#WrestleAlmaty

Asian Championship (April 13-18) Entries

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

Rising Star Hendrickson Aims to Make Splash in Senior Worlds Debut

By Ken Marantz

ZAGREB, Croatia (September 12) -- Sitting on the opposite end of the dais from the reigning world champion, Wyatt HENDRICKSON (USA) expressed confidence that they will be meeting again soon, but in much closer quarters.

If all goes according to plan for both wrestlers, Hendrickson will face Amir Hossein ZARE (IRI) in the semifinals of freestyle 125kg when the World Championships get started on Saturday in Zagreb.

"This is my first senior-level World Championships and I'm very grateful for that," Hendrickson said at a press conference on Friday that was also attended by Zare. "But I also think that the opportunity presented itself because I have grown as a wrestler. I've risen to the level of my competition, and I'm ready to test myself against the best in the world."

It doesn't get much better than Zare when talk of the heavyweights comes up. The two-time Olympic medalist is gunning for his second straight world title and third overall, all still at the tender age of 24.

Hendrickson, also 24 (in fact, he is three days older than Zare), may lack the experience on the senior level, but in recent years, he has raised his game enough to join the handful of foes with the potential to knock of the great Zare.

The American said his aim is to "continue to not only just wrestle at the highest level, but prove I'm meant to be here. Wrestling is something I've been doing since I was 5 years old and all that wrestling has brought me to be here today in Zagreb."

After placing fifth at the 2021 world juniors (U20), Hendrickson struck gold at the world U23 in 2023. In May this year, he capped his senior-level debut with a victory at the Pan-Am Championships.

But his most impressive triumph, and one that made the world take notice, came in a different format of the sport. In March, he stunned Tokyo Olympic champion Gable STEVESON (USA) in the final of the NCAA Championships, denying him a third title and ending his 70-match winning streak.

Even Zare said he was aware of the upset. "I would like to congratulate you for the win over Gable, he's one of the best in this weight category," Zare said. "Some of the seconds of your match are in my mind, I remember that. But originally, I don't have too much information about this American wrestler."

Hendrickson acknowledges he has been cultivated in the American folkstyle. But he feels confident of the transition he has made to freestyle.

"I've been training to wrestle foreign styles," he said. "The majority of my wrestling has been in [American] folkstyle. But the transition I've been able to make the past couple of months has shown that I'm prepared for this. I'm ready to wrestle the best in the world."

Helping in Hendrickson's preparations has been one of the sport's legends. Hendrickson originally attended and competed collegiately at the Air Force Academy, but transferred last year to Oklahoma State, where he came under the wing of former Olympic and three-time world champion David TAYLOR (USA).

Hendrickson is one of three USA wrestlers who are members of the Cowboy RTC, the wrestling club affiliated with Oklahoma State. (Five others will be wrestling in Zagreb with three of them for other nations.)

"Coach David Taylor is very, very excited to be coaching and share with us the knowledge he has learned in the great sport of wrestling," Hendrickson said. "The knowledge that he has been able to bring to me, it's just day and night. I never understood some parts of wrestling and he filled in all of the gaps. Where I maybe have fallen short in the past at some of these tournaments, those gaps are now filled. And I just have nothing but confidence."

The draw for the freestyle weight classes came out a short time before the press conference, and Hendrickson was asked about a possible clash with Zare in the semifinals.

"I love it," he said. "Zare is an excellent wrestler. But -- I don't want to brag on myself -- but I'm also a pretty great wrestler. That's most likely the match we're going to see tomorrow evening."

Hendrickson, however, is not one to get ahead of himself, and contends that he does not concern himself with such details as his opponents in the draw. Nor does he have a certain foe whom he particularly looks forward to facing.

"I'm excited to go through every single person in this bracket," he said. "Obviously there's no one specific because I don't care what my placement is in the bracket. That's not what I look at.

"What I look at is the next opponent ahead of me. One match at a time, one point at a time, one second at a time on the wrestling mat. I'm prepared, I'm ready and tomorrow I'm going to make a splash at the World Championships."

Zare, who has taken over the leadership mantle of the Iranian team in the absence of injured star Hassan YAZDANI (IRI), has competed just once this year, winning the Tirana Ranking Series title in February.

"I have done my best during the last 13 months to be prepared and I am focused on my goal, which is to be champion of this competition," Zare said.

And should Hendrickson or any of the other top competitors, such as European champion Giorgi MESHVILDISHVILI (AZE) or two-time world medalist Lkhagvagerel MUNKHTUR (MGL), make things difficult, then all the better.

"Finally, I want to say that when the competition is tough, it's going to be more joyful for everyone," Zare said.