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Commonwealth Games, Birmingham Day 2 finals set

Saturday, August 6, 2022 - 09:13 By Vinay Siwach

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COVENTRY, England (August 6) -- The second day of the Commonwealth Games is live from the Coventry Arena. Three freestyle and three women's wrestling weight classes will be in action again. Ravi KUMAR (IND) and Vinesh PHOGAT (IND) are the big stars in action.

MATCH ORDER

13:05: Madison PARKS (CAN) with an underhook for four in the final second to win 9-6 against Pooja GEHLOT (IND) who was leading 6-0 at one point of the bout. Parks will wrestle for the gold

12:55: Nishant RANDHAWA (CAN) shuts out Tayab RAZA (IND) 7-0 to make it to the 97kg final. He will wrestle U20 world bronze medalist Nicolaas DE LANGE (RSA) for the gold.

12:50: Ravi KUMAR (IND) is into the final at 57kg and he will wrestle Ebikewenimo WELSON (NGR).

12:40: Muhammad TAHIR (PAK) will wrestle NAVEEN (IND) for the gold at 74kg after he beats Cole HAWKINS (NZL) 11-0.

12:35: The first finalist at 74kg is NAVEEN (IND). He beats Charlie BOWLING (ENG) 12-1 in just over three minutes to reach the gold medal bout

12:30: Justina DI STASIO (CAN) with a solid 6-0 win over Pooja SIHAG (IND) to enter the final at 76kg. She will wrestle Hannah RUEBEN (NGR) who defeated Georgina NELTHORPE (ENG) 6-1 in the other semifinal.

12:15: Nishan RANDHAWA (CAN) and Deepak NEHRA (IND) with a thrilling bout. Nehra had a 4-4 criteria lead at the break but Randhawa scored a takedown to lead 6-6 before Nehra made it 6-6 with 22 seconds left. Randhawa then scored a stepout with three seconds left to win 7-6

11:55: Muhammad TAHIR (PAK) and Jasmit PHULKA (CAN) with a top battle at 74kg. Phulka got awarded the point for Tahir's passivity and Tahir scored a stepout to lead 1-1. With less than 30 seconds left, Tahir moved Phulka to the zone from where he was warned for fleeing. Canada challenged the call and lost which gave Tahir a 3-1 lead. Phulka was forced into par terre from where Tahir managed two more to win 5-1

11:25: Huge bout at 53kg in Round 2. Vinesh PHOGAT (IND) up against Mercy ADEKUOROYE (NGR). Phogat with an early takedown using a go behind. She then goes for a leg cross and gets two more to lead 4-0 at the break. Phogat with underhook to put Adekuoroye on the back and she is looking for the pin. The two remain in danger for the remaining time. Phogat wins 6-0

11:13:  Madison PARKS (CAN) scores a huge 12-0 win over Shriyanthika NIROSHANI (SRI) to book her semifinal berth against Pooja GEHLOT (IND)

11:03: What a bout we had on Mat A at 74kg. Jasmit PHULKA (CAN) and Nicolae COJOCARU (SCO) continued some high-paced wrestling. Cojocaru led 5-5 on criteria with 30 seconds left but Phulka used his experience to score a takedown and ran the clock down to 4 seconds. He wins 7-4

10:50: Vinesh PHOGAT (IND) with a fall over world bronze medalist Samantha STEWART (CAN). Her second bout will be against Mercy ADEKUOROYE (NGR) who won 10-0 against Chamodya KESHANI (SRI) at 53kg 

10:45: Miesinnei GENESIS (NGR) with a 9-0 win over Madison PARKS (CAN) and Pooja GEHLOT (IND) defeats Christelle LETCHIDJIO (SCO) 12-2 and both reach the semifinals at 50kg

10:30: Welcome to day two of the Commonwealth Games. Big names in the competition here with India and Canada expected to dominate the day. Women's 50kg and 53kg will follow the Nelson system

#WrestleBudapest

Ranking Series: Tazhudinov leads star-studded Freestyle field

Wednesday, July 16, 2025 - 10:54 By Vinay Siwach

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BUDAPEST, Hungary (July 15) -- Akhmed TAZHUDINOV (BRN) marked his return after the Paris Olympic Games with gold at the Grand Prix of Spain. If his opponents thought their will be any rust after the long break, they were mistaken. Tazhudinov won four bouts, all via technical superiority, without giving up a point.

And if you missed watching the Grand Prix, Tazhudinov continues his return in Budapest at the Ranking Series, the last before the World Championships in Zagreb, Croatia.

Women's Wrestling Preview | Greco-Roman Preview

Tazhudinov has been on an eight-tournament gold-medal winning streak dating back to 2023 Asian Championships. The only international loss he suffered was in 2023 at the Ibrahim Mustafa Ranking Series. But Tazhudinov now is perhaps the best wrestler walking on the planet right now.

The 97kg weight class in Budapest will see Tazhudinov take on the likes of Batyrbek TSAKULOV (SVK), Merab SULEIMANISHVILI (GEO), Zbigniew BARANOWSKI (POL), Jay AIELLO (USA), Aliaksandr HUSHTYN (UWW) among others.

But no name on that list seems a threat to Tazhudinov, who is likely to put on another masterclass.

Tazhudinov is not the only start landing in Budapest. Mahamedkhabib KADZIMAHAMEDAU (UWW), Dauren KURUGLIEV (GRE), Islam DUDAEV (ALB), Vazgen TEVANYAN (ARM), Iszmail MUSZUKAJEV (HUN), Georgios KOUGIOUMTSIDIS (GRE) and Givi MATCHARASHVILI (GEO) to name a few others.

European silver medalist Kadzimahamedau will be at 86kg, his weight class since the start of this season as he tries to be at his third Olympics in 2028. But the bracket in Budapest will be a testing one as Arsenii DZHIOEV (AZE), Rakhim MAGAMADOV (FRA), Ali SAVADKOUHI (IRI), Boris MAKOEV (SVK) and Osman GOCEN (TUR) are some of the big names.

Savadkouhi is leading a small Iran team that made it to Budapest. While he will be at 86kg, Abbas EBRAHIMZADEH (IRI) and Sina KHALILI (IRI) are entered at 70kg. Fariborz BABAEI (IRI) will be at 79kg for Iran.

Khalili and Ebrahimzadeh are potentially trying to be on the Iran team for Zagreb. A win in Budapest will at least guarantee the winner a domestic playoff of chance if Iran decides that way.

But a gold medal won't be easy. European medalist Arman ANDREASYAN (ARM), Kanan HEYBATOV (AZE), world champion Iszmail MUSZUKAJEV (HUN) and world silver medalist Yoshinosuke AOYAGI (JPN) are all going for gold.

Aoyagi, who will be Japan's representative in Zagreb as well, will be the favorite given his crafty style and technique. Muszukajev has not looked the same as he did while winning the 2023 world gold in Belgrade.

For Babaei at 79kg, the challenge will come from Asian medalist Khidir SAIPUDINOV (BRN), European silver medalist Zelimkhan KHADJIEV (FRA), world silver medalist Vladimeri GAMKRELIDZE (GEO), European Georgios KOUGIOUMTSIDIS (GRE), former world U20 silver Ryunosuke KAMIYA (JPN).

Kougiomtsidis is competing for the first time since the Paris Games in which he lost in first round. But at 79kg, Kougiomtsidis can be a real threat for his opponent.

Gamkrelidze, a force at 79kg, is dropping from 86kg after an unsuccessful attempt to qualify for Paris and even at April's European Championships. Kamiya won the Meiji Cup recently and will be Japan's representative at 79kg in Zagreb.

In one of the highly contested weight classes, 74kg can see a few surprises. Azerbaijan is sending Turan BAYRAMOV (AZE) and Magomed KHANIEV (AZE), undoubtedly its best talents at this weight class.

Kota TAKAHASHI (JPN), the world U23 champion, and returning after injury will be keen on proving himself at the senior level. Asian silver medalist Orozobek TOKTOMAMBETOV (KGZ), European bronze Tajmuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK) and United States' star David CARR (USA) are also in the field.

Giorgi ELBAKIDZE (GEO), Murad KURAMAGOMEDOV (HUN) and JAIDEEP (IND) will hope to finish on the podium at 74kg.

At 92kg also, Azerbaijan has Abubakr ABAKAROV (AZE) and Osman NURMAGOMEDOV (AZE), perhaps in a bid to finalize their selection for Zagreb. 

But it will be European champion Dauren KURUGLIEV (GRE) who will be the favorite to win the gold medal in Budapest. World silver medalist Miriani MAISURADZE (GEO) needs to find his confidence back before World Championships, and medal in Budapest will do exactly that.

The 57kg weight class has world U20 champion Luke LILLEDAHL (USA) who will be at his first Ranking Series and it will be big test for him. He has the likes of Islam BAZARGANOV (AZE), Roberti DINGASHVILI (GEO), Luka GVINJILIA (GEO), Aryan TSIUTRYN (UWW), RAHUL (IND) and Bekzat ALMAZ UULU (KGZ) who have senior level experience.

A gold medal in Budapest can give a big boost to Lilledahl as he tries to make the senior team in the U.S. in the coming years. He lost to Spencer LEE (USA) in the domestic playoffs for World Championships.

Asian champion Takara SUDA (JPN), who won in Tirana, will be at 61kg and so will be his opponent UDIT (IND), who lost to Suda in the final in Amman.

Add to the mix Taiyrbek ZHUMASHBEK UULU (KGZ) and Emrah ORMANOGLU (TUR), who recently won the Yasar Dogu. Incidentally, he also beat Udit in the final in Turkiye. Former world silver medalist Seth GROSS (USA) has also entered at 61kg. 

Tokyo Olympic bronze medalist Islam DUDAEV (ALB) missed the European Championships due to an injury but he is returning to international competition. He may face stiff challenge from Vazgen TEVANYAN (ARM), Khamzat ARSAMERZOUEV (FRA), SUJEET (IND) and Abdulmazhid KUDIEV (TJK).

European champion at 125kg Giorgi MESHVILDISHVILI (AZE) has a chance to earn more ranking points before the World Championships with a gold medal in Budapest. 

While he starts as the favorite, he is likely to face Solomon MANASHVILI (GEO) who lost to him in the final seconds of the European final to finish with silver. The Georgian will be keen to avenge that loss. Matcharashvili, European champion at 97kg, will also be at 125kg perhaps to not reduce weight before the World Championships.

European U23 champions Georgi IVANOV (BUL) and Alen KHUBULOV (BUL, , Vlagyiszlav BAJCAJEV (HUN) and Robert BARAN (POL) are also contenders to finish on the podium.