Asian Championship (April 13-18) Entries

Saturday, April 10, 2021 - 13:13 By Eric Olanowski

ALMATY, Kazakhstan (April 10) -- After the Asian OG Qualifiers wrap up, there will be a short two-day pause in action before wrestling resumes in Almaty for the '21 Asian Championships. The focus for the 315 wrestlers from 23 different nations switches from earning Tokyo Olympic berths to claiming continental gold.

The five-day competition starts with Greco-Roman action on April 13. Women's wrestling takes center stage on Thursday while freestyle action closes out the tournament beginning on Friday.

57kg
Kumar RAVI (IND)
Alireza Nosratolah SARLAK (IRI)
Ahmed Jawad Kadhim AL ZAIDAWI (IRQ)
Yuto TAKESHITA (JPN)
Daulet TEMIRZHANOV (KAZ)
Almaz SMANBEKOV (KGZ)
Hyeonsik SONG (KOR)
Zanabazar ZANDANBUD (MGL)
Muhammad BILAL (PAK)
Ali M M ABURUMAILA (PLE)
Hikmatullo VOHIDOV (TJK)
Rozgeldi SEYIDOV (TKM)
Nodirjon SAFAROV (UZB)

61kg
Alibeg ALIBEGOV (BRN)
Minghu LIU (CHN)
Ravinder RAVINDER (IND)
Majid Almas DASTAN (IRI)
Shaheed Hussni Khalid ALKHALIFA (IRQ)
Shoya SHIMAE (JPN)
Adlan ASKAROV (KAZ)
Ikromzhon KHADZHIMURODOV (KGZ)
Sunggwon KIM (KOR)
Nemekhbayar BATSAIKHAN (MGL)
Muhamad IKROMOV (TJK)
Jahongirmirza TUROBOV (UZB)

65kg
Bajrang BAJRANG (IND)
Morteza Hassanali GHIASI CHEKA (IRI)
Mohammed Al Jawad Zuhair K KAREEM (IRQ)|
Takuto OTOGURO (JPN)
Daulet NIYAZBEKOV (KAZ)
Alibek OSMONOV (KGZ)
Yongseok JEONG (KOR)
Junsik YUN (KOR)
Bilguun SARMANDAKH (MGL)
Chamara Milinda Perera WEERASINGHEGE (SRI)
Mustafo AKHMEDOV (TJK)
Kerim HOJAKOV (TKM)
Nodir RAKHIMOV (UZB)

70kg
Hasibagena HASIBAGENA(CHN)
Karan KARAN(IND)
Amirhossein Ali HOSSEINI(IRI)
Karam Shakir Mhmood MAHMOOD(IRQ)
Jintaro MOTOYAMA(JPN)
Syrbaz TALGAT(KAZ)
Islambek OROZBEKOV(KGZ)
Seungbong LEE(KOR)
Mohammed J M Th A ABDULKAREEM(KUW)
Temuulen ENKHTUYA(MGL)
Saidasan ASHRAFKHONOV(TJK)
Perman HOMMADOV(TKM)
Sirojiddin KHASANOV(UZB)

74kg
Menghejigan MENGHEJIGAN (CHN)
Sandeep Singh MANN (IND)
Mostafa Mohabbali HOSSEINKHANI (IRI)
Dawood Salman Jasim AL DULAIMI (IRQ)
Keisuke OTOGURO (JPN)
Nurkozha KAIPANOV (KAZ)|
Arsalan BUDAZHAPOV (KGZ)
Seungchul LEE (KOR)
Sumiyabazar ZANDANBUD (MGL)
Abdullrahman Ibrahim A IBRAHIM (QAT)
Hong Yeow LOU (SGP)
Madushanka Lakmal Wijesooriya WIJESOORIYA MUDIYANSELAGE (SRI)
Gulomdzhon SHARIPOV (TJK)
Alymuhammet OVEZMYRADOV (TKM)
Atamyrat CHARLYYEV (TKM)
Ikhtiyor NAVRUZOV (UZB)

79kg
Narsingh Pancham YADAV (IND)
Ali Bakhtiar SAVADKOUHI (IRI)
Ahmed Mohsin Kadhim AL GBURI (IRQ)
Ryuki YOSHIDA (JPN)
Galymzhan USSERBAYEV (KAZ)
Saiakbai USUPOV (KGZ)
Byungmin GONG (KOR)
Batzul DAMJIN (MGL)
Gurbanmyrat OVEZBERDIYEV (TKM)
Bobur ISLOMOV (UZB)

86kg
Vuthy HENG (CAM)
Zushen LIN (CHN)
Deepak PUNIA (IND)
Hassan Aliazam YAZDANICHARATI (IRI)
Mustafa Abdulbasit Abd U AL OBAIDI (IRQ)
Hayato ISHIGURO (JPN)
Yeskali DAULETKAZY (KAZ)
Mirlan CHYNYBEKOV (KGZ)
Gwanuk KIM (KOR)
Abdullah F A SALEEM (KUW)
Domenic Michael ABOU NADER (LBN)
Unurbat PUREVJAV (MGL)
Bakhodur KODIROV (TJK)
Dovletmyrat ORAZGYLYJOV (TKM)
Isa SHAPIEV (UZB)

92kg
Sanjeet SANJEET (IND)
Kamran Ghorban GHASEMPOUR (IRI)
Anmar Hamid Hilal ALQAISI (IRQ)
Ryoichi YAMANAKA (JPN)
Elkhan ASSADOV (KAZ)
Chyngyz KERIMKULOV (KGZ)
Hyeokbeom GWON (KOR)
Tsogtgerel MUNKHBAATAR (MGL)
Azat GAJYYEV (TKM)
Rustam SHODIEV (UZB)

97kg
Satywart KADIAN (IND)
Ali Khalil SHABANIBENGAR (IRI)|
Takashi ISHIGURO (JPN)
Alisher YERGALI (KAZ)
Arslanbek TURDUBEKOV (KGZ)
Minwon SEO (KOR)
Jongku LEE (KOR)
Khalid A S ALSHAMMARI (KUW)
Altangerel CHINBAT (MGL)
Muhammad INAM (PAK)
Zyyamuhammet SAPAROV (TKM)
Mukhammadrasul RAKHIMOV (UZB)

125kg
Sumit SUMIT (IND)
Amir Hossein Abbas ZARE (IRI)
Taiki YAMAMOTO (JPN)
Oleg BOLTIN (KAZ)|
Aiaal LAZAREV (KGZ)
Donghwan KIM (KOR)
Khuderbulga DORJKHAND (MGL)
Haroon ABID (PAK)
Omar Ihab SAREM (SYR)
Rustam ISKANDARI (TJK)
Shatlyk HEMELYAYEV (TKM)
Amirjon NUTFULLAEV (UZB)

Defending continental champion Elmurat TASMURADOV (UZB) will compete at 63kg. He's looking to win a sixth Asian title. (Photo: Kadir Caliskan)

Greco-Roman

50kg
Sandeep SANDEEP (IND)
Poya Soulat DAD MARZ (IRI)
Sajjad Ali Muksr ALBIDHAN (IRQ)
Yu SHIOTANI (JPN)
Khorlan ZHAKANSHA (KAZ)
Zhanserik SARSENBIYEV (KAZ)
Nurmukhammet ABDULLAEV (KGZ)
Jinhyeok KIM (KOR)
Davaabandi MUNKH ERDENE (MGL)
Aslamdzhon AZIZOV (TJK)
Ilkhom BAKHROMOV (UZB)

60kg
Gyanender GYANENDER (IND)
Mehdi Seifollah MOHSEN NEJAD (IRI)
Karrar Abbas Mukasr ALBEEDHAN (IRQ)
Ayata SUZUKI (JPN)
Mirambek AINAGULOV (KAZ)
Aidos SULTANGALI (KAZ)|
Kuttubek ABDYKERIM UULU (KGZ)
Seunghak KIM (KOR)
Mhdasad Aldein ALOSTA (SYR)
Firuz MIRZORAJABOV (TJK)
Merdan ALLAYAROV (TKM)
Islomjon BAKHRAMOV (UZB)

63kg
Sailike WALIHAN (CHN)
Neeraj NEERAJ (IND)
Meysam Karamali DALKHANI (IRI)
Mohammed Abbas Shyaa AL SAEDI (IRQ)
Kensuke SHIMIZU (JPN)
Sultan ASSETULY (KAZ)
Urmatbek AMATOV(KGZ)
Hanjae CHUNG (KOR)
Mohammad F Kh M J ALAJMI (KUW)
Muhamad FWAZ (SYR)
Jui Chi HUANG (TPE)
Elmurat TASMURADOV (UZB)

67kg
Qiye TIAN (CHN)
Ashu ASHU (IND)
Hossein Nasrollah ASSADI KOLMATI (IRI)
Waael Jasim Abed ALAAJAMI (IRQ)
Tsuchika SHIMOYAMADA (JPN)
Nurbek KYZYROV (KAZ)
Almat KEBISPAYEV (KAZ)
Meiirzhan SHERMAKHANBET (KAZ)
Amantur ISMAILOV (KGZ)
Dohyeong KIM (KOR)
Abdwlkarim Mohammad ALHASAN (SYR)
Sheroz OCHILOV (TJK)
Azatjan ACHILOV (TKM)
Mirzobek RAKHMATOV (UZB)

72kg
Kuldeep MALIK (IND)
Amin Yavar KAVIYANINEJAD (IRI)
Taha Yaseen Dhahir AL SALIHI (IRQ)
Taishi HORIE (JPN)
Azat SADYKOV (KAZ)
Ruslan TSAREV (KGZ)
Hansu RYU (KOR)
Muslihiddin UROQOV (TJK)
Makhmud BAKHSHILLOEV (UZB)

77kg
Singh GURPREET (IND)
Pejman Soltanmorad POSHTAM (IRI)|
Hussein Ali Muksr ALBIDHAN (IRQ)
Kodai SAKURABA (JPN)
Askhat DILMUKHAMEDOV (KAZ)
Tamerlan SHADUKAYEV (KAZ)
Demeu ZHADRAYEV (KAZ)
Kairatbek TUGOLBAEV (KGZ)
Yeonghun NOH (KOR)
Rabie K. A. KHALIL (PLE)
Bakhit Sharif K BADR (QAT)
Daler REZA ZADE (TJK)
Muhammetberdi MAMEDOV (TKM)
Bilan NALGIEV (UZB)

82kg
Singh HARPREET (IND)
Mahdi Asgar EBRAHIMI (IRI)
Satoki MUKAI (JPN)|
Miras BARSHYLYKOV (KAZ)
Yevgeniy POLIVADOV (KAZ)
Kalidin ASYKEEV (KGZ)
Hyeonwoo KIM (KOR)
Mohammad A H ALSAYEGH (KUW)
Jalgasbay BERDIMURATOV (UZB)

87kg
Fei PENG (CHN)
Kumar SUNIL (IND)
Naser Ghasem ALIZADEH (IRI)
Abbas Shaalan Abdulkadhim AL TAMEEMI (IRQ)
Soh SAKABE (JPN)
Nursultan TURSYNOV (KAZ)
Azamat KUSTUBAYEV (KAZ)
Atabek AZISBEKOV (KGZ)|
Seunghwan LEE (KOR)
Tokhirdzhon OKHONOV (TJK)
Shageldi ANNAYEV (TKM)
Rustam ASSAKALOV (UZB)

97kg
Ravi RAVI (IND)
Mehdi Mohammad BALIHAMZEHDEH (IRI)
Ali Majeed Hameed AL KAABI (IRQ)
Masayuki AMANO (JPN)
Olzhas SYRLYBAY (KAZ)
Yerulan ISKAKOV (KAZ)
Beksultan Makhamadzhanovich MAKHMUDOV (KGZ)
Seungjun KIM (KOR)
Seyeol LEE (KOR)
Amirjon JURAEV (TJK)
Ergali AYKHIMBAEV (UZB)

130kg
Lingzhe MENG (CHN)
Naveen NAVEEN (IND)
Aliakbar Hossein YOUSOFIAHMADCHALI (IRI)
Ahmed Shaalan Abdulkadhim AL TAMEEMI (IRQ)
Sota OKUMURA (JPN)
Mansur SHADUKAYEV (KAZ)
Alimkhan SYZDYKOV (KAZ)
Nurmakhan TINALIYEV (KAZ)
Murat RAMONOV (KGZ)
Minjoon KIM (KOR)
Minseok KIM (KOR)
Sukhrob FATTOEV (UZB)

Vinesh VINESH (IND), a '19 world bronze medalist and Tokyo Olympian, will compete at 53kg. (Photo: Kadir Caliskan)

Women's Wrestling
50kg
Samnang DIT (CAM)
Seema SEEMA (IND)
Valentina Ivanovna ISLAMOVA BRIK (KAZ)
Ayazhan MARKASHEVA (KAZ)
YeoJin KIM (KOR)
Miran CHEON (KOR)
Anudari NANDINTSETSEG (MGL)
Yung Hsun LIN (TPE)
Jasmina IMMAEVA (UZB)

53kg
Vinesh VINESH (IND)
Assylzat SAGYMBAY (KAZ)
Tatyana AKHMETOVA AMANZHOL (KAZ)
Hyunyoung OH (KOR)
Otgonjargal GANBAATAR (MGL)
Meng Hsuan HSIEH (TPE)
Shakhnozakhon MAKHMUDOVA (UZB)

55kg
Pinki PINKI (IND)
Aisha UALISHAN (KAZ)
Nilufar RAIMOVA (KAZ)
Hyungjoo KIM (KOR)
Dulguun MUNKHBOLD BOLORMAA (MGL)
Madina USMONJONOVA (UZB)

57kg
Anshu ANSHU (IND)
Altynay SATYLGAN (KAZ)
Emma TISSINA (KAZ)
Nazira MARSBEK KYZY (KGZ)
Shinhye LEE (KOR)
Battsetseg ALTANTSETSEG (MGL)
Danielle Sue Ching LIM (SGP)
Sevara ESHMURATOVA (UZB)

59kg
Sarita SARITA (IND)
Diana KAYUMOVA (KAZ)
Nuraida ANARKULOVA (KGZ)
Jieun UM (KOR)
Shoovdor BAATARJAV (MGL)
Dilfuza AIMBETOVA (UZB)

62kg
Sonam SONAM (IND)
Irina KUZNETSOVA (KAZ)
Ayaulym KASSYMOVA (KAZ)
Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ)
Youngjin KWON (KOR)
Bolortuya KHURELKHUU (MGL)
Deepika WEERABAHU (SRI)
Rushana ABDIRASULOVA (UZB)

65kg
Jia LONG (CHN)
Sakshi MALIK (IND)
Aina TEMIRTASSOVA (KAZ)
Gaukhar MUKATAY (KAZ)
Hanbit LEE (KOR)
Bolortungalag ZORIGT (MGL)
Hsin Ping PAI (TPE)
Ariukhan JUMABAEVA (UZB)

68kg
Feng ZHOU (CHN)
Nisha NISHA (IND)
Irina KAZYULINA (KAZ)
Anastassiya PANASSOVICH (KAZ)
Meerim ZHUMANAZAROVA (KGZ)
Eun Sun JEONG (KOR)
Hyeonyeong PARK (KOR)
Delgermaa ENKHSAIKHAN (MGL)
Azoda ESBERGENOVA (UZB)

72kg
Divya KAKRAN (IND)
Alexandra ZAITSEVA (KAZ)
Valeriya GONCHAROVA (KAZ)
Zhamila BAKBERGENOVA (KAZ)
Sujin PARK (KOR)
Tsevegmed ENKHBAYAR (MGL)

76kg
Pooja POOJA (IND)
Elmira SYZDYKOVA (KAZ)
Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ)
Seoyeon JEONG (KOR)
Zagardulam NAIGALSUREN (MGL)
Ozoda ZARIPBOEVA (UZB)

#WrestleZagreb

Kusaka earns shot at world title; Iran puts 3 in final

Thursday, September 18, 2025 - 15:57 By Vinay Siwach

ZAGREB, Croatia (September 18) -- Olympic champion Nao KUSAKA (JPN) is a step away from winning his first world title.

After finishing with a bronze medal at the 2023 World Championships at 77kg, Kusaka went on to win the 2024 Paris Olympic Games at the same weight. The Olympic champion now wants the tag of world champion.

Returning for the first time since Paris, Kusaka wrestled like is the Olympic champion, beating Robert FRITSCH (HUN), 3-1, in the semifinals. He scored a takedown to open the scoring before getting the par terre advantage. He failed to score but led 3-0. Fritsch was in danger of giving up a four-pointer but he flung Kusaka on counter for a point to make it 3-1.

There was no action in the second period and Kusaka defended his lead till the time expired to earn his first trip to the finals at a World Championships.

"Like at the Olympics, you can't predict what will happen. But a year after the Olympics, I want to show my strength to the world again," Yoshida said after the win. " I always worked out with him, so we know each other well. But to me, it didn't matter if he had a strategy or not."

Earlier in the quarterfinals, he defeated Olympic silver medalist Demeu ZHADRAYEV (KAZ), 4-2, in a rematch of the Olympic final. Kusaka had to come back as he was down 2-2 on criteria as Zhadrayev launched a counter throw for two points. But Kusaka added two stepouts in the second period to win 4-2.

He will now face Olympic bronze medalist Malkhas AMOYAN (ARM) for the gold medal after the Armenian defeated world U20 champion Alireza ABDEVALI (IRI) in a one-move semifinal.

Amoyan got the first chance in par terre and he loaded for a suplex on the edge. Abdevali was ready to land on his hands but Amoyan changed his throw and slammed the Iranian in a reverse throw for four and lead 5-0.

Abdevali failed to score from par terre in the second period and dropped the semifinal 5-1 against Amoyan.

Despite Abdevali's loss, Iran managed three other wrestlers in the finals with world champion Amin MIRZAZADEH (IRI) leading the way. Two World Championships debutants, Payam AHMADI (IRI) and Gholamreza FAROKHI (IRI) reached the finals at 55kg and 82kg, respectively.

At 130kg, world champion Mirzazadeh had no trouble reaching the final after he defeated Wenhao JIANG (CHN), 3-1, in the semifinals. He got a roll from par terre for two points and despite par terre position in the second period, he won 3-1.

He will face a surprise finalist Darius VITEK (HUN) who denied Pavel HLINCHUK (UWW), 1-1, as he got the criteria for the first point in a 1-1 finish.

Farokhi, who won the Zagreb Open this year, powered his way to the 82kg final after denying local star Karlo KODRIC (CRO), 7-1, in the semifinals. Farokhi led 3-1 at the break after a takedown. He scored another as soon as the second period began before adding two stepouts to win.

He will face Gela BOLKVADZE (GEO) for the gold medal after the Georgian denied Taizo YOSHIDA (JPN) yet another comeback as he had all day on Thursday. Yoshida began with two stepouts before getting the par terre. He failed to score any points but led 3-0 at the break.

It was all Bolkvadze in the second period as he scored three turns from par terre to take a 7-3 lead. Japan challenged the last turn saying that Yoshida's head was out of bounds before last turn. However, the review showed that it was inside and Bolkvadze got a point for the lost challenge to make it 8-3 with 1:10 remaining.

Yoshida used an arm drag to takedown and make it 8-5 but he did not have any another action and Georgia got its second finalist of the night.

Ahmadi upsets Azizli

Iran's gamble to switch Pouya DAD MARZ (IRI) with world U20 champion Payam AHMADI (IRI) a week before the World Championships paid off as he denied four-time world champion Eldaniz AZIZLI (AZE) a record fifth at 55kg.

Ahmadi was subjected to a selection bout against Dad Marz in Iran and he defeated the former world silver medalist with ease thus earning a trip to Zagreb a month after winning the gold at the U20 World Championships.

In the semifinals, Ahmadi got a takedown to put Azizli on the backfoot. He was awarded the par terre position as well but failed to score. However, he led 3-0 at the break. Azizli got his chance in the second period but Ahmadi brought out his top defense to not give up any points and keep his 3-1 lead, a score he went on to win with.

He will face another teenager for the gold medal, Vakhtang LOLUA (GEO), who defeated Emin CAKIR (TUR), 2-2, on last point criteria to earn a spot in the final.

Lolua, just 18 years of age, won a bronze medal at 55kg at the U20 World Championships in which Ahmadi was the champion. Lolua and Cakir traded passivity points with the latter holding first-point criteria. Lolua got a third passivity which is without points and only position, but he failed to score from that as well. Georgia challenged for a leg-foul but there was none.

Cakir got a point for lost challenge from Georgia which made it 2-1 with 40 seconds left. However, Lolua got a stepout soon after and got the 2-2 criteria for the last point scored to win.

RESULTS

55kg
GOLD: Payam AHMADI (IRI) vs. Vakhtang LOLUA (GEO)

SF 1: Payam AHMADI (IRI) df. Eldaniz AZIZLI (AZE), 3-1
SF 2: Vakhtang LOLUA (GEO) df. Emin CAKIR (TUR), 2-2

77kg
GOLD: Nao KUSAKA (JPN) vs. Malkhas AMOYAN (ARM)

SF 1: Nao KUSAKA (JPN) df. Robert FRITSCH (HUN), 3-1
SF 2: Malkhas AMOYAN (ARM) df. Alireza ABDEVALI (IRI), 5-1

82kg
GOLD: Gholamreza FAROKHI (IRI) vs. Gela BOLKVADZE (GEO)

BRONZE: Gela BOLKVADZE (GEO) df. Taizo YOSHIDA (JPN), 8-5
BRONZE: Gholamreza FAROKHI (IRI) df. Karlo KODRIC (CRO), 7-1

130kg
GOLD: Amin MIRZAZADEH (IRI) vs. Darius VITEK (HUN)

SF 1: Amin MIRZAZADEH (IRI) df. Wenhao JIANG (CHN), 3-1
SF 2: Darius VITEK (HUN) df. Pavel HLINCHUK (UWW), 1-1

Asian Championship (April 13-18) Entries

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Kusaka earns shot at world title; Iran puts 3 in final