India, Canada share 5 golds as Commonwealth Games comes to close

Saturday, August 6, 2022 - 23:19 By Vinay Siwach

COVENTRY, England (August 6) -- As the Commonwealth Games came to a close, two of the most successful countries in the history of the Games -- Canada and India -- established their supremacy, sharing five of the six gold medals on offer on Saturday.

India won the freestyle golds at 57kg and 74kg along with the 53kg gold in women's wrestling. Canada had two champions on Saturday with Justina DI STASIO (CAN) winning the 76kg gold while Nishant RANDHAWA (CAN) winning the 97kg gold.

Miesinnei GENESIS (NGR) was the other champion on Saturday as she claimed the third women's wrestling gold for Nigeria by winning the 50kg weight category.

But two wrestlers who stood out at the Coventry Arena were Olympic silver medalist Ravi KUMAR (IND) and world bronze medalist Vinesh PHOGAT (IND).

Kumar finished all three of his bouts well before the six minutes and showed the gulf in class in 57kg in Birmingham.

Wrestling Nigeria’s multiple-Commonwealth medalist Ebikewenimo WELSON (NGR) in the final, Kumar used a leg lace to lead 8-0 before getting a takedown in the second period to finish the bout 10-0.

This was Kumar’s first medal at the Commonwealth Games.

“It’s always special to win the medal at Games and this was also special,” Kumar said. “Tokyo silver was special and so is this medal.”

Kumar, hoping to win a World Championships medal in Belgrade, has been on an incredible run, winning three golds and losing only one bout since Tokyo.

He did give up four points in the semifinal against Asad ALI (PAK) but said that it was more about getting stuck in a move.

"It's wrestling and sometimes we get stuck in a move," he said. "I can't say I was off guard or wasn't moving well. Just a move I got stuck in and he managed to score."

NAVEEN (IND), red, defeated Muhammad TAHIR (PAK) 9-0 in the 74kg final. (Photo: UWW / Helena Curtis)

NAVEEN (IND) added another gold to India’s account as he dominated the 74kg field and defeated Muhammad TAHIR (PAK) 9-0 in the gold bout.

Tahir was put on passivity as well when Naveen continued his attacks. Four takedowns gave him the eight other points.

A bronze medalist at the Asian Championships, Naveen will try to make the Indian team at 74kg for the World Championships.

Nishan RANDHAWA (CAN) became the Commonwealth Games champion at 97kg. (Photo: UWW / Helena Curtis)

At 97kg, Nishan RANDHAWA (CAN) defeated two U20 World bronze medalists en route to winning the gold medal with some tough wins.

In the quarterfinal, he wrestled Deepak NEHRA (IND) and almost suffered a loss as Nehra was leading 6-6 on criteria with nine seconds remaining. But Randhawa scored a stepout and got the all-important point to win 7-6 and reach the semifinals. He managed to beat Tayab RAZA (PAK) 7-0 to make it to the final.

"Nehra was defending very well and it was a back-and-forth match," Randhawa said. "But I knew I have enough time to score a takedown. He went to the zone and I capitalized with the stepout."

He wrestled another U20 world bronze medalist in the final in Nicolas DE LANGE (RSA) and made it look easy with a 9-3 win for the gold.

"I have wrestled him before at the U20 Worlds and I know his style," he said. "It's great to win the gold here."

Randhawa, a U20 bronze medalist himself, will now be hoping to medal at the senior World Championships in Belgrade, Serbia.

"I train in Iowa and I believe in my potential," he said. "As you train with the best in the world, you keep improving and hopefully I will be able to beat the wrestlers at 97kg. If not now, then when?"

Vinesh PHOGAT (IND) claimed her third consecutive Commonwealth Games gold medal. (Photo: UWW / Helena Curtis)

Vinesh wins third gold

Her cousin sister Geeta PHOGAT (IND) may be the first Indian woman to win the Commonwealth gold but Vinesh PHOGAT (IND) became the first woman from the country to win it three times.

In a confidence-boosting gold win in Birmingham, Phogat defeated world bronze medalist Samantha STEWART (CAN) and African champion Mercy ADEKUOROYE (NGR) in Round 1 and Round 2 to all but confirm the gold in the morning session.

She pinned Stewart and almost pinned Adekuoroye but the Nigerian was in danger position for close to two minutes and lost 6-0.

"It's a good confidence-boosting win for me," Phogat said. "Canada and Nigeria do pose a challenge in this tournament but thankfully I managed to win here."

Miesinnei GENESIS (NGR) celebrates after winning the 50kg gold medal in Birmingham. (Photo: UWW / Helena Curtis)

At 50kg, Madison PARKS (CAN) and Miesinnei GENESIS (NGR) were involved in a close battle in the gold medal bout with Parks scoring a stepout when she was put on the activity clock. But Genesis took a 1-1 criteria lead and as the match entered the final minute, it looked like Genesis will hang on for a 1-1 win but hit a lateral drop and secured the fall to win Nigeria's third gold medal in women's wrestling.

As she was trailing, Parks went for a single leg shot but got countered for the pin. She had made a stunning comeback in the semifinals against Pooja GEHLOT (IND). After giving up a six-point lead, Parks slowly worked her way with takedowns and made it 6-4. She scored a takedown with nine seconds remaining on the clock. Gehlot, hoping to keep her one-point lead, moved away but Parks sprung to action and hit a huge underhook for four to win 9-6.

Genesis was the third gold medalist for Nigeria after Odunayo ADEKUOROYE (NGR) and Blessing OBORUDUDU (NGR) won the gold at 57kg and 68kg respectively.

Justina DI STASIO (CAN) hit a four against Hannah RUEBEN (NGR) in the 76kg final. (Photo: UWW / Helena Curtis)

The final gold of the night went to former world champion Justina DI STASIO (CAN) who defeated Hannah RUEBEN (NGR), 4-2, in the final to capture her first Commonwealth Games gold.

Her's was the only big move of the final as she hit a four-pointer against Rueben who managed to score only two points.

Earlier in May, Di Stasio made a comeback to the sport after two years and managed to win a bronze medal. But with ambitions of winning the World Championships gold as she did in 2018, Di Stasio got a big shot in the arm with the gold in Birmingham.

RESULTS

Freestyle

57kg
GOLD: Ravi KUMAR (IND) df. Ebikewenimo WELSON (NGR), 10-0

BRONZE: Asad ALI (PAK) df. Suraj SINGH (NZL), 11-0
BRONZE: Darthe CAPELLAN (CAN) df. Jakobo TAU (RSA), 12-2

74kg
GOLD: NAVEEN (IND) df. Muhammad TAHIR (PAK), 9-0

BRONZE: Jasmit PHULKA (CAN) df. Cole HAWKINS (NZL), 10-0
BRONZE: Ogbonna JOHN (NGR) df. Charlie BOWLING (ENG), 10-0

97kg
GOLD: Nishan RANDHAWA (CAN) df. Nicolaas DE LANGE (RSA), 9-3

BRONZE: Thomas BARNS (AUS) df. Maulalo ALOFIPO (SAM), 12-0
BRONZE: Deepak NEHRA (IND) df. Tayab RAZA (PAK), 10-2

Women’s Wrestling

50kg
GOLD: Miesinnei GENESIS (NGR) df. Madison PARKS (CAN), via fall

BRONZE: Pooja GEHLOT (IND) df. Christelle LETCHIDJIO (SCO), 12-2

53kg
GOLD: Vinesh PHOGAT (IND)
SILVER: Samantha STEWART (CAN)
BRONZE: Mercy ADEKUOROYE (NGR)

Key bout: Vinesh PHOGAT (IND) df. Samantha STEWART (CAN), via fall

76kg
GOLD: Justina DI STASIO (CAN) df. Hannah RUEBEN (NGR), 4-2

BRONZE: Pooja SIHAG (IND) df. Naomi DE BRUINE (AUS), 10-0
BRONZE: Georgina NELTHORPE (ENG) df. Madusu KOROMA (SLE), via fall

#WrestleZagreb

World Championships 2025: Day 4 WW 50kg, 57kg, 65kg, 76kg Highlights

Tuesday, September 16, 2025 - 08:29 By Ken Marantz & Vinay Siwach

ZAGREB, Croatia (September 16) -- The fourth day of the Women's Wrestling will see all Women's Wrestling action. Weight classes on the mat are 50kg, 57kg, 65kg and 76kg.

WATCH LIVE | LIVE MATCH ORDER | DAY 3 RESULTS

The 2026 World Championships will be held in Bahrain from September 5 to 13.

13:44: Welker got to Medet Kyzy's legs and then converts it to a takedown. Welker scores a stepout to start the second period and extender her lead to 3-0. Medet Kyzy gets the takedown to make it 3-2 with a minute remaining. The Asian champion tries to find a way to get the one point and tries a pushout. Welker blocks it but Medet Kyzy slips her arm out and scores a takedown. She continues the action with a turn and leads 6-3 with 10 seconds remaining. An easy go-behind and she wins 8-3 to enter the semifinals.

13:41: Genesis REASCO (ECU) goes right to the lace lock in a first-period attack and before Enrica RINALDI (ITA) knows what hit her, she's behind 6-0. Reasco then gets behind and levers her over for an exposure to make it 10-0. A bit of a delay for a challenge, but nothing changes and officially Reasco wins 11-0 to advance to the 76kg semifinals.

13:37: European champion Anastasiya ALPYEYEVA (UKR) uses the leg lace to great effect and wins her 76kg semifinal against Davaanasan ENKH AMAR (MGL), 10-0.

13:36: Milaimy MARIN (CUB) bulls her way into the 76kg semifinals with a one-sided 10-0 win over Nodoka YAMAMOTO (JPN). Marin gets behind for the takedown, then reels off four gut wrenches to end the match in 57 seconds.

50kg semifinals
SF 1: Remina YOSHIMOTO (JPN) vs. Myonggyong WON (PRK)
SF 2: Munkhnar BYAMBASUREN (MGL) vs. Yu ZHANG (CHN)

13:32: Yu ZHANG (CHN) scores a takedown in the first period, then adds two more and a thigh-lock roll to secure a semifinal spot at 50kg with an 8-0 win over Emanuela LIUZZI (ITA).

13:31: Munkhnar BYAMBASUREN (MGL) gets a stepout while on the activity clock in the second period to put her up 2-0, then makes that score hold up to defeat Nohalis LOYO JIMENEZ (VEN) and advance at 50kg.

13:28: Remina YOSHIMOTO (JPN) gets a takedown and lace turn on Oksana LIVACH (UKR) to open the scoring in their 50kg quarterfinal. After the 4-0 lead, she adds two different takedowns to lead 8-0 at the break. Livach with a big throw out of nowhere but Yoshimoto survives the attempted pin and scores a reversal. An exposure to make it 11-4 which was the winning score for her.

13:25: Asian bronze medalist Myonggyong WON (PRK) catches Madison PARKS (CAN) in a lace and finishes her quarterfinal 12-0. Parks just could not stop Won's powerful turns.

57kg semifinals
SF 1: Helen MAROULIS (USA) vs. Olga KHOROSHAVTSEVA (UWW)
SF 2: Il Sim SON (PRK) vs. Kexin HONG (CHN)

13:19: Tamara DOLLAK (HUN) found a way to takedown Olga KHOROSHAVTSEVA (UWW) in the final 20 seconds of their 57kg semifinal. Down 6-1, she scored two points from that takedown and then turned Khoroshavtseva for two more points to make it 6-5. She needed one more turn for a win but the 10 seconds ran off and Khoroshavtseva booked her spot in the semifinal with a 6-5 win.

13:15: Il Sim SON (PRK) is looking sharp at 57kg, as she finishes off a 12-0 victory over Iryna KURACHKINA (UWW) with a 4-point fireman's carry throw in the second period to book her place in the semifinals later today.

13:13: Kexin HONG (CHN) learns her lesson after giving up a counter-lift 2-pointer to Evelina HULTHEN (SWE) in their 57kg quarterfinal. Hong is more deliberate as she drives to three takedowns, going into the lace lock after the final one and reeling off three rolls to win 13:2 in 2:49.

13:12: Helen MAROULIS (USA) pins Himeka TOKUHARA (JPN) in the 57kg quarterfinals! She trips Tokuhara and holds her for a fall and enter the semifinals at 57kg.

65kg semifinals
SF 1: Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN) vs Irina RINGACI (MDA)
SF 2: Enkhjin TUVSHINJARGAL (MGL) vs. Alina KASABIEVA (UWW)

13:05: Irina RINGACI (MDA) with a suplex for four against Kadriye KOCAK AKSOY (TUR) in the 65kg quarterfinals. She then adds a two-pointer to make it 6-0. Aksoy seems to have hurt herself during that throw. A stepout for Ringaci but it is challenged by Turkiye and it is awarded four points to Aksoy to cut it to 6-4. A takedown and turn for Ringaci in the second period as she extends to 10-4. Aksoy tries to comeback but Ringaci with a lace and she wins 16-6.

13:01: Grace BULLEN (NOR) sees her bid for an elusive first world title when she falls behind 8-3 in the second period off a scramble with Alina KASABIEVA (UWW), then in a desperation attack, gets slammed to her back for a fall with :08 left in their 65kg quarterfinal.

13:00: Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN) gets a stepout to get on board after Iryna KOLIADENKO (UKR) scored the opening takedown in their 65kg quarterfinal. In the second period, Morikawa with a leg attack and comes out on top with a takedown and leads 3-2. She manages to turn Koliadenko to make it 5-2 with 50 seconds left. She scores a stepout and hangs on to her 6-2 lead to win and enter the semifinals.

12:59: After the two trade two points in a first-period scramble, Enkhjin TUVSHINJARGAL (MGL) catches Vaishnavi PATIL (IND) with a counter directly to her back and secures a fall to advance to the 65kg semfinals.

Quarterfinals

12:48: Asian bronze medalist Nodoka YAMAMOTO (JPN), holding the fort at 76kg for Japan as Olympic champion Yuka KAGAMI (JPN) remains on hiatus, survives a dangerous situation to edge QIANDEGENCHAGAN (CHN) 6-5. With the Chinese leading 1-0 but on the activity clock in the second period, Yamamoto drives forward for a 4-point takedown that is upheld on challenge. The activity point gives her a 6-1 lead. But Qiandegenchagan catches her in a headlock and Yamamoto spends some anxious time fighting off her back. Qiandegenchagan then gains a stepout and a late takedown, but can't turn the Japanese in the final seconds.

12:35: Genesis REASCO (ECU) scores two takedowns in the first period to lead 4-0 at the break against PRIYA (IND) at 76kg. Priya gets on back in the second period but that is all in the bout and Reasco wins 4-2 and advance to the 76kg quarterfinals.

12:28: Former world U20 champion Yu ZHANG (CHN) worked on two takedowns and a roll before launching a big attack on Evin DEMIRHAN (TUR) at 50kg. She gives up two exposure points but manages six points from the exchange to win 12-2 and reach the 50kg quarterfinals.

12:18: Asian bronze medalist Myonggyong WON (PRK) storms into the 50kg quarterfinals with a 10-0 victory over Svetlana ANKICHEVA (KAZ). After a stepout, Won gains a takedown with Ankicheva on the clock and whips off two lace-lock rolls. Another takedown and that's all she wrote.

12:10: Paris Olympic bronze medalist Milaimy MARIN (CUB) makes short work of Anastasiya ZIMIANKOVA (UWW), getting a takedown and gut wrench, then coming back and doing it again, with an added roll to finish off a 10-0 victory in their 76kg match in just over a minute.

12:07: Anastasiya ALPYEYEVA (UKR) shrugs off giving up an early takedown by coming back to take Ozoda ZARIPBOEVA (UZB) down directly to her back and securing a fall at 76kg.

12:04: World U20 silver medalist Audrey JIMENEZ (USA) finds the going tough in her senior world debut at 50kg, as Emanuela LIUZZI (ITA) grabs a stepout for the lone point of the first period. But Jimenez gets in gear and opens the second period with a takedown, only to get flagged for fleeing, giving Liuzzi a point and the top position of par terre -- from which she hits a gut wrench. In the final seconds, Liuzzi scores a 2-point counter exposure as Jimenez gets behind, but time runs out, giving the Italian a 6-3 win.

11:55: She had a slow start in the first bout but Himeka TOKUHARA (JPN) wins via technical superiority against Zhala ALIYEVA (AZE) at 57kg. Tokuhara with a big four-pointer in that bout.

11:50: A wild one on Mat C as European bronze medalist Solomiia VYNNYK (UKR) and Paris Olympic bronze medalist Kexin HONG (CHN) trade 4-point moves in a non-stop thriller at 57kg that sees Hong go from a 4-0 deficit to a 7-6 lead at the break. Hong gets two more takedowns off a single in which she fights off Vynnyk's counter attempts, and adds an exposure after the second one to go up 13-7. Another takedown and an exposure gives her a 17-6 with 18 seconds to spare.

11:45: Paris Olympic bronze medalist and two-time reigning European champion Grace BULLEN (NOR) absolutely devastates 2023 world 59kg champion Qi ZHANG (CHN) in their opener at 65kg, scoring two takedowns in the first period, then starting the second with a 4-point throw. A double-leg takedown gives her an 11-0 victory.

11:40: Helen MAROULIS (USA) with her trademark arm-bar to get the fall against Emine CAKMAK (TUR) at 57kg. Maroulis is looking to add to her world medal collections.

11:35: Olympic silver medalist at 62kg Iryna KOLIADENKO (UKR) has no trouble in seeing off Alexis GOMEZ (MEX), 10-0, in 46 seconds at 65kg.

11:31: 2024 world U23 silver medalist Alina KASABIEVA (UWW) scores 4 with a reverse throw against two-time world medalist Macey KILTY (USA) at 65kg. The two then trade takedowns to put Kasabieva up 6-2 at the break. But Kilty goes on the attack and scores two takedowns, but Kasabieva has the big-point criteria, and she holds on for a 6-6 win.

11:21: A historic moment for wrestling, as Aylah MAYALI (PLE) becomes the first Palestinian woman to take the mat at a World Championships. Unfortunately, the (un)luck of the draw at 65kg put her against three-time world medalist Irina RINGACI (MDA), who is looking to regain the world title she won in 2021. Ringaci proved too much for the Canadian-born Mayali, using a back-trip twice and a throw to score three 4-point moves and win 12-0 in 1:03. Mayali, who won a silver medal at the 2021 Pan Am Championships, first appeared for Palestine at this year's Asian Championships, where she placed eighth.

11:20: World champion Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN) just started off with a 10-0 technical superiority win over Miki ROWBOTTOM (CAN) at 65kg. She is looking for her second world title. Morikawa finished with a bronze medal last year at 65kg

11:12: Tokyo Olympic silver medalist and four-time world medalist Iryna KURACHKINA (UWW) breaks open a close match with a takedown and gut wrench in the second period, then goes on to post a 10-2 victory over Magdalena GLODEK (POL) at 57kg.

11:05: Myonggyong WON (PRK) built an 8-2 lead and tried defending it against Elizaveta SMIRNOVA (UWW) at 50kg. But Smirnova kept coming back against Won. However, it was Won who managed to score another takedown and win 10-8.

10:55: Himeka TOKUHARA (JPN), a former world U23 champion, handles her match against Samantha STEWART (CAN) with great strategy. She works slowly before getting two takedowns in the second period to win 5-0 at 57kg.

10:30: Welcome to day four of the World Championships with all women's wrestling action. The weight classes in action are 50kg, 57kg, 65kg and 76kg.

India, Canada share 5 golds as Commonwealth Games comes to close

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World Championships 2025: Day 4 WW 50kg, 57kg, 65kg, 76kg Highlights