#CadetAsians

Iran Captures FS & GR Titles in Cadets Asian C’ships, Japan Shines in Women’s Wrestling

By Ali Feizasa

NUR-SULTAN, KAZAKHSTAN (July 9) --- The Cadet Asian Championships concluded in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan, and Iran topped the tournament in freestyle and Greco-Roman, as Japan won team title in women’s wrestling.

In freestyle, Iran came in strong and medaled in all ten weight classes, claiming seven gold medals, one silver and one bronze, and collected 212 of the 250 possible points.

Ali ARAB FIROUZJAEI (45kg), Rahman AMOUZADKHALILI (48kg) and Ali GHOLIZADEGAN KOLOUKHI (51kg) gave Iran three golds in light weight categories but Aman AMAN from India and Kota TAKAHASHI from Japan made a gap in Iranian’s victories as captured gold medal in 55 and 60kg respectively.

Amir MOTAGHI (65kg), Amirhossein FIROUZPOURBANDPEI (80kg), Soheyl YOUSEFI SANGANI (92kg) and Salar HABIBI EHSANI (110kg) were four other Iranian champions, while Vijay VIJAY (IND) achieved the second gold medal for India at 71kg to help his team place second  (157 points) with two golds, one silver, and five bronze medalist.  The host country Kazakhstan had 8 medals (3 silver and 5 bronze) and 145 points to place third in Freestyle after Iran and India.

In Greco-Roman, Iran and Kazakhstan had a close battle for team title but Iran topped the host nation by six points.

Iran only had one more gold medal than Kazakhstan (4 gold, 2 silver, one bronze) as the host team had one more bronze medal (3 gold, 2 silver, 2 bronze).

Amirreza DEHBOZORGI (48kg), Saeid ESMAEILI LEIVESI (51kg), Hojat REZAEI (65kg) and Saeid KARIMIZADEH (92kg) were four Iranian champions who helped their team gather 181points. \

Samatbek IZIMGALI (45kg), Maksat SAILAU (80kg) and Nurtaz KYDYRBAY (110kg) earned three gold medals for Kazakhstan as the host team finished in second place with 175 points, while Kyrgyzstan came third with 137 points.

The three other Greco-Roman titles went to Firuz MIRZORAJABOV from Tajikistan at 55kg, Amirbek SULTONOV from Uzbekistan at 60kg and Bakdaulet EGEMBERDIEV from Kyrgyzstan at 71kg.

In women’s wrestling, the Japanese girls achieved six medals (4 gold and 2 silver) and won the team title with 176 points. India (159 points) was in close competition as they had six medals but only one of them was gold (one gold, 3 silver, 2 bronze). 

Participating in the tournament with eight wrestlers, China team had good performance by seven medals (one gold, 3 silver, 3 bronze), collecting 138 points and placing third in team standings.

Umi ITO (46kg), Mako OONO (53kg), Ami ISHI (65kg) and Rin TERAMOTO (69kg) were the four Japanese champions as North Korea which had only three wrestlers, won two gold medals by Jin Hyang JANG (43kg) and Ji Hyang KIM (in 49kg).

Four countries shared four remaining individual titles as Mushtariy TOLIPBEKOVA from Uzbekistan at 40kg, Priyanka PRIYANKA from India at 57kg, Maral BATTSOOJ from Mongolia at 61kg and Meng DANG from China at 73kg succeed to defeat all of their rivals.

2019 Cadet’s Asian Championships Medal Winners:

Freestyle

45kg
GOLD- Ali ARAB FIROUZJAEI (IRI)
SILVER- Nodirbek YAKUBOV (UZB)
BRONZE- Suraj ANNIKERI (IND)
BRONZE-  Dastan URMATBEK UULU (KGZ)

48kg
GOLD- Rahman AMOUZADKHALILI (IRI)
SILVER- Nurdaulet BAZARBAYEV (KAZ)
BRONZE- Kamronbek KADAMOV (UZB)
BRONZE- Otgonbaatar BOLDBAATAR (MGL)

51kg
GOLD- Ali GHOLIZADEGAN KOLOUKHI (IRI)
SILVER- Samagan ULAN UULU (KGZ)
BRONZE- Merey BAZARBAYEV (KAZ)
BRONZE- Sunil SUNIL (IND)

55kg
GOLD- Aman AMAN (IND)
SILVER- Arslan RAKHIMOV (UZB)
BRONZE- Shamil KALMATOV (KGZ)
BRONZE- Mahdi VEISI (IRI)

60kg
GOLD- Kota TAKAHASHI (JPN)
SILVER- Erfan ELAHI (IRI)
BRONZE- Deepak DEEPAK (IND)
BRONZE- Akniyet TULEGENOV (KAZ)

65kg
GOLD- Amir Hossein MOTAGHI (IRI)
SILVER- Mustafo AKHMEDOV (TJK)
BRONZE- Olzhas OLZHAKANOV (KAZ)
BRONZE- Manish GOSWAMI (IND)

71kg
GOLD- Vijay VIJAY (IND)
SILVER- Shokhruh JURAEV (UZB)
BRONZE- Nurdaulet KUANYSHBAY (KAZ)
BRONZE- Nurman UMAROV (KGZ)

80kg
GOLD- Amirhossein FIROUZPOURBANDPEI (IRI)
SILVER- Bekzat AMANGALI (KAZ)
BRONZE- Pureun KIM (KOR)
BRONZE- Abubakr SHUKUROV (TJK)

92kg
GOLD- Soheyl YOUSEFI SANGANI (IRI)
SILVER- Monu DAHIYA (IND)
BRONZE- Er HURILEBATE (CHN)
BRONZE- Bekzat TAZHI (KAZ)

110kg
GOLD- Salar HABIBI EHSANI (IRI)
SILVER- Islam TAGIROV (KAZ)
BRONZE- Kumar ANIRUDH (IND)
BRONZE- Zihao HUANG (CHN)

Freestyle Team Standings:
1- Iran 212 pts
2- India 157 pts
3- Kazakhstan 145 pts
4- Uzbekistan 127 pts
5- Kyrgyzstan 95 pts
6- Japan 91 pts
7- Korea 65 pts
8- Mongolia 63 pts
9- Tajikistan 55 pts
10- China 54 pts
11- Turkmenistan 30 pts
12- Saudi Arabia 20 pts
13- Taipei Chinese 12 pts
14- Jordan 10 pts
15- Singapore 0 point
15- Syria 0 point

Greco-Roman

45kg
GOLD- Samatbek IZIMGALI (KAZ)
SILVER- Razzak BEISHEKEEV (KGZ)
BRONZE- Kansei KAMIYOSHI (JPN)
BRONZE- Harsh HARSH (IND)

48kg
GOLD- Amirreza DEHBOZORGI (IRI)
SILVER- Yerassyl DAULETBEK (KAZ)
BRONZE- Kuvonchbek TOSHNAZAROV (UZB)
BRONZE- Ulukbek SANSYZBAEV (KGZ)

51kg
GOLD- Saeid ESMAEILI LEIVESI (IRI)
SILVER- Arshad ARSHAD (IND)
BRONZE- Kohei YAMAGIWA (JPN)
BRONZE- Iskhar KURBAYEV (KAZ)

55kg
GOLD- Firuz MIRZORAJABOV (TJK)
SILVER- Abror ATABAEV (UZB)
BRONZE- Yerassyl KENGANOV (KAZ)
BRONZE- Parvin PATIL (IND)

60kg
GOLD- Amirbek SULTONOV (UZB)
SILVER- Seyed Danial SOHRABI (IRI)
BRONZE- Ravi RAVI (IND)
BRONZE- Didar ORAZBERDIYEV (TKM)

65kg
GOLD- Hojat REZAEI (IRI)
SILVER- Din MUKHAMED KOSHKAR (KAZ)
BRONZE- Jianwei OU (CHN)
BRONZE- Neeraj NEERAJ (IND)

71kg
GOLD- Bakdaulet EGEMBERDIEV (KGZ)
SILVER- Reza SAKI (IRI)
BRONZE- Sheroz OCHILOV (TJK)
BRONZE- Samandar BOBONAZAROV (UZB)

80kg
GOLD- Maksat SAILAU (KAZ)
SILVER- Bekzat ORUNKUL UULU (KGZ)
BRONZE- Yifan CHEN (CHN)
BRONZE- Eito NISHIDA (JPN)

92kg
GOLD- Saeid KARIMIZADEH (IRI)
SILVER- Nitesh NITESH (IND)
BRONZE- Ao SUN (CHN)
BRONZE- Djakhongir KHOSHIMOV (UZB)

110kg
GOLD- Nurtaz KYDYRBAY (KAZ)
SILVER- Sonu SONU (IND)
BRONZE- Shahrokh MIKAEILI (IRI)
BRONZE-Davran SADYKOV (KGZ)

Greco-Roman Team Standings:
1- Iran 181 pts
2- Kazakhstan 175 pts
3- Kyrgyzstan 137 pts
4- India 134 pts
5- Uzbekistan 132 pts
6- Japan 85 pts
7- China 81 pts
8- Tajikistan 76 pts
9- Korea 58 pts
10- Turkmenistan 39 pts
11- Saudi Arabia 18 pts
12- Taipei Chinese 12 pts
13- Syria 6 pts
14- Jordan 0 point

Women’s Wrestling

40kg
GOLD- Mushtariy TOLIPBEKOVA (UZB)
SILVER- Komal KOMAL (IND)
BRONZE- Jin A KIM (PRK)

43kg
GOLD- Jin Hyang JANG (PRK)
SILVER- Karin UEMATSU (JPN)
BRONZE- Nazik MIRLAN KYZY (KGZ)

46kg
GOLD- Umi ITO (JPN)
SILVER- Xuejing LIANG (CHN)
BRONZE- Bermet NURIDIN KYZY (KGZ)

49kg
GOLD- Ji Hyang KIM (PRK)
SILVER- Yu SAKAMOTO (JPN)
BRONZE- Zeinep BAYANOVA (KAZ)
BRONZE- Xiaomin XIE (CHN) 

53kg
GOLD- Mako OONO (JPN)
SILVER- Altyn SHAGAYEVA (KAZ)
BRONZE- Ying LU (CHN)

57kg
GOLD- Priyanka PRIYANKA (IND)
SILVER- Yifan TANG (CHN)
BRONZE- Altjin TOGTOKH (MGL)
BRONZE- Burulsun BEKBOLOTOVA (KGZ)

61kg
GOLD- Maral BATTSOOJ (MGL)
SILVER- Laylokhon SOBIROVA (UZB)
BRONZE- DDilnaz SAZANOVA (KGZ)
BRONZE-Bhagyashree FAND (IND)

65kg
GOLD- Ami ISHI (JPN)
SILVER- Sonam SONAM (IND)
BRONZE- Cun LIU (CHN)
BRONZE- Rushana ABDIRASULOVA (UZB)

69kg
GOLD- Rin TERAMOTO (JPN)
SILVER- Yifeng LU (CHN)
BRONZE- Nurzat NURTAEVA (KGZ)
BRONZE- Reetika REETIKA (IND)

73kg
GOLD - Meng DANG (CHN)
SILVER - Pooja POOJA (IND)
BRONZE - Ayazhan SADU (KAZ)
BRONZE - Delgertsetseg BAASANKHUU (MGL)

Women’s Wrestling Team Standings:
1- Japan 176 pts
2- India 159 pts
3-China 138 pts
4- Mongolia 123 pts
5- Uzbekistan 114 pts
6- Kazakhstan 111 pts
7- Kyrgyzstan 110 pts
8- DPR Korea 65 pts
9- Taipei Chinese 58 pts

#JapanWrestling

Kiyooka, Kusaka secure chance to add first world titles to Paris golds

By Ken Marantz

TOKYO (June 22) -- Kotaro KIYOOKA and Nao KUSAKA both lived up to their lofty status as Olympic champions. Now each will get a chance to add a first world title to their Paris gold.

Kiyooka and Kusaka, competing in their first major competition since triumphing at Paris 2024, both won titles on the final day of the Meiji Cup All-Japan Championships, then returned to mat to beat the same opponent in a playoff for this year's World Championships.

In one of the most anticipated duels of the tournament, Kiyooka, the Paris champion at freestyle 65kg, pulled off a double victory over former Nippon Sports Science University teammate and Asian champion Kaisei TANABE, whose chances were hampered by a knee injury in the playoff.

"It's my first time to be involved in a playoff and to face the same opponent twice on the same day," Kiyooka said. "It was a learning experience and a good opportunity."

Also Read: Motoki stuns Ozaki with last-second win in Japan's world team playoff

Kusaka, who has a 2023 world bronze to go along with his Paris gold at Greco 77kg, showed little effects of a recent back injury that curtailed his preparation in defeating Kodai SAKURABA to earn a ticket to the World Championships to be held Sept. 13-22 in Zagreb.

The four-day Meiji Cup at Tokyo Metropolitan Gym was serving as the second of two domestic qualifiers for the team to Zagreb, along with the Emperor's Cup All-Japan Championships in December. A victory at both tournaments earned an automatic spot, while a playoff was held at the end of each day to decide between separate winners.

Both Kiyooka and Kusaka had participated in the German Bundesliga in the autumn after the Paris Olympics, but otherwise had joined the vast majority of Japan's medalists who reaped the rewards of their new-found fame, attending special events and appearing on variety TV shows.

They, along with Sakura MOTOKI at women's 62kg, were the only ones among Japan's eight gold medalists who decided to return to the mat in earnest at the Meiji Cup.

Kotaro KIYOOKA (JPN)Kotaro KIYOOKA scores four with a unique throw in the freestyle 65kg playoff with Kaisei TANABE. (Photo: Takeo Yabuki / wrestling-spirits.jp)

For the 24-year-old Kiyooka, making it to his first World Championships gives him a chance to prove that his victory in Paris was no fluke and that he is no one-hit wonder.

"Before the Olympics, the word out there was that I wouldn't win, but I managed to turn that idea on its head," Kiyooka said. "Still, I'm a champion who came out of the blue, so I'm really not the established king. I want to take the world title so that people both at home and abroad recognize that Kotaro Kiyooka is the true champion."

He and Tanabe, who won his first career Emperor's Cup title in December, have often sparred together in practice, but had never faced each other in an official match.

In an entertaining final that featured a constant tangle of legs and arms amid wild scrambles, Tanabe struck first with a takedown, but Kiyooka responded with a takedown-gut wrench combination to go into the second period ahead 4-2.

Tanabe, the son of NSSU coach and 2004 Sydney Olympic bronze medalist Chikara TANABE, put the pressure on, but could only manage a late stepout as Kiyooka held on for a 4-3 victory.

Kotaro KIYOOKA (JPN)Kotaro KIYOOKA works for a takedown against Kaisei TANABE during the freestyle 65kg playoff. (Photo: Takeo Yabuki / wrestling-spirits.jp)

In the playoff, Kiyooka opened with a stepout off a scramble, then received an activity point. But when he scored a stepout late in the period, Tanabe was slow to get up and indicated he had suffered a knee injury.

Tanabe bravely forged on and scored 2 off a counter lift off a Kiyooka takedown attempt, but Kiyooka kept his leg hold and made it 7-2 with an intriguing 4-point move.

With Tanabe on his back, Kiyooka stood straight up, then moved to the edge, where he launched an aerial cartwheel that caused Tanabe to land flat on his back.

"I wanted to lift him up and get a big point," Kiyooka said. "But Tanabe is a competitor with a high level of talent and athleticism, and if I didn't do it right, he could be the one to get the points. I was glad that I gave it a try.

"To get a big score provides an advantage later on. From now, I'm going to need a move like that, because without it, I'll have to settle for one or two points, which makes it easier for the opponent to catch up. I'm going to add it to my regular practice."

Tanabe stayed down and took an injury timeout, and it was soon after that Kiyooka put the match away with a counter lift and two exposures to win 13-2 in 5:45.

"My opponent's condition wasn't very good in the final, and then his knee became painful in the playoff," Kiyooka said. "So he wasn't at his best, but I couldn't let that sway me and I had to fight to the end.

"At this tournament, the main thing was to win, as it was where I was making my return. I'm also also making a new start with a new company affiliation and wanted it to go right, so I'm glad I could win the title and make the team to the World Championships."

Kiyooka, whose younger sister Moe lost a playoff at women's 53kg on Saturday, said the extended layoff caused him some concern.

"There was some anxiety, but as long as I did what I needed to do, I thought it would lead to a result like this," Kiyooka said. "There are only so many days until the Los Angeles Olympics, and this have given me an idea of what I will need to work on to put it all together."

Nao KUSAKA (JPN)Nao KUSAKA bulls his way to a takedown in the Greco 77kg playoff with Kodai SAKURABA. (Photo: Takeo Yabuki / wrestling-spirits.jp)

Kusaka never seemed in danger in either of his matches against Emperor's Cup champion Sakuraba, nor did he show the dominance that led to Olympic gold.

In the Meiji Cup final, Kusaka came away with a 5-1 win in which he scored no technical points. In the first period, he received a passivity point, then when Sakuraba tried to escape from the bottom of par terre, he was hit with a 2-point penalty for a leg foul, and an unsuccessful challenge made it 4-0. Kusaka then received a second passivity point in the second period and that was it.

Kusaka was more productive in the playoff, bulling his way to a takedown in the first period and a stepout in the second in chalking up a 4-1 victory.

"I became more fatigued that I expected," Kusaka said. "It's been awhile since I went all out. No matter how much you build up in practice, you don't get the tension that you get in a match."

Kusaka revealed that his preparations were curtailed when he suffered a serious back strain while weight training in late May. He said the injury was so serious, it was first time he ever had to be transported on a stretcher.

"I had good luck when it came to the Olympics, but this time I had to go through that," he said. "For two weeks, I couldn't wrestle at all and I spent a week in bed."

Like Kiyooka, Kusaka wants to enhance his relatively slim resume with a world title.

"I've been wrestling 21, 22 years, and it's something I've always aspired to," Kusaka said. "I'm getting attention as an Olympic champion, but I want to be active around the world. The 2024 season went extremely well and I received the MVP award, which was great. But I don't want to be a one-hit wonder. I have to keep getting results."

Kyotaro SOGABE (JPN)Kyotaro SOGABE squares off with longtime rival Katsuaki ENDO in the Greco 67kg playoff. (Photo: Takeo Yabuki / wrestling-spirits.jp)

Another playoff of note occurred at Greco 67kg, where Paris Olympian Kyotaro SOGABE secured his latest triumph over longtime rival and fellow NSSU alum Katsuaki ENDO.

Endo won the Emperor's Cup in Sogabe's absence, but the latter set up the playoff with a 4-0 victory in the Meiji Cup final in which he twice received passivity points, scoring a gut wrench after his second chance at par terre. In the playoff, Sogabe never gave Endo an opening and rolled to a 9-0 victory.

Rin SAKAMOTO (JPN)Teenager Rin SAKAMOTO gestures after securing his ticket to the senior worlds at freestyle 57kg. (Photo: Takeo Yabuki / wrestling-spirits.jp)

Among the two men's weight classes that did not need to go to a playoff, teenager Rin SAKAMOTO secured his ticket to Zagreb at freestyle 57kg by crushing Kento YUMIYA 10-0 to complete the Emperor's Cup-Meiji Cup double.

The 19-year-old Sakamoto is a maverick among Japanese wrestlers, in that he decided to pursue a collegiate career in the United States, where he now competes for powerhouse Oklahoma State University.

He admittedly had trouble at the Emperor's Cup adjusting back to freestyle after practicing in the American folkstyle. But this time, with the U.S. collegiate season over, he was able to focus exclusively on the international style.

Sakamoto had a disappointing showing at the Asian Championships, where he lost in the bronze-medal match, but returned to Japan in April and won the qualifying tournament for the World U20 Championships.

Regarding making his first senior worlds, Sakamoto said, "I'm excited," citing the fact that he can match Tokyo Olympic champion Takuto OTOGURO, who was also 19 when he won the world title in 2018. Unfortunately, should Sakamoto triumph in Zagreb, he will fall one month short of Otoguro's record for Japan's youngest-ever male world champion.

At Greco 60kg, Emperor's Cup champion and two-time Asian medalist Kaito INABA defeated Yu SHIOTANI 5-2 in the final to earn his first trip to the World Championships.

Asian and world U23 champion Kodai TAKAHASHI will get another shot at the senior worlds after he defeated Emperor's Cup champion Hikaru TAKATA 3-0 in the freestyle 74kg playoff.

Takahashi, who missed the Emperor's Cup due to an injury suffered while competing at 79kg at last year's non-Olympic worlds, secured a place in the playoff by beating Takata in Saturday's semifinals. then topping Masaki SATO 3-1 in the Meiji Cup final.

Day 4 Results

Freestyle

57kg (11 entries)
GOLD: Rin SAKAMOTO df. Kento YUMIYA by TF, 10-0, 2:22

BRONZE: Rikuto NAGAI df. Kodai NAKAISHI by TF, 10-0, 5:59
BRONZE: . Rikuto ARAI df. Fuga SASAKI, 4-1

65kg (9 entries)
GOLD: Kotaro KIYOOKA df. Kaisei TANABE, 4-3

BRONZE: Shinnosuke SUWAMA df. Ryuto SAKAKI, 8-5
BRONZE: Yuto NISHIUCHI df. Takuma AKIYAMA by TF, 10-0, 5:45

World Team Playoff: Kiyooka df. Tanabe by TF, 10-0, 5:45

74kg (12 entries)
GOLD: Kota TAKAHASHI df. Masaki SATO, 3-1

BRONZE: Kanata YAMAGUCHI df. Hikaru TAKATA by Def.
BRONZE: Toki OGAWA df. Tenju HOSAKA, 2-1

World Team Playoff: Takahashi df. Takata, 3-0

Greco-Roman

60kg (8 entries)
GOLD: Kaito INABA df. Yu SHIOTANI, 5-2

BRONZE: Seima TOKUHARA df. Eiru TAKAYAMA, 5-2
BRONZE: Koto GOMI df. Maito KAWANA, 7-7

67kg (12 entries)
GOLD: Kyotaro SOGABE df. Katsuaki ENDO, 4-0

BRONZE: Kensuke SHIMIZU df. Chiezo MARUYAMA, 3-2
BRONZE: Haruto YABE df. Kojiro HASEGAWA, 8-5

World Team Playoff: Sogabe df. Endo by TF, 9-0, 5:50

77kg (10 entries)
GOLD: Nao KUSAKA df. Kodai SAKURABA, 5-1

BRONZE: Fuga MISAIZU df. Shu YAMADA by Def.
BRONZE: Isami HORIKITA df. Naoki KADODE, 5-3

World Team Playoff: Kusaka df. Sakuraba, 4-1