Junior Asian Championships

Iran Collects 3 Freestyle Golds on Saturday at Junior Asian C'ships

By United World Wrestling Press

CHON BURI, Thailand (July 13) - Iran started the freestyle competition at the Junior Asian Championships with a bang, collecting three of the five gold medals on Saturday. 

Earlier in the week, Iran ran away with the team title in Greco-Roman on the strength of seven champions. Now the Iranians are in prime position to win the freestyle title heading into the final day.

Iran's freestyle gold medalists on Saturday were Mohmmadsadegh FIROUZPOURBANDPEI (70kg), Abdollah SHEIKHAZAMI (79kg) and Alireza REKABI (97kg).

Mohmmadsadegh FIROUZPOURBANDPEI (IRI) registered a 10-1 win in the finals. (Photo: Sachiko Hotaka)

Firouzpourbandpei earned his gold medal with a 10-1 victory in the 70kg finals over Sangho HAN (KOR). 

Sheikhazami rolled to a 10-0 technical superiority in the finals at 79kg over Tanggesi TANGGESI (CHN).

Alireza REKABI (IRI) won by 10-0 technical superiority in the finals at 97kg. (Photo: Sachiko Hotaka)

Iran's third gold medalist on Saturday, Rekabi, dominated in the finals at 97kg, winning 10-0 over Zyyamuhammet SAPAROV (TKM).

Syrbaz TALGAT (KAZ) improved on his silver-medal performance from a year ago. (Photo: Sachiko Hotaka)

Syrbaz TALGAT (KAZ), a returning junior world bronze medalist, earned gold at 65kg after finishing with a silver in last year's Junior Asian Championships. 

Yuto TAKESHITA (JPN) finished on top at 57kg. (Photo: Sachiko Hotaka)

Japan crowned a champion at 57kg as Yuto TAKESHITA topped Vijay Bajirao PATIL 7-4 in the gold-medal match. 

The Junior Asian Championships wrap up on Sunday with the final five freestyle weight categories: 61kg, 74kg, 86kg, 92kg and 125kg. Action is set to begin at 10 a.m. local time.

RESULTS

Freestyle

57kg    
GOLD - Yuto TAKESHITA (JPN) df. Vijay Bajirao PATIL (IND), 7-4
BRONZE - Hyeonsu CHO (KOR) df. Narankhuu NARMANDAKH (MGL), 14-4
BRONZE - Taiyrbek ZHUMASHBEK UULU (KGZ) df. Abzal OKENOV (KAZ), 6 - 2

65kg
GOLD - Syrbaz TALGAT (KAZ) df. Alireza ASHKIVAR (IRI), 4-4
BRONZE - Bobur ISLOMOV (UZB) df. Sunny SUNNY (IND), 5-4
BRONZE - Taiki TSUTSUMI (JPN) df. Injong HWANG (KOR), 8-1

70kg
GOLD - Mohmmadsadegh FIROUZPOURBANDPEI (IRI) df. Sangho HAN (KOR), 10-1
BRONZE - Ayumu SUZUKI (JPN) df. Vishal KALIRAMANA (IND), 6-3
BRONZE - Mirkamol BESHIMOV (UZB) df. Parinya CHAMNANJAN (THA), FALL

79kg
GOLD - Abdollah SHEIKHAZAMI (IRI) df. Tanggesi TANGGESI (CHN), 10-0
BRONZE - Sandeep Singh MANN (IND) df. Tilek KABYKENOV (KAZ), 13-8
BRONZE - Shoto KANEKO (JPN) df. Daehyun NAM (KOR), INJURY

97kg
GOLD - Alireza REKABI (IRI) df. Zyyamuhammet SAPAROV (TKM), 10-0
BRONZE - Akash ANTIL (IND) df. Reheman RUSIDANMU (CHN), 12-2
BRONZE - Arslanbek TURDUBEKOV (KGZ) df. Haroon ABID (PAK), 12-1
 

2026 Dakar Youth Olympic Games

Oborududu Named Athlete Role Model for 2026 Dakar YOG

By United World Wrestling Press

CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (June 15) -- Blessing OBORUDUDU (NGR) was announced as one of the 36 Athlete Role Models for the 2026 Dakar Youth Olympic Games.

Oborududu, a silver medalist at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, has been a stalwart in Nigerian sports and represented the country for close to two decades. In Tokyo, she made history by winning silver medal at 68kg in Women's Wrestling, becoming Nigeria’s first‑ever Olympic medallist in the sport.

The four-time Olympian was also a 14-tim African champion, a record that still stands. She compete at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games and finished fifth.

The Athlete Role Models will provide mentoring and workshop training to young athletes on site during Dakar 2026. They will be on the ground in Senegal to engage with competing athletes, providing support and advice around competition and taking part in educational workshops. These workshops cover topics such as career management, injury prevention and mental preparation, among many other things.

The group will also attend training sessions, engage with the local community, support the athletes from the sidelines and be there to congratulate them at victory ceremonies.

The Dakar 2026 YOG will take place from October 31 to November 13, 2026, bringing together around 2,700 young athletes aged up to 17 across three host zones: Dakar, Diamniadio and Saly.