Junior Asian Championships

Iran Captures Freestyle Team Title on Final Day of Junior Asian C'ships

By United World Wrestling Press

CHON BURI, Thailand (July 14) - After winning the Greco-Roman team title on Wednesday, Iran captured the freestyle team title on the final day of the Junior Asian Championships in Chon Buri, Thailand.

For the second straight day, Iran won three gold medals in freestyle, bringing the gold-medal haul to six over the two-day freestyle competition. Iran finished with 201 points, 55 points ahead of runner-up Japan. India finished third in the team standings with 129 points. 

Iran's gold medalists on Sunday were Mahdi SHIRAZI (61kg), Ali Reza ABDOLLAHI (92kg) and Amir ZARE (125kg). 

Mahdi SHIRAZI (IRI) claimed a gold medal at 61kg. (Photo: Sachiko Hotaka)

Shirazi used a big first period to pace him to a 6-0 victory over Nodir RAKHIMOV (UZB) in the gold-medal match at 61kg. After scoring his first point from the activity clock, Shirazi picked up a four-point, feet-to-back takedown to build his lead to 5-0. He would add an additional point off a caution in the second period to win by six. 

Ali Reza ABDOLLAHI (IRI) scored with a big throw in the finals. (Photo: Sachiko Hotaka)

Abdollahi, a cadet world champion, was dominant in the 92kg finals, beating Ajiniyaz SAPARNIYAZOV (UZB) by 10-0 technical superiority in the first period. After scoring with a step out, Abdollahi executed a throw midway through the first period to score four points and go up 5-0. A short time later, he picked up a four-point, feet-to-back takedown. The call was challenged and upheld, giving the Iranian the gold medal. Last year Abdollahi won gold at the Cadet Asian Championships. 

Zare, also a cadet world champion, cruised to the gold medal at 125kg by beating Buheeerdun BUHEEERDUN (CHN) 11-1 in the finals. Zare got on the scoreboard first with a step out before Buheeerdun responded a short time later with a step out of his own to take the lead on criteria. But the Iranian dominated the rest of the way. He scored a couple takedowns to go up 5-1 and then used a gut wrench to turn Buheeerdun twice and build his lead to 9-1. Zare fired off a single leg late in the first period for another takedown, which closed out the technical superiority. 

Parveen MALIK (IND) won the gold at 74kg. (Photo: Sachiko Hotaka)

Parveen MALIK (IND) hung on to defeat Tu AHEIYOU (CHN) 4-2 in the gold-medal match at 74kg. He adds a junior Asian gold to his collection after winning a cadet Asian gold in 2017. Malik scored all four of his points in the first 30 seconds of the match off a four-point, feet-to-back takedown. Aheiyou battled his way back into the match, but ultimately fell short.

Tatsuya SHIRAI (JPN) defeated Baisal KUBATOV (KGZ) in the 86kg finals. (Photo: Sachiko Hotaka)

Tatsuya SHIRAI (JPN) edged Baisal KUBATOV (KGZ) 2-1 in the finals at 86kg. Shirai scored first off the activity clock and then with a step out to take a 2-0 lead at the break. Kubatov found his first point in the final 15 seconds, but Shirai would hang on to win. 

RESULTS

Final Freestyle Team Scores 
GOLD - Iran (201 points)
SILVER - Japan (146 points)
BRONZE - India (129 points)
Fourth - Kazakhstan (111 points)
Fifth - Korea (111 points)

61kg
GOLD - Mahdi SHIRAZI (IRI) df. Nodir RAKHIMOV (UZB), 6-0
BRONZE - Ikromzhon KHADZHIMURODOV (KGZ) df. Kodai OGAWA (JPN), 8-4
BRONZE - Adil OSPANOV (KAZ) df. Putawan SENAWAT (THA), 10-0

74kg
GOLD - Parveen MALIK (IND) df. Tu AHEIYOU (CHN), 4-2
BRONZE - Yu FUJITA (JPN) df. Jinwoo MOON (KOR), 11-0
BRONZE - Amirhossein KAVOUSI (IRI) df. Bayarsaikhan TSEDENBALJIR (MGL), 11-0

86kg
GOLD - Tatsuya SHIRAI (JPN) df. Baisal KUBATOV (KGZ), 2-1
BRONZE - Govind KUMAR (IND) df. Seyedabolfazl HASHEMIJOUYBARI (IRI), 8-4
BRONZE - Jeongwoo PARK (KOR) df. Teng ZHAO (CHN), 3-0

92kg
GOLD - Ali Reza ABDOLLAHI (IRI) df. Ajiniyaz SAPARNIYAZOV (UZB), 10-0
BRONZE - Haksu BAN (KOR) df. Enkh Orgil BEEJIN (MGL), 4-2
BRONZE - Symbat SULAIMANOV (KGZ) df. Bekzat URKIMBAY (KAZ), FALL

125kg
GOLD - Amir ZARE (IRI) df. Buheeerdun BUHEEERDUN (CHN), 11-1
BRONZE - Vishal VISHAL (IND) df. Gan Erdene SODBILEG (MGL), 7-0
BRONZE - Bakdaulet OSSERBAY (KAZ) df. Shogo MUTO (JPN), 10-0
 

#WrestleAthens

U17 Worlds: Georgia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan put two each in Greco finals

By Vinay Siwach

ATHENS, Greece (July 28) -- Athens and Olympics are incomplete without each other. The Olympic flame is lit in Athens, as a mark of ancient Olympics and modern Olympic restarting in Athens in 1896.

So as the World U17 Championships kicked off in Athens on Monday, the opening ceremony had to be about the fire of the flame. The wrestlers too were fired up in action on the mat.

Wrestlers from seven different countries made it to the Greco-Roman finals on day one of the tournament which began with 48kg, 55kg, 65kg, 80kg and 110kg. Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Georgia entered two wrestlers each in Tuesday's finals.

Kazakhstan's run began with 48kg as Asian U17 champion Nurdaulet KUMARULY (KAZ) earned himself a chance to win a world title after he defeated Kaisei YAMAMOTO (JPN), who was 12th last year at the World U17 Championships, in a back-and-forth semifinal at 48kg.

Yamamoto led 2-0 but Kumaruly hit a headlock throw for four points on the edge and got a 4-2 lead. But the Japanese was not one to give up. He scored a takedown and turn to reclaim the lead, 6-4. Kazakhstan challenged the scoring and won it as the first throw from Yamamoto was not considered as control.

Kumaruly led 4-4 on criteria and then executed a similar throw for four points and won the semifinal 8-4. He will face Asian U17 bronze medalist Bunyod HASANOV (UZB) in the final after the Uzbekistan wrestler defeated Baris SOYLU (TUR) in the semifinal.

Soylu began with a two-pointer counter to get on the scoreboard but failed to turn Hasanov from par terre. He led 3-0 going into the break and then defended his par terre position in the second period to give himself a good chance to reach the final.

However, Hasanov mounted a comeback with a front headlock throw four points to lead 5-3, and later added a takedown and a turn to win 11-3.

Alkham ABDIRASULOV (KGZ)Asian U17 champion Alkham ABDIRASULOV (KGZ) reached the World U17 Championships final at 55kg. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

Another Asian U17 champion reached the final in Athens as Alkham ABDIRASULOV (KGZ) defended a pushing Aditya GUPTA (IND) in the 55kg semifinals. He booked a place in the final against Nurali ASKAR (KAZ), who finished fifth at the Asian U17 Championships, in what will be a rematch of the semifinal from Vietnam.

Abdirasulov had a big four-point throw and raced to a 6-0 lead in the semifinal against Gupta who managed to get one on board with a stepout. Gupta then got lucky as Abdirasulov tried an arm-spin but landed on his back and Gupta completed the control for four points. However, Abdirasulov kept his 6-5 lead for the remaining 90 seconds to win the semifinal.

Aksar turned Makhdi BAROTOV (TJK) from par terre to lead 3-0 in the other semifinal and gave up just a stepout when he was put in par terre to win 3-2. Barotov was hoping to becoming just the second wrestler from Tajikistan to reach a World Championships final in Greco-Roman.

Erekle TAVBERIDZE (GEO)Erekle TAVBERIDZE (GEO), European U17 champion, reached the 65kg final in Athens and will taken on Janes NAZARYAN (ARM), an opponent he defeated in Euro final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

A rematch of the European U17 Championships will be played at 65kg after Erekle TAVBERIDZE (GEO) and Janes NAZARYAN (ARM) made it to Tuesday's gold-medal bout. Tavberidze had humbled Nazaryan 9-0 in the final in Skopje in June.

Tavberidze outperformed ANUJ (IND) in the semifinal, scoring eight points from gut-wrench in the semifinal period to win 9-1 while Nazaryan had to work a little harder against Yehor TARASENKO (UKR) in the other semifinal.

He got the first par terre position and scored a drop on Tarasenko for four but Ukraine challenged and the call was overturned. With a 1-0 lead, Nazaryan defended the position from par terre in the second period. As Tarasenko let off of the hold, Nazaryan scored a takedown and won 3-1.

Tavberidze took out Dosbol SHAMIL (KAZ) in his opening bout 5-3 before beating Maxim DAMASCHIN (MDA) in the 1/8 final. He blanked Shohijahon BOBOEV (TJK) in the quarterfinals.

Nazaryan had an equally good run to the final as he defeated Pan-American U17 champion Arseni KIKINOU (USA), Huseyn ISGANDAROV (AZE) and Kyliane EDDOUH (FRA).

Abdulaziz KHOLMIRZAEV (UZB)Abdulaziz KHOLMIRZAEV (UZB) pinned Nurislam OSKONBAEV (KGZ) in the 80kg semifinal. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

Abdulaziz KHOLMIRZAEV (UZB) showed why he is one of the top upcoming wrestlers as he slammed Nurislam OSKONBAEV (KGZ) with a bodylock four and then secured the fall in the 80kg semifinal. He is now one win away from winning the world title.

But standing between him and gold medal is Luka MARTIASHVILI (GEO) who needed a late stepout to beat Ismail BEREKET (TUR), 2-1 in the other semifinal. The Georgian finished fifth at the European U17 Championships but in 92kg.

In what turned out be a poor day for Iran, the defending team champions, Yazdan DELROUZ (IRI) gave it something to cheer about after making the 110kg final. That was the finalist for Iran on Monday.

Taking on Temuri SIMSIVE (GEO) in the semifinals, Delrouz had a takedown sandwiched between his two par terre points to win 4-0.

HARDEEP (IND)Asian U17 champion HARDEEP (IND) defeated Emrullah CAPKAN (TUR) in the 110kg semifinals. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

He will take on Asian U17 champion HARDEEP (IND) who denied Emrullah CAPKAN (TUR) another chance to be in the final. The Turkiye wrestler had finished fifth last year.

Capkan got the 1-0 lead in the semifinal but Hardeep bounced back with a stepout. Capkan managed to get one back and take a 2-1 lead but that was the last point he scored.

Hardeep came back with a takedown and then got the par terre point in the second period and won the semifinal 4-2.

RESULTS

48kg
GOLD: Nurdaulet KUMARULY (KAZ) vs. Bunyod HASANOV (UZB)

SF 1: Bunyod HASANOV (UZB) df. Baris SOYLU (TUR), 12-3
SF 2: Nurdaulet KUMARULY (KAZ) df. Kaisei YAMAMOTO (JPN), 8-4

55kg
GOLD: Alkham ABDIRASULOV (KGZ) vs. Nurali ASKAR (KAZ)

SF 1: Nurali ASKAR (KAZ) df. Makhdi BAROTOV (TJK), 4-2
SF 2: Alkham ABDIRASULOV (KGZ) df. Aditya GUPTA (IND), 6-5

65kg
GOLD: Erekle TAVBERIDZE (GEO) vs. Janes NAZARYAN (ARM)

SF 1: Janes NAZARYAN (ARM) df. Yehor TARASENKO (UKR), 3-1
SF 2: Erekle TAVBERIDZE (GEO) df. ANUJ (IND), 9-1

80kg
GOLD: Luka MARTIASHVILI (GEO) vs. Abdulaziz KHOLMIRZAEV (UZB)

SF 1: Abdulaziz KHOLMIRZAEV (UZB) df. Nurislam OSKONBAEV (KGZ), via fall (4-2)
SF 2: Luka MARTIASHVILI (GEO) df. Ismail BEREKET (TUR), 2-1

110kg
GOLD: Yazdan DELROUZ (IRI) vs. HARDEEP (IND)

SF 1: HARDEEP (IND) df. Emrullah CAPKAN (TUR), 4-2
SF 2: Yazdan DELROUZ (IRI) df. Temuri SIMSIVE (GEO), 4-0