrates the triumph with a victory backflip. 

14:05: How do you finish a semifinal? Sajjad IMENTALABFOUMANI (IRI) just reversed threw Jian TAN (CHN) for a five to win 9-0 at 72kg. Monster throw that.

14:01: Asian U23 champion Abror ATABAEV (UZ) booked his place in the 67kg final with a 10-2 technical fall over veteran Almat KEBISPAYEV (KAZ). Trailing 5-2, Kebispayev attempted a front headlock from standing, but Atabaev stopped it with a bear hug that put Kebispayev straight onto his back for 4. Kazakhstan challenged the call, but lost, giving Atabaev his 10th point and ending the match. 

13:53: Kyotaro SOGABE (JPN) with two rolls from par terre against Reza ABBASI (IRI) in the second period. He led 5-1 and though Abbasi tried coming back, there was no way as Sogabe makes it to the final at 67kg.

13:45: World champion Zholaman SHARSHENBEKOV (KGZ) will get a shot at a second straight Asian title after defeating Zagreb Open bronze medalist Maito KAWANA (JPN) 4-0 in the semifinals at 60kg. Sharshenbekov got a passivity point in each period and also scored with a stepout and a penalty point for fleeing. 

13:45: Yernur FIDAKHMETOV (KAZ) gets a big throw from par terre and leads Hanjae CHUNG (KOR) 5-2 at the break. But Chung goes big in the second period and scores a four! He leads 6-5 with Fidakhmetov trying hard to get to Chung. Nothing works for him and Chung is into the final at 60kg. This also means that Mehdi MOHSEN NEJAD (IRI) will be returning without a medal.

13:10: The semifinals for the day are set. A short break before we head straight into semis

60kg
Yernur FIDAKHMETOV (KAZ) vs Hanjae CHUNG (KOR)
Zholaman SHARSHENBEKOV (KGZ) vs. Maito KAWANA (JPN)

67kg
Abror ATABAEV (UZB) vs. Almat KEBISPAYEV (KAZ)
Kyotaro SOGABE (JPN) vs. Reza Mahdi ABBASI (IRI)

72kg
Ibragim MAGOMADOV (KAZ) vs. Ali AL ABBOODAH (IRQ)
Sajjad IMENTALABFOUMANI (IRI) vs. Jian TAN (CHN)

82kg
Akylbek TALANTBEKOV (KGZ) vs. Alireza MOHMADIPIANI (IRI)
Dias KALEN (KAZ) vs. Yuya MAETA (JPN)

97kg
Mehdi BALIHAMZEHDEH (IRI) vs. Yiming LI (CHN)
U. DZHUZUPBEKOV (KGZ) vs. Narinder CHEEMA (IND)

13:10: After winning a third Asian bronze last year, Uzur DZHUZUPBEKOV (KGZ) kept up his bid for a higher place on the podium when he scraped out a 3-1 victory over Olzhas SYRLYBAY (KAZ) to advance to the 97kg semifinals.

13:01: Defending champion Mehdi BALIHAMZEHDEH (IRI) fell behind against unheralded Yuta NARA (JPN), but a takedown and gut wrench put him on the path to a 7-5 victory and into the semifinals at 97kg. Nara got a gut wrench from par terre in the first period and nearly put the Iranian onto his back. It was a gutsy performance from Nara, who had never finished higher than seventh in three previous trips to the Asian Championships.

12:40: The Iranian juggernaut finally hits a bump, as Yernur FIDAKHMETOV (KAZ) rallies for a 4-3 victory over Mehdi MOHSEN NEJAD (IRI) in the quarterfinals at 60kg. Mohsen Nejad appeared to go ahead late in the match, but a challenge for using his leg wiped out his points. Fidakhmetov was a bronze medalist a year ago in Mongolia, while Mohsen Nejad won the silver. 

12:31: Sajjad IMENTALABFOUMANI (IRI) begins his bid to join the Iranian gold rush, getting the big throw in a 6-1 win over VIKAS (IND) in the quarterfinals at 72kg. 

12:25: Kyotaro SOGABE (JPN) gets a 4-point throw in the first period and advances to the 67kg semifinals with a 5-0 victory over HUSIYEUETU (CHN), the winner of the Zagreb Open Ranking Series in February.

12:16: Top-seed Ibragim MAGOMADOV (KAZ), the silver medalist in 2020, is into the semifinals at 72kg with a 5-1 win over 2022 bronze medalist Adilkhan NURLANBEKOV (KGZ).

12:05: Abror ABTAEV (UZB) unleashes his powers. He sends Firuz MIRZORADZHABOV (TJK) twice and wins 10-1 at 67kg. Top-class throws from the former U17 world champion

12:04: Veteran Almat KEBISPAYEV (KAZ), a two-time former champion and six-time medalist dating back to 2009, survives a qualification round scare from Hong Yu CHEN (TPE), holding on for a 7-5 victory.

12:00: Hanjae CHUNG (KOR) gets to a beautiful throw twice against Aslamdzhon AZIZOV (TJK) but both times Azizov placed one of his legs on the mat before the throw. The throws were scored two points once and four points the second time. A gut wrench gives Chung a 9-0 win but Azizov challenges. No change in the decision and Chung wins 10-0.

11:52: World U23 bronze medalist Kyotaro SOGABE (JPN) starts his campaign at 67kg with a victory by fall over Razzak BEISHEKEEV (KGZ). Kogabe got a takedown and gut wrench for a four-point, then took Beishekeev down directly to his back.

11:32: Welcome again from Astana and the second day of the Asian Championships. Today, we will finish up the competition in Greco-Roman with the remaining five weight classes, 60kg, 67kg, 72kg, 82kg and 97kg. Among those taking the mat are defending champions Zholaman SHARSHENBEKOV (KGZ) at 60kg and Mehdi BALIHAMZEHDEH (IRI) at 97kg.