Asian Championships day one finals set

Sunday, April 9, 2023 - 05:33 By Ken Marantz & Vinay Siwach

ASTANA, Kazakhstan (April 9) -- The Asian Championships are underway in Astana. Greco-Roman will kick off the continental championships with five weight classes. The tournament has same-day finals.

WATCH LIVE | MATCH ORDER

The finals are set. Like always, Greco-Roman threw some stunning bout. Here are the pairs

55kg - RUPIN (IND) vs. Poya DAD MARZ (IRI)
63kg - Iman Hossein Khoon MOHAMMADI (IRI) vs. Shermukhammad SHARIBJANOV (UZB) 77kg - Akzhol MAKHMUDOV (KGZ) vs. Amin KAVIYANINEJAD (IRI)
87kg - Naser Ghasem ALIZADEH (IRI) vs. Nursultan TURSYNOV (KAZ)
130kg - Amin MIRZAZADEH (IRI) vs. Lingzhe MENG (CHN)

14:26: In the final semifinal match, Alikhan SYZDYKOV (KAZ) ran out of gas and lost his chance to defend his title after losing with three cautions to Zagreb Open bronze medalist Lingzhe MENG (CHN). Syzydkov was leading 3-0 in the second period when he had no energy to withstand Meng, who would have won anyway by technical fall as the score was 11-3 after Syzdykov received his third caution for fleeing during a stepout.

14:25: Amin MIRZAZADEH (IRI) with a par terre to gut wrench and wins his 130kg semifinal against Temurbek NASIMOV (UZB) 9-0.

14:15: Nursultan TURSYNOV (KAZ) has got the home crowd excited. He sends A. AZISBEKOV (KGZ) to two big throws and wins his 87kg semifinal 11-0. He will wrestle Naser ALIZADEH (IRI) for the gold.

14:12: The 7-point lead that Naser ALIZADEH (IRI) built up in the first period provided more than the cushion he needed when he gave up a second-period takedown to Sunil KUMAR (IND), and the 7-2 win gives him the chance a winning a second straight 87kg title. Kumar will have a chance for a second straight bronze.

14:04: World champion Akzhol MAKHMUDOV (KGZ) proved too much for Kodai SAKURABA (JPN), storming to a 9-1 technical fall in 2:41 to give him a shot at a third senior Asian title. Sakuraba will be wrestling for a second straight bronze.

14:01: Demeu ZHADRAYEV (KAZ) led 1-0 at the break after the forced par terre position before Amin KAVIYANINEJAD (IRI) got the lead 1-1 for his par terre. He managed to roll Zhadrayev and lead 3-1. Kaviyaninejad was called for passivity but did not give up any points. He wins 3-1 to reach the final.

13:58: Shermukhammad SHARIBJANOV (UZB), the Asian U23 champion, will have a shot at the senior title after coming back with a dramatic victory by fall over Mukhamedali MAMURBEK (KAZ) in the other 63kg semifinal. Mamurbek had taken a 5-2 lead before Sharibjanov stormed back.

13:52: No surprises there as Iman Hossein Khoon MOHAMMADI (IRI) rolls Jinseub SONG (KOR) to a 9-0 win. He uses his gut wrench from par terre to reach the final at 63kg.

13:43: In a replay of the final at the Ranking Series Zagreb Open in February, Poya DAD MARZ (IRI) dispatched Ikhtiyor BOTIROV (UZ) 8-1 to advance to the 55kg final, assuring that he will improve on his bronze medal from 2021.

13:40: RUPIN (IND) into the final at 55kg. He gets a gut wrench from par terre and then defends his par terre position to beat Haifeng ZHANG (CHN) 3-1 in the semifinal

We have the semifinals set. Here's how the order will be

Mat B
55kg - RUPIN (IND) vs Haifeng ZHANG (CHN)
63kg - Iman Hossein Khoon MOHAMMADI (IRI) vs. Jinseub SONG (KOR)
77kg - Demeu ZHADRAYEV (KAZ) vs Amin KAVIYANINEJAD (IRI)
87kg - A. AZISBEKOV (KGZ) vs. Nursultan TURSYNOV (KAZ)
130kg - Amin MIRZAZADEH ((IRI) vs Temurbek NASIMOV (KAZ)

Mat C
55kg - Ikhtiyor BOTIROV (UZB) vs. Poya DAD MARZ (IRI)
63kg - Shermukhammad SHARIBJANOV (UZB) vs Mukhamedali MAMURBEK (KAZ)
77kg - Akzhol MAKHMUDOV (KGZ) vs Kodai SAKURABA (JPN)
87kg - Naser ALIZADEH (IRI) vs. Sunil KUMAR (IND)
130kg - Alimkhan SYZDYKOV (KAZ) vs. Lingzhe MENG (CHN)

13:20: 2020 Asian champion Sunil KUMAR (IND) is in the semifinal. He will face defending champion Naser ALIZADEH (IRI) at 87kg on Mat C

13:13: Iran made it a perfect 5-for-5 for getting its wrestlers into the semifinals, but Amin KAVIYANINEJAD (IRI) cut it as close as possible at 77kg. Kaviyaninejad, the 2020 Asian champion at 72kg, squeezed out a 1-1 victory over Rui LIU (CHN) by resisting from the bottom of par terre in the final minute.

13:02: World silver medalist Amin MIRZAZADEH (IRI) is into the semifinals at 130kg after brushing aside Roman KIM (KGZ) by technical fall. Mirzazadeh is looking to add to the senior Asian title he won in 2020.

12:56: World U23 champion Poya DAD MARZ (IRI) looked clinical in rolling to an 8-0 technical fall over Taiga ONISHI (JPN) to gain a place in the 55kg semifinals.

12:51: Nursultan TURSYNOV (KAZ), looking for his first Asian medal since 2015, showed how experience counts in this sport when he shrugged off an 0-5 deficit and came back for an 11-5 win over 2022 silver medalist Jalgasbay BERDIMURATOV (UZB) in the quarterfinals at 87kg. Turynov topped off the win with a pair of gut-wrenches.

12:48: Hyeonwoo KIM (KOR) with a stunning head pinch to throw Kodai SAKURABA (JPN) in the first half. But they have called it a foul. A challenge from Kim. Reviews show that he committed a leg foul. A big throw from Kim but it's two each for both the wrestlers. Sakuraba scores another move and it's 7-5 for him. Kim will bow out.

12:38: World champion Akzhol MAKHMUDOV (KGZ) begins his title defense at 77kg in style, rolling to a 9-0 technical fall over Jeyhun OVEZDURDYYEV (TKM) to advance to the semifinals.

12:41: Another defending champion, Naser ALIZADEH (IRI) at 87kg, overcame the challenge of a gutsy Masato SUMI (JPN) to make the semifinals with a 1-1 victory. Neither wrestler could score from par terre, and Alizadeh got the win by last-point criteria.

12:32: Defending 130kg champion Alimkhan SYZDYKOV (KAZ) gut-wrenched his way to a technical fall over Aybegshazada KURRAYEV (TKM) to book his place in the semifinals.

12:26: At 130kg, world U20 bronze medalist Temurbek NASIMOV (UZB) fights out of a near go-behind takedown and hangs on for a 5-3 win over NAVEEN (IND) to make the semifinals.

12:12: World U20 bronze medalist Taiga ONISHI (JPN), looking to keep the 55kg title in Japanese hands for the third straight year following the back-to-back golds by Yu SHIOTANI (JPN), cruised to a 5-0 victory over Mostafa ALQADE (JOR). Next up is world U23 champion Poya DAD MARZ (IRI).

12:05: Masato SUMI (JPN) begins with a statement win. He moves to the quarterfinals with an 11-0 win over Shyhazberdi OVELEKOV (TKM).

12:01: 2022 bronze medalist Kodai SAKURABA (JPN) gets the big lift to finish off a technical fall over Lai Hsing YAO (TPE) at 77kg. That puts him into a quarterfinal clash with 34-year-old 5-time champion Hyeonwoo KIM (KOR).

11:58: Veteran Demeu ZHADRAYEV (KAZ), looking for his fifth career senior Asian medal, gets off to a good start with a technical fall over Amro SADEH (JOR) at 77kg.

11:48: NEERAJ (IND), a bronze medalist in 2022, gets through his qualification round match at 63kg by holding on for a 7-6 win over Dastan KADYROV (KGZ) to advance to the quarterfinals.

11:40: We did not expect that start! RUPIN (IND) wrestles back from 7-0 down to a 16-7 win over Sardarbek KONUSHBAEV (KGZ) as Rupin exposes Konushbaev's weak conditioning.

11:30: Welcome to Astana for the start of the Asian Championships. We're kicking off the six days of action with five weight classes in Greco-Roman -- 55kg, 63kg, 77kg, 87kg, 130kg. There are three defending champions in action today, Akzhol MAKHMUDOV (KGZ) at 77kg, Naser ALIZADEH (IRI) at 87kg and Alimkhan SYZDYKOV (KAZ) at 130kg. Makhmudov is also the reigning world champion.

#BeachWrestling

Algeria sweeps African Beach Wrestling Championships

Saturday, September 13, 2025 - 12:23 By United World Wrestling Press

CASABLANCA, Morocco (September 12) -- Rising African heavyweight prodigies, Skander BENMOHAMED (ALG) and Billel BALI (ALG) guided Algeria to the team title of the U17 African Beach Wrestling Championship.

Algeria also bagged the women’s team title, led by a dominating double gold display by Meriem Safiya GRIB (ALG), thus completing a stellar show at the continental competition held in Casablanca, Morocco, on September 4 and 5.

The serene Ain Diab beach, with its gleaming sands and turquoise waters, hosted the best U15, U17, and U20 African talents for the two-day competition. The age-group tournaments were held before the Beach Wrestling World Series event, which was held for the first time in an African city, underlining United World Wrestling’s commitment to increasing the sport’s presence in Africa.

Over the two days of action, wrestling aficionados got a glimpse of some of the best talent from the continent. For many, this was also a build-up to the Dakar Youth Olympic Games, which are less than 500 days away.

From an African point of view, Algeria set an early marker. With two gold medals in the men’s events, in the 80 and 90 kg, and one in the women’s section, the country’s wrestlers dominated the proceedings and finished on top of the overall team rankings in the U17 age group.

Benmohamed, who won the U17 African Championships bronze medals earlier this year in mat wrestling, reigned supreme in the 90kg category.

In his first bout, the 17-year-old edged out Aboubacar Demba CAMARA (GUI) in a close affair before coming into his own and stamping his authority over Ali OUIDAD (MAR) 3-0 and Rihan BRITS (RSA) 3-0 to finish on top of the four-man round-robin draw. With three wins out of three, Benmohamed finished ahead of Ouidad to win the gold medal.

Benmohamed completed a super double by winning the gold medal in the U20 category as well. The Algerian defeated Lahcen AIT ELASRI (MAR) and Mohamed Amine EL MEKKAOUI (MAR) for a double podium finish.

Bali had a chance to follow in the footsteps of his compatriot. In the U17 80kg, Bali blanked Fahd RAZKANE (MAR) for a win by superiority in less than a minute-and-a-half to win the gold medal. However, in the U20 event, he could win just once and finished fourth in the five-man field.

Elbara BENAMMAR (ALG) added a third medal to Algeria's kitty in the men’s U17 category by winning the bronze in the 60kg category. Benammar began strongly by defeating Ernest DIATTA (SEN) and David Kanyimbu Mputu De DEUS (ANG) on technical superiority. However, he lost to Dan KEGODE (KEN) in the third round and then went down once again to Ibrahim DOSSO (CIV) in the semifinals.

Benammar shrugged off the disappointments to finish his campaign with another win by superiority over Hatim RAJAY (MAR) to take home the bronze medal.

With that, Algeria finished with a total of 77 points, ahead of second-placed Morocco (62) and Angola (35), who finished third.

In the women’s U17 category, Grib won both her bouts without conceding a point to reign supreme in the 45kg weight class. Grib defeated Islam BENZBIRIA (MAR) 3-0 in the first round and then got the better of Tahirisoa Tinah ANDRIANAMBININA (MAD) by a similar margin.

Like Benmohamed, Grib too won two titles as she claimed the gold in the U15 category as well, conceding just one point in the three wins.

Algeria came close to a second women’s gold medal in the U17 category but Dounia ZITOUNI was beaten by Hajar KANEB (MAR) 4-2 in the 55kg final. Zitouni won the gold medal in style, after she remained undefeated throughout the competition.

Jemimah Maghumicha WANJALA (KEN) won the 65kg gold medal without conceding a single point. In the final, which lasted less than a minute, Wanjala beat Malak Khaled Fahmy Abdelhamid ABDELGAUL (EGY) on technical superiority, just like her two wins en route to the title clash.

The gold medal in the 75kg category went to Khady Diandy BADJI (SEN), with Dune van ZYL (RSA) taking the silver while Malak SABRY (MAR) won the bronze.

Algeria were close to a gold medal clean sweep in the U20 category. They won gold medals in three out of the four weight categories in the men’s competition to win the team title. But Omar LAMBARRAA (MAR) halted their juggernaut by winning the 80kg title ahead of Bakary SOM (CIV) and Ivan LOUW (RSA).

While Bali could not finish among the medals in U20, his compatriots looked in sublime form.

Watik Aymen TITOUS (ALG) defeated Luvaan LOUW (RSA) 3-1 in the final of the 70kg category to finish on the top of the podium. Titous was largely untested throughout the competition, beating Eugine Osale OMULULE (KEN) and Saad MARIRE (MAR) without conceding a point to storm into the semifinals, where he defeated Nathan Lee STOLTZ (RSA) by technical superiority.

In the +90kg category, Noureddine BOUROUFA (ALG) won two bouts out of two without conceding a point to take home the gold medal ahead of Ruan BRITS (RSA) and Ayoub BELGADI (MAR).

In the women’s event, Kenyan wrestlers were dominant, winning two out of the three gold medals on offer. Ivyone Lusike MASIBO (KEN) reigned supreme in the 60kg class, defeating Fatima Zahra BOUCHIBI (ALG) and Hiba KABIL (MAR) to finish on top in a tough four-wrestler field. At 70kg, Faith Nanjala WAMALWA (KEN) defeated Dyvonter Ashly ODONGO (KEN) in an all-Kenyan affair to win the gold medal.

Yasmine BOUREGBA (ALG) won the title in the +70kg category, defeating Hafsa ECH CHABBI by technical superiority.

Algerian women and men, meanwhile, won two gold medals each as they won the team titles in the U15 sections to extend their dominance on the beach.

Younes MOUSSI (ALG) set the ball rolling by finishing on top in the 50kg category, winning both his bouts in dominating fashion. Later, Houdaifa BARKAT (ALG) defeated Mignane NDONG (SEN) to win the 55kg gold medal.

Senegalese beach wrestlers showed spunk after Mbaye NIANG and Ibrahima SARR picked up the 60kg and 75kg titles, with Michael OOSTHUIZEN (RSA) rallying to the top of the podium in 65kg.

Senegal won two more gold medals in the women’s section. Fatou Bintou COLY (SEN) ensured Algeria did not complete a golden hat-trick as she defeated Soudjoud BOULEBDA (ALG) in a crucial third-round bout to win the gold medal. Both wrestlers had won their opening two matches. In the winner-takes-all Round 3, Coly beat her Algerian rival on superiority for the title. Similarly, Elisabeth DIATTA beat Tasnim CHOUIHI (ALG) to win the 60kg gold medal.

Algerian wrestlers, meanwhile, won the two lightest weight categories. While Grib opened Algeria’s account with the 45kg gold medal, Maram Yamna BOUKHIBAR (ALG) finished ahead of Shalying JOY (KEN) and Ndeye Codou SENGHOR (SEN) to win the 50kg title.

Kenya’s Janet Inwesi OMUMASABA won the 65 kg gold, beating Higidia Januario De Gouveia LEITE (ANG) by technical superiority.

Asian Championships day one finals set

Comments

Algeria sweeps African Beach Wrestling Championships