Junior Asian Championships

Iran Bags 3 Greco Golds on Opening Day of Junior Asian C'ships

Tuesday, July 9, 2019 - 15:06 By United World Wrestling Press

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CHON BURI, Thailand (July 9) - Iran claimed three of the five gold medals in Greco-Roman on the opening day of the Junior Asian Championships in Chon Buri, Thailand.

Winning gold medals for Iran were Mohammad NAGHOUSI (77kg), Hasan FOROUZANDEH GHOJEHBEIGLOU (87kg) and Aliakbar YOUSOFIAHMADCHALI (IRI). The other two gold medals were won by India and Kazakhstan. 

Iran's first champion, Naghousi, came back to defeat Akylbek TALANTBEKOV (KGZ) 6-3 at 77kg in a battle of cadet world bronze medalists. Talantbekov controlled the first period, scoring a passivity point and then a gut wrench to grab a 3-0 lead at the break. With just over a minute remaining, Naghousi scored a takedown to cut the deficit to 3-2 before executing a four-point throw to go up by three and eventually give him the victory. Naghousi won a gold medal at the Cadet Asian Championships last year.

Forouzandeh Ghojehbeiglou topped Meirbek KORDABAY (KAZ) 5-1 to earn the gold medal at 87kg. Kordabay scored the first point of the match off a passivity, but the Iranian dominated the rest of the way. He scored a takedown midway through the first period to go up 2-1. Forouzandeh Ghojehbeiglou added to his lead in the second period, scoring a point off a passivity before adding two more points off a gut wrench.  

Yousofiahmadchali, a U23 world bronze medalist, dominated Aawesh AAWESH (IND) in the gold-medal match at 130kg. The Iranian heavyweight scored points off a passivity and a step out to go up 2-0 before throwing Aawesh to his back late in the first period to secure a fall. 

Junior world bronze medalist Vijay VIJAY (IND) improved on his Junior Asian Championships finish from a year ago, winning the gold medal at 55kg after earning a silver last year . He shut out past cadet world bronze medalist Ikhtiyor BOTIROV (UZB) 4-0 in the gold-medal match at 55kg. Vijay scored a passivity point in the first period, and then added three step-out points in the final two minutes of the match.

At 63kg, Assaukhat MUKHAMADIYEV (KAZ) held on to edge Saeid ARJMANDDASHTAKI (IRI) 2-2 on criteria in the gold-medal match at 63kg. Arjmanddashtaki scored first with a step out, but Mukhamadiyev responded with a step out of his own and took the criteria lead into the break. The Iranian retook the lead in the second period, scoring off a passivity, but just like in the first period, Mukhamadiyev would respond. He scored off a passivity with just over a minute remaining to take the lead and held on for the criteria win. 

The five remaining Greco-Roman weight categories, 60kg, 67kg, 72kg, 82kg and 97kg, will be contested Wednesday at the Junior Asian Championships, with action set to begin at 10 a.m. local time. 

RESULTS

Greco-Roman

55kg
GOLD - Vijay VIJAY (IND) df. Ikhtiyor BOTIROV (UZB), 4-0
BRONZE - Donghyeok WON (KOR) df. Koichi TSUTSUMI (JPN), 2-1
BRONZE - Zhanibek ISSAKHANOV (KAZ) df. Sahatsawat PHUANGKAEO (THA), 9-0

63kg
GOLD - Assaukhat MUKHAMADIYEV (KAZ) df. Saeid ARJMANDDASHTAKI (IRI), 2-2
BRONZE - Ryota KOSHIBA (JPN) df. Javokhirbek SAMATOV (UZB), 8-3
BRONZE - Sangjun PARK (KOR) df. Nursultan MAKHMUDOV (KGZ), 5-4

77kg
GOLD - Mohammad NAGHOUSI (IRI) df. Akylbek TALANTBEKOV (KGZ), 6-3
BRONZE - Nao KUSAKA (JPN) df. Zhalgasov DAULET (KAZ), 8-0
BRONZE - Dilshod OMONGELDIYEV (UZB) df. Bahetijiang KELAN (CHN), 7-0

87kg
GOLD - Hasan FOROUZANDEH GHOJEHBEIGLOU (IRI) df. Meirbek KORDABAY (KAZ), 5-1
BRONZE - Ryohta NASUKAWA (JPN) df. Han LEI (CHN), FALL 
BRONZE - Kumar SUNIL (IND) df. Azat SALIDINOV (KGZ), 10-7

130kg
GOLD - Aliakbar Hossein YOUSOFIAHMADCHALI (IRI) df. Aawesh AAWESH (IND), FALL 
BRONZE - Alibek SARSENGALIYEV (KAZ) df. Ilyosbek GULOMJONOV (UZB), 8-0
 

#WrestleNoviSad

U23 Worlds: U.S. and Iran tied in Freestyle team race

Monday, October 27, 2025 - 10:11 By Vinay Siwach

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NOVI SAD, Serbia (October 26) -- Like it has been the story at every World Championships this year, Iran and the United States are locked in a tight race for the Freestyle team trophy yet again.

The U.S. and Iran are tied 102 points at the U23 World Championships in Novi Sad with just one more day of competition left. The scores tied after U.S. won two golds on Sunday while Iran managed only one along with one silver. Azerbaijan won the gold at the expense of Iran.

World silver medalist Levi HAINES (USA) became a U23 world champion one month after missing the title at the senior event with yet another dominant win. He faced Ibrahim YAPRAK (TUR) in the final and came out on top 11-1.

Yaprak got the first stepout of the bout but it was all Haines from there on. He used a lateral drop to get four points and lead 4-1. The second four-pointer for Haines came when Yaprak tried to throw him using a chestwrap but Haines easily blocked him and landed on top to lead 8-1. A head outside takedown and one stepout was enough for Haines to complete the technical superiority win.

Luke LILLEDAHL (USA)Luke LILLEDAHL (USA) added a U23 world gold to go with his U17 and U20 golds. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

At 57kg, U17 and U20 world champion Luke LILLEDAHL (USA) added a U23 world title to his name with a clinical 4-0 victory over Yuta KIKUCHI (JPN) in the final.

Kikuchi was called passive twice in the match and both times Lilledahl got a point. During the second activity period, Lilledahl hit a sweep single and converted it into a takedown to lead 4-0 with a minute remaining in the final. Lilledahl then defended that lead despite Kikuchi's smart movements to earn his third age-group world title.

Abolfazl MOHAMMAD NEZHAD (IRI)Abolfazl MOHAMMAD NEZHAD (IRI) celebrates after beating Khetag KARSANOV (AZE) in the 125kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)  

Iran's gold medal came at 125kg as U20 world silver medalist Abolfazl MOHAMMAD NEZHAD (IRI) dominated Khetag KARSANOV (AZE), 11-0, in the final. Mohammad Nezhad moved more swiftly than he did in the final at the U20 Worlds.

Karsanov was called passive in the first period and then he gave up a stepout along with fleeing and Mohammad Nezhad was up 3-0. He scored a nice takedown to extend his lead before two go-behinds to be up 9-0.

Karsanov tried hitting a desperate throw only to fall on his own back and give Mohammad Nezhad the winning two points and the gold medal.

Iran could have managed to win a second medal gold of the night but Sina KHALILI (IRI) got clutched by Kanan HEYBATOV (AZE) in the 70kg final.

Khalili began on a good note, getting a point for passivity and then a takedown to lead 3-0 at the break. Heybatov managed to find an opening in the second period with a fireman's carry and transitioned the move, lifting Khalili and dropping him on the mat in danger for four points and take a 4-3 lead.

Iran challenged the decision, perhaps asking for two points for Khalili, but lost it. The 5-3 lead for Heybatov left Khalili to score at least three point for victory with two points remaining.

He got one point for Heybatov's fleeing but he still needed two points to overturn the deficit with 27 seconds remaining. Khalili took a fake shot and Heybatov countered with a takedown and turn to make it 9-4 for the win.

A gold for Khalili would have been Iran a lead of five points over the U.S. but now both countries are tied.

On Monday with medal bouts in four weight classes, the U.S. has one in Jaxen FORREST (USA) while Iran has one wrestler in bronze medal bouts and second in repechage. While Iran needs to win all, it has to also have that Forrest loses his final to win the team title.

Incidentally, the U.S. needed to win all its bouts on the final day at the U17 World Championships in Athens and also hope that Iran loses all its bouts. That actually happened.

RESULTS

57kg
GOLD: Luke LILLEDAHL (USA) df. Yuta KIKUCHI (JPN), 4-0

BRONZE: Milad VALIZADEH (IRI) df. Aiandai ONDAR (UWW), 10-1
BRONZE: Nodirbek JUMANAZAROV (UZB) df. Vladyslav ABRAMOV (UKR), 5-0

70kg
GOLD: Kanan HEYBATOV (AZE) df. Sina KHALILI (IRI), 9-4

BRONZE: Alexandr GAIDARLI (MDA) df. Maiis ALIYEV (KAZ), 10-3
BRONZE: PJ DUKE (USA) df. Davit MARGARYAN (ARM), via fall (7-2)

79kg
GOLD: Levi HAINES (USA) df. Ibrahim YAPRAK (TUR), 11-1

BRONZE: Mahdi YOUSEFI (IRI) df. Davud DAUDOV (UWW), 13-3
BRONZE: Geannis GARZON (CUB) df. Nikita DMITRIJEVS MAYEUSKI (UWW), 4-0

125kg
GOLD: Abolfazl MOHAMMAD NEZHAD (IRI) df. Khetag KARSANOV (AZE), 11-0

BRONZE: Hakan BUYUKCINGIL (TUR) df. Daniel HERRERA (USA), 14-3
BRONZE: Khabib DAVUDGADZHIEV (UWW) df. Khachatur KHACHATRYAN (ARM), 9-5

Semifinals

61kg
GOLD: Omurbek ASAN UULU (KGZ) vs. Jaxen FORREST (USA)

SF 1: Omurbek ASAN UULU (KGZ) df. Tolga OZBEK (TUR), 12-1
SF 2: Jaxen FORREST (USA) df. Akito MUKAIDA (JPN), 15-5

65kg
GOLD: SUJEET (IND) vs. Umidjon JALOLOV (UZB)

SF 1: SUJEET (IND) df. Yuto NISHIUCHI (JPN), 3-2
SF 2: Umidjon JALOLOV (UZB) df. Bilol SHARIP UULU (KGZ), 5-2

86kg
GOLD: Eugeniu MIHALCEAN (MDA) vs. Arsen BALAIAN (UWW)

SF 1: Eugeniu MIHALCEAN (MDA) df. Abolfazl RAHMANI (IRI), 2-1
SF 2: Arsen BALAIAN (UWW) df. Tornike SAMKHARADZE (GEO), 10-0

97kg
GOLD: Merab SULEIMANISHVILI (GEO) vs. Arash YOSHIDA (JPN)

BRONZE: Arash YOSHIDA (JPN) df. Rizabek AITMUKHAN (KAZ), via fall (10-0)
BRONZE: Merab SULEIMANISHVILI (GEO) df. Soslan DZHAGAEV (UWW), 16-5