#WrestleAlmaty

Bolat Turlykhanov Cup: India wins WW title; Zare survives scare

Saturday, June 4, 2022 - 17:48 By Vinay Siwach

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ALMATY, Kazakhstan (June 4) -- Three months back, the Indian women's team failed to win a single medal at the Ranking Series in Istanbul. But in a stunning turn of events, it won the team title at the second Ranking event in Almaty.

After winning the three gold and a bronze medal Saturday, India added two gold, one silver and one bronze to take their points tally to 192 points, 20 more than second-placed Kazakhstan which finished at 172 points.

Out of the six gold medals on offer in women's wrestling, Kazakhstan and Mongolia won two each as well. But the young Indian team outperformed beyond expectations despite missing a few big names from the line-up.

Two freestyle gold medals were also awarded Saturday with world champion Amir ZARE (IRI) claiming the 125kg title and Batyrbek TCAKULOV (SVK) winning at 97kg.

Sarita MOR (IND)Sarita MOR (IND) won the 59kg gold medal in Almaty. (Photo: UWW / Bayrem Ben Mrad)

As women's wrestling came to a close, two-time Asian champion Sarita MOR (IND) and MANISHA (IND) won the gold at 59kg and 65kg respectively to propel India to the top.

Over the years, Mor had made a reputation of being one of the strongest defensive wrestlers in India. But with a young crop of wrestling coming up with an aggressive brand of wrestling, she found it difficult to match them. Despite being hailed as a top-level wrestler domestically, she found it difficult to win international medals internationally.

That all changed in 2020 when she won her first Asian gold medal at home in New Delhi. She defended her title in Almaty last year and added a World bronze medal in Oslo at 59kg.

"Earlier, my wrestling was very defensive," Mor said. "But for the last three years, I have managed to make some progress and improve it. I have benefitted from wrestling at numerous competitions and I hope to continue that to rectify my mistakes."

The change, as Mor explains, is brought about by her coach Rahul MANN (IND).

"My coach and husband Rahul has worked a lot on me," she said. "The most important one is to be active at the start of the bout. I used to stand in a lazy position at the start and give up points. But now it's changed. From the start till the final whistle, I have to wrestle."

She executed that plan to perfection in Almaty, dominating her competition as she gave up only two points in her four bouts. In a Nordic bracket, she began the day against Diana KAYUMOVA (KAZ), handing her an 11-0 defeat in Round 1. She would have liked to avenge her Asian Championships loss to Shoovdor BAATARJAV (MGL) but the Mongolian forfeited.

Mor had Aizhan ISMAGULOVA (KAZ) in the semifinal and after a slow start, she switched gears and scored takedowns to lead 6-2 at the break. Two minutes into the second period, Mor clinched a spot in the final with a technical superiority win. U23 European champion Zhala ALIYEVA (AZE) was the next to fall against Mor as she clinched the gold with a series of exposures.

"I am feeling so good and I have had 4 competitions here. Apart from the Asian qualifiers here I have managed to win a medal here. The best feeling is always when the Indian flag is raised," she said.

After a medalless start to the year in Istanbul, Mor won a bronze at the Asian Championships and now gold in Almaty. She has now set her eyes on winning the title at the World Championships.

"At Worlds, I lost 3-0 in the semifinal, but now I want to win the belt for India," she said. "As I said, I am continuing to improve with every tournament."

ManishaMANISHA (IND) defeated Tokyo Olympian Elis MANOLOVA (AZE) in the 65kg final. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Perhaps it was her performance that rubbed off on her teammates as well. Manisha, who had suffered an 11-0 loss to Tokyo Olympian Elis MANOLOVA (AZE) in the first round, recovered to win the gold at 65kg by beating Manolova.

The Indian was first put on the clock for inactivity but she scored a takedown and a stepout during the activity period to lead 3-0 at the break. Instead of going for attacks, Manisha decided to counter Manolova's attempts and was successful in scoring two go behinds. As the clock ticked, frustration crept in for Manolova as she was warned for negative wrestling, giving the Indian another point. 

Apart from the two bouts against Manolova, Manisha outscored her opponents 21-0 and saved the best for the last with a strong counter-attacking game.

U20 Worlds silver medalist BIPASHA (IND) could have made it three gold medals for India but Asian champion and World silver medalist Zhamila BAKBERGENOVA (KAZ) denied her at 72kg.

The two wrestled in Round 3 which was virtually a gold medal bout after both had one win each in the morning session. Bakbergenova built a 5-0 lead in the first period and extended it to 7-0 within the first 30 seconds of the second.

Bipasha, 20, took some time to understand her opponent and it was only in the fourth minute of the bout that she tried attacking. She managed a takedown and stepout and Bakbergenova was cautioned twice for passive wrestling.

But the Kazakhstan wrestler held off Bispasha and won the gold with a 7-5 scoreline.

Marina SEDNEVA (KAZ)Marina SEDNEVA (KAZ) held off Shokhida AKHMEDOVA (UZB) 4-3 in the 55kg final. (Photo: UWW / Bayrem Ben Mrad)

The second gold medal for Kazakhstan came from Marina SEDNEVA (KAZ) who defeated Shokhida AKHMEDOVA (UZB), 4-3 in the 55kg final. She was called for passivity in the first period but hit a four at the start of the second to lead 4-1. Akhmedova managed to get an attack late in the bout and scored two points for danger but failed to get another as the time expired.

Earlier in the day, Asian Championships silver medalist Namuuntsetseg TSOGT-OCHIR (MGL) defeated Jasmina IMMAEVA (UZB) via fall in the 50kg final while Tokyo bronze medalist Bolortuya BAT-OCHIR (MGL) won the 53kg gold after Zhuldyz ESHIMOVA (KAZ) pulled out of the final due to injury.

Amir ZARE (IRI)Amir ZARE (IRI) celebrates after beating Yusup BATIRMURZAEV (KAZ) in the 125kg final. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Zare recovers from 8-0

A stunned Amir ZARE (IRI) stood looking at the big screen at the Baluan Sholak Sports Palace. He, like the Iran fans, was hoping that the challenge from Yusup BATIRMURZAEV (KAZ) turns out to be unsuccessful.

The Kazakhstan wrestler, cheered by almost everyone at the venue, led 8-0 and challenged, asking for four points instead of the two awarded by the referee on his first throw. A successful challenge would mean a 10-0 win for him.

But as luck would have it, Zare had not landed in danger and the move was only worth two points. He got a point for the lost challenge.

With a fresh lease of life and a struggling Batirmurzaev, Zare recovered from 8-0 and then 10-7 to score 14 answered points to win the 125kg gold medal in Almaty 21-10 and silence a hostile crowd.

Amir ZARE (IRI)A scoreline that will be etched in wrestling fans' memory for a long time. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

"Yes [I am still shocked], from the final," Zare said with a smile. "I lost points in the final and earlier as well but I hope to compensate for it in the future and not repeat these mistakes."

It was a far from perfect tournament for the 21-year-old world champion as he struggled to find his rhythm from the start.

Another Kazakhstan wrestler Oleg BOLTIN (KAZ) had him in trouble in the first bout. Boltin used a four-point throw to lead 6-6 on criteria with only 23 seconds remaining but Zare scored three points from there to win 9-7. In the semifinal, world bronze medalist Lkhagvagerel MUNKHTUR (MGL) tested his cardio as Zare barely scraped through for a 3-0 win.

"It was my first time wrestling after a long break, after Norway exactly," Zare said. "I also had a minor foot injury that prevented me from training for a long time. But my coaches helped me be ready for wrestling here. I didn’t show a good quality of wrestling here but I hope to do my best in the future, especially in Belgrade."

Batyrbek TCAKULOV (SVK)Batyrbek TCAKULOV (SVK) laced his way to a 10-0 win in the 97kg final. (Photo: UWW / Bayrem Ben Mrad)

While Zare could recover from a bad start, U20 world champion Amirhossein FIROUZPOUR (IRI) suffered a 10-0 loss against Batyrbek TCAKULOV (SVK) after being caught in a leg-lace as the Slovakia wrestler finished the bout in 1:06.

Throughout the day, Tcakulov dominated his bouts, outscoring his rivals 31-1 including a semifinal win via fall over veteran Magomed IBRAGIMOV (UZB).

In the final, he used a move that he has not been very successful at but managed to pull off at the right moment.

"I was preparing for six minutes in the final," Tcakulov said. "I practice the leg lace every time in training, but it doesn't usually work at the competition. This time it worked.

"I was preparing for the tournament together with my Slovakian team and with our coach Erik Cap. I am going for only the win at every competition. It also depends on how well I have trained. This time as you can see I prepared well and my wrestling was good."

Batyrbek TCAKULOV (SVK)Bolat Turlykhanov Cup 97kg champion Batyrbek TCAKULOV (SVK). (Photo: UWW / Bayrem Ben Mrad)

A former Russian champion at 92kg, Tcakulov switched to Slovakia earlier this year and won a bronze at the European Championships. While he has begun well, he is aware of the competition he is facing at this weight.

"I know that the competition is quite high at 97kg," he said. "But I'll keep working hard. There is not a big difference in kilograms, but the competition is a bit higher. This is my second tournament in this weight class, and now I am getting better and hope for the best."

He now hopes to wrestle at as many tournaments as possible to gain experience and win a medal at the Belgrade World Championships.

"My next tournament will be the Ranking Series Matteo Pellicone in Rome," he said. "I want to compete a lot at the tournaments, not only for improving my rankings but mostly for getting the experience. I haven't been competing for quite a while as I had a one-and-a-half-year break, but I kept training both in Slovakia and Ossetia."

The remaining eight freestyle weights will be in action Sunday, the final day of the Bolat Turlykhanov Cup. World champion Hassan YAZDANI (IRI) and Kamran GHASEMPOUR (IRI) are returning after a seven-month break while Bajrang PUNIA (IND) would look to continue his unbeaten record at Ranking Series events.

European champion Tajmuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK) is also entered and will wrestle at 74kg.

WW Results

50kg
GOLD: Namuuntsetseg TSOGT-OCHIR (MGL) df. Jasmina IMMAEVA (UZB), via fall 

BRONZE: Otgonjargal DOLGORJAV (MGL) df. Svetlana ANKICHEVA (KAZ), 8-4 
BRONZE: Turkan NASIROVA (AZE) df. Aigul NURALIM (KAZ), 5-4

53kg
GOLD: Bolortuya BAT OCHIR (MGL) df. Zhuldyz ESHIMOVA (KAZ), via inj. def.

BRONZE: Leyla GURBANOVA (AZE) df. Aisha UALISHAN (KAZ), via fall
BRONZE: Aktenge KEUNIMJAEVA (UZB) df. Buman ENKHBOLD (MGL), via forfeit

55kg
GOLD: Marina SEDNEVA (KAZ) df. Shokhida AKHMEDOVA (UZB), 4-3

BRONZE: Sushma SHOKEEN (IND) df. Ainur ASHIMOVA (KAZ), via fall

59kg
GOLD: Sarita MOR (IND) df. Zhala ALIYEVA (AZE), 10-0

BRONZE: Diana KAYUMOVA (KAZ) df. Aizhan ISMAGULOVA (KAZ), 11-3

65kg
GOLD: MANISHA (IND) df. Elis MANOLOVA (AZE), 8-0

BRONZE: Ariukhan JUMABAEVA (UZB) df. Gaukhar MUKATAY (KAZ), via fall

72kg
GOLD: Zhamila BAKBERGENOVA (KAZ) df. BIPASHA (IND), 7-5

BRONZE: Svetlana OKNAZAROVA (UZB) df. Davaanasan ENKH-AMAR (MGL), via forfeit

FS Results

97kg
GOLD: Batyrbek TCAKULOV (SVK) df. Amirhossein FIROUZPOUR (IRI), 10-0

BRONZE: Akezhan AITBEKOV (KAZ) df. Mukhammadrasul RAKHIMOV (UZB), 4-3
BRONZE: Magomed IBRAGIMOV (UZB) df. Faizi FAIZZODA (TJK), 10-0

125kg
GOLD: Amir ZARE (IRI) df. Yusup BATIRMURZAEV (KAZ), 21-10

BRONZE: Lkhagvagerel MUNKHTUR (MGL) df Oleg BOLTIN (KAZ), 2-2
BRONZE: Mohit GREWAL (IND) df Sardorbek KHOLMATOV (UZB), 8-2

#WrestleTirana

Muhamet Malo 2025 Ranking Series Day 3 Finals Set

Friday, February 28, 2025 - 10:08 By Vinay Siwach

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TIRANA, Albania (February 28) -- Muhamet Malo Ranking Series enters day three with four Women's Wrestling and two Greco-Roman weight classes. Olympic champion Semen NOVIKOV (BUL) will be in action at GR 87kg alongwith silver medalist Alireza MOHAMADIPIANI (IRI) and both are on collision course as well. Other Paris Olympic medalist in action are Grace BULLEN (NOR) at WW 62kg and Iryna KOLIADENKO (UKR) at WW 65kg.

WATCH LIVE | LIVE MATCH ORDER | DAY 2 RESULTS

16:45: Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN) will look to avenge her round-robin loss to Irina RINGACI (MDA) as she wins her semifinal against Iryna KOLIADENKO (UKR) to enter the gold medal bout. Koliadenko, a Paris silver medalist at 62kg, was 1-0 at the break after Morikawa's inactivity. But Morikawa launched a huge but sloppy double-leg to score four points at the start of the second period to lead 4-1. Koliadenko was put on activity clock but did not score which gave a point to Morikawa. Koliadenko then scored a takedown with a minute left to cut the lead to 5-3. Morikawa answered with another stepout and led 6-3, the winning score.

Irina RINGACI (MDA) won 10-0 over Aleah NICKEL (CAN). She finished the bout with an ankle pick for four. Ringaci won the round-robin bout against Morikawa 6-5. They both go against each other in about three hours time.

16:30: Sakura ONISHI (JPN) sees off Solomiia VYNNYK (UKR) in the 59kg semifinal. She scored a takedown, stepout before Vynnyk was docked for cautioned for locking Onishi's neck. From forced par terre, Onishi used the head between legs to roll Vynnyk twice and make it 8-0. Vynnyk scored exposure using chestwrap but it was scored two for Onishi as she never got turned. Ukraine challenged the decision and won which made it 8-2 at the break. Vynnyk was docked a caution for blocking Onishi who finished the match with an ankle pick four-pointer on the edge. She won 13-2.

Anastasiia SIDELNIKOVA (UWW) survived an onslaught from Bediha GUN (TUR) in the final 30 seconds to win 4-4 in the other semifinal. Down 4-0, Gun scored a takedown and was awarded a caution point. Another takeodwn made it 4-4 but she could not get another point as Sidelnikova won 4-4 through points via bigger technique (2+2).

16:20: Idris IBAEV (GER) enters the 77kg final after beating Kodai SAKURABA (JPN) in an action-filled match. He got the par terre in first period and turned Sakuraba who also committed a foul. A stepout was awarded to Ibaev on review which made his lead 6-0. Sakuraba wasn't focused as he walked out of the zone thinking he has scored a stepout but Ibaev got the points. He then tried a headlock which Ibaev defended and scored four points. Japan challenged the call and won as it was a risk by Sakaruba who managed to get on board with a pushout. Ibaev challenged and got the pushout point as Sakuraba's hand was out before him.

Yryskeldi MAKSATBEK UULU (KGZ) will face Ibaev in the final after he defeated Per Albin OLOFSSON (SWE) 6-1. Maksatbek Uulu blocked Olofsson from par terre and led 2-1 at the break. In the second period, Olofsson was about to take Maksatbek Uulu but lost his balance and the Kyrgyz scored a takedown which Olofsson challenged and lost. With a 5-1 lead, Maksatbek Uulu got a passivity call to make it 6-1 and won.

16:00: We have the 87kg finalists in Greco-Roman! Paris silver medalist Alireza MOHAMMADIPIANI (IRI) and David LOSONCZI (HUN) will wrestle for gold. Mohammadipiani with an impressive win -- 6-1 over Aleksandr KOMAROV (SRB). He got the par terre advantage and turned Komarov twice to lead 5-0 at break. Komarov got his par terre chance in the second period but failed to score from the position and Mohammadipiani defended for the rest of the match to win and enter the final.

Losonczi brought his motor to the semifinal against Marcel STERKENBURG (NED) and led 2-1 at the break with two stepouts. Sterkenburg was cautioned for a move against bone joints and docked two points. He challenged and lost another as Losonczi led 5-1. Sterkenburg was called passive which added another point to Losonczi's score before a stepout added another for a 7-1 win for Losonczi and a place in the final. 

15:50: World champion Ami ISHII (JPN) marches on to the 68kg final. Kateryna ZELENYKH (ROU) scored the first takedown but Ishii with a reversal and then two turns to make it 5-2. Ishii counters an attempt to make it 7-2 at the break. Ishii continues attacking the legs of Zelenykh and finally gets a takedown with traparm and rolls Zelenykh twice to win 13-2.

Zelu LI (CHN) will be her opponent in the final after the Chinese laced her way to a 10-0 win over Noémi SZABADOS (HUN).

15:40: First semifinals of the day! Women's Wrestling 62kg has three Paris Olympians out of the four semifinalists. The only one not from Paris, LILI (CHN), takes out bronze medalist Grace BULLEN (NOR) and books her spot in the final. Bullen got a takedown and turn before Lili scored reversal and lace. Bullen led 4-3 and Lili scored another takedown and turn to make 7-4. Bullen get the gap to 7-5 with a stepout but Bullen couldn't break the defense and lost 8-3. Lili will face Bilyana DUDOVA (BUL) for the gold medal who defeated  Anne NUERNBERGER (GER) in the other semifinal. Dudova led 3-0 at the break and then scored a takedown and gut wrench to make it 7-0. Solid snapdowns in the match from Dudova as she added another takedown before countering an attack to win 11-0.

15:25: Sakura ONISHI (JPN) with a different approach in the match against Abigail NETTE (USA). With a more cautious approach, Onishi was shut down by Nette who led 1-0 at the break for Onishi's passivity. But Onishi comes out blazing in the second and score 10 straight points using head in the middle. A takedown makes it 12-1 as Onishi advances at 59kg.

15:20: Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN) books herself a semifinal with Iryna KOLIADENKO (UKR) at 65kg. Morikawa with a 3-0 win over Yuqi RAO (CHN).

15:05: Back to Women's Wrestling, and Iryna KOLIADENKO (UKR) with a 34 second technical superiority win over Aleah NICKEL (CAN) at 65kg. She top her group with that win and enters the semifinal in which she likely to face Miwa MORIKAWAN (JPN).

14:55: Paris Olympic final rematch at Greco-Roman 87kg between Semen NOVIKOV (BUL) and Alireza MOHMADIPIANI (IRI). Novikov had blanked Mohamadipiani 7-0 in the final in Paris. An aggressive start from Mohammadi and he gets a par terre but no score. He leads 1-0 at the break. A stepout and takedown to make it 4-0 in the second period. He is awarded the par terre for his active wrestling to lead 5-0 but he can't score from there. Mohammadi shuts Novikov down completely and wins 5-0. He celebrates with an acknowledgement from the coach.

14:42: Aleksandr KOMAROV (SRB) scored a takedown and three turns after Muhutdin SARICICEK (TUR) got the par terre and he wins 9-2 at 87kg. A machine from par terre.

14:40: World champion at 72kg Ami ISHII (JPN) is back at 68kg for the Ranking Series. She begins her campaign with a 10-0 technical superiority win over Greda BARTH (GER).

14:30: Bilyana DUDOVA (BUL) isn't giving Adaugo NWACHUKWU (USA) any last-second points this time as in Zagreb. Down 4-2, Dudova scores a takedown and then an exposure when Nwachukwu tries to hold on to her 4-4 criteria lead in last 10 seconds to win 6-4. Nwachukwu scored a takedown in the final five seconds in Zagreb to beat Dudova.

14:15: Irina RINGACI (MDA) with a 10-0 technical superiority and Grace BULLEN (NOR) with a fall in their respective bouts at 65kg and 62kg.

14:10: U20 world champion Sakura ONISHI (JPN) with a 10-0 technical superiority win over Bediha GUN (TUR) in Round 2 of 59kg. She is the favorite to win the gold medal

13:35: Alireza MOHAMADIPIANI (IRI), who lost to Novikov in the Paris final, begins with a solid 8-0 win over Tamas LEVAI (HUN) at 87kg. Mohamadipiani got the part terre and turned Levai, who locked Mohamadipiani's neck which is a foul. Hungary challenged the call but lost. With a 6-0 lead, Mohamadipiani turned Levai once to win 8-0

13:30: Olympic champion Semen NOVIKOV (BUL) is into the quarterfinal at 87kg after beating Istvan TAKACS (HUN). He got a turn from par terre to lead 3-0 at the break. Novikov keeps the pressure in the second period and scores a stepout before getting the second par terre as well. No points but enough for Novikov to win 5-0.

13:20: Aleksandr KOMAROV (SRB) with another 8-0 technical superiority. A stepout, first par terre and four turns to beat Artur OVSEPYAN (UKR) and advance to the 87kg quarterifinals.

13:15: Marcel STERKENBURG (NED) up against Achiko BOLKVADZE (GEO) at 87kg 1/8 final. He scores the opening takedown to be 2-0 up. Georgia challenge but lose. Sterkenburg gets par terre advantage to make it 4-0 but no turn from par terre. Sterkenburg with a strong start in the second and scores a stepout. Bolkvadze tries a headlock but falls on his back and Sterkenburg gets the fall.

13:10: Iryna KOLIADENKO (UKR) was woken up by Albina DRAZHI (ALB) with the first takedown of their 65kg bout but Koliadenko works her way back and scores 12-2 technical superiority win in Round 1 at 65kg. 

13:00: Irina RINGACI (MDA) and Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN) faced off in the 2021 World Championships final which Ringaci won. Four years later, they meet in Round 1 of 65kg in Tirana. Ringaci on the holds straightaway and she scores a takedown and a turn to lead 4-0. Morikawa is more active in the second period but a scramble results in Ringaci landing on top to take the lead 6-0. Morikawa keeps going but Ringaci split defense keeps her at bay before Morikawa scores exposure for two. Another leg elevation from Morikawa for a takedown to make it 6-4 with 17 seconds left. A double leg from Morikawa but Ringaci decides to run out of bounds than give a losing takedown. 6-5 with 6 seconds remaining. Japan challenge the call. Morikawa has no control over Ringaci during stepout. It's only one point and Japan lose the challenge, giving Ringaci a 7-5 lead. She defends the lead for the six seconds to win 7-5. They both can still meet in the final as 65kg is in Nelson system.

12:40: World champion at 59kg in 2023, Qi ZHANG (CHN) was down 8-0 against Amina TANDELOVA (UWW) but mounts a comeback. Zhang with a stepout, a takedown and exposure to make it 8-5 at the break. A caution against Tandelova made it 8-6. A takedown for Zhang but a double leg takedown from Tandelova to make it 10-8. As Zhang tries another attack, Tandelova counters for another two points. She wins 12-8 at 62kg.

12:30: That was quick from Grace BULLEN (NOR). The Paris bronze medalist beats Sara LINDBORG (SWE) 10-0 inside two minutes at 62kg.  

12:25: Bilyana DUDOVA (BUL) with all those counter attacks to beat Nikolett SZABO (HUN) 9-0 at 62kg. Dudova led only 1-0 at the break but as Szabo tried to score in the second, Dudova continued to counter those attacks.

12:00: Olympic champion Semen NOVIKOV (BUL) gets former U23 world champion Exauce MUKUBU (NOR) in the first round. Novikoc with a stepout to open the scoring. He turns Mukubu from par terre to lead 4-0. Excellent defense from Mukubu after the first turn. Mukubu begins the second period with a takedown. Novikov was pushing Mukubu towards the zone but Mukubu sneaked and scored a go-behind takedown. Then gets the par terre to make the score 4-3. Novikov blocks the turn attempt and score a gut-wrench to lead 8-3. Novikov wins 8-3.

11:52: Aleksandr KOMAROV (SRB) with a quick 8-0 technical superiority win over Jiaxin HUANG (CHN). A takedown and gut wrench for Komarov.

11:50: U20 world champion Asan ZHANYSHOV (KGZ) gets a taste of senior level competition as Muhutdin SARICICEK (TUR) beats him 6-2 in the opening round at 87kg. Zhanyshov gets thrown for four from bodylock and is down 5-0. Both wrestlers exchange stepouts and Saricicek leads 6-1 at the break. A stepout from Zhanyshov in the second period is all he got as Saricicek wins 6-2.

11:45: Achiko BOLKVADZE (GEO), one of the three Georgian wrestlers at 87kg, runs into Soh SAKABE (JPN) in the opening round. Sakabe gets the first par terre advantage but Bolkvadze blocks the turn and leads 2-1 at the break. Bolkvadze manages a throw from par terre in the second period to lead 7-1. Sakabe with a headlock throw and is awarded two and one point for reversal for Bolkvadze. Japan challenge for four. But on review, all the points are removed as no one landed in danger. A 7-1 win for Bolkvadze.

11:30: Another rainy day here in Tirana. But wrestlers are ready for day three of the Muhamet Malo Ranking Series with 59kg, 62kg, 65kg and 68kg in Women's Wrestling and 77kg and 87kg in Greco-Roman.