WrestleXian

Iran Puts 3 into Finals on Opening Day; Kang Knocks off Takahashi

Tuesday, April 23, 2019 - 11:47 By Ken Marantz

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Xi'an, CHINA (April 23) - Iran led the parade into the finals on the opening day of competition at the Asian Championships, while defending champion KANG Kumsong (PRK) cleared a major hurdle to put himself in position for a title repeat.

Iran had three of its five wrestlers in action in the freestyle competition make it to the gold medal matches, to be held later in the evening session. 

Reza ATRINAGARCHI (IRI) will face Kang for the 57kg gold, while Bahman TEYMOURI (IRI) at 79kg and Reza YAZDANI (IRI) at 97kg also went through the afternoon session unscathed.

Iran has sent basically an under-23 team, and coach Ebrahim MEHRANBAN said the first day’s performance lived up to expectations. “We predicted that,” he said. “They are younger than before.”

Teymouri will face Parveen RANA (IND) in the 79kg final, while Yazdani will take on Batzul ULZIISAIKHAN (MGL) at 97kg. 

Kang pulled off the win of the day when he scored a late takedown to defeat Paris 2017 world champion Yuki TAKAHASHI (JPN), 3-1, in the semifinals in a repeat of their match at the Asian Games. 

Both had scored a point off the activity clock, and Kang was ahead on criteria when Takahashi battled fiercely to score the go-ahead points. But instead it was Kang who countered the attack and came away with the victory.

India has a second wrestler in the finals in world silver medalist Bajrang BAJRANG (IND) at 65kg. He will face Savalbek OKASSOV (KAZ), one of two wrestlers from his country in the finals. 

Nurkozha KAIPANOV (KAZ) will face Kojiro SHIGA (JPN) in the 70kg final. 

Results

Freestyle

57kg (12 entries)
Gold – Reza ATRINAGARCHi (IRI) v KANG Kumsong (PRK)
Bronze – Kumar RAVI (IND) v Yuki TAKAHASHI (JPN)
Bronze – Hikmatullo VOHIDOV (TJK) v Makhmudjon SHAVKATOV (UZB)

Semifinals
Reza ATRINAGARCHi (IRi) df. Makhmudjon SHAVKATOV (UZB), 2-1
KANG Kumsong (PRK) df. Yuki TAKAHASHI (JPN), 3-1

65kg (16 entries)
Gold – Savalbek OKASSOV (KAZ) vs Bajrang BAJRANG (IND)
Bronze – Haji Mohamad ALI (BRN) v KIM Han Song (PRK),
Bronze – Pelman BIABANI (IRI) v Sirojiddin KHASANOV (UZB)

Semifinals
Savalbek OKASSOV (KAZ) df. KIM Han Song (PRK), 4-4
Bajrang BAJRANG (IND) df. S. KHASANOV (UZB) by Fall, 3:00 (12-1)

70kg (16 entries)
Gold – Kojiro SHIGA (JPN) v Nurkozha KAIPANOV (KAZ)
Bronze – Abdullrahman IBRAHIM (QAT) v YUAN Shaohua (CHN)
Bronze – Balyr BORJAKOV (TKM) v Yones EMAMICHOGAEI (IRI)

Semifinals
Koljiro SHIGA (JPN) df. YUAN Shaohua (CHN), by TF, 14-3, 5:04 
Nurkozha KAIPANOV (KAZ) df. Yones EMAMICHOGAEI (IRI) by TF, 12-2, 3:53

79kg (10 entries)
Gold – Bahman TEYMOURI (IRI) v Parveen RANA (IND)
Bronze – Yuta ABE (JPN) v Galymzhan USSERBAYEV (KAZ)
Bronze – Olbek NASIROV (KGZ) v LIN Zeping (CHN)

Semifinals
Bahman TEYMOURI (IRI) df. LIN Zeping (CHN) by Fall, 3:44 (12-2)
Parveen RANA (IND) df. Galymzhan USSERBAYEV (KAZ), 3-2

97kg (11 entries)
Gold – Batzul ULZIISAIKHAN (MGL) v Reza YAZDANI (IRI)
Bronze – Magomed MUSAEV (KGZ) v Alisher YERGALI (KAZ)
Bronze – Satywart KADIAN (IND) v GAO Haobin (CHN)

Semifinals
Batzul ULZIISAIKHAN (MGL) df. GAO Haobin (CHN) by TF, 10-0, 1:04
Reza YAZDANI (IRI) df. Alisher YERGALI (KAZ), 9-3

#WrestleAthens

U17 World Wrestling Championships 2025: Day 1 Highlights

Monday, July 28, 2025 - 07:38 By Vinay Siwach

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ATHENS, Greece (July 28) -- The World U17 Championships kicks off in Athens, Greece with five Greco-Roman weight classes. Iran, Azerbaijan, Georgia will be in contention to win the team title.

WATCH LIVE | LIVE MATCH ORDER | FULL PREVIEW

READ THE REPORT OF ALL SEMIFINALS HERE

18:00: Welcome back to the World U17 Championships coverage! The semifinals in 48kg, 55kg, 65kg, 80kg and 110kg will begin now!

15:00: The semifinals will begin at 18:00 hours local time! The opening ceremony will be at 17:00 hours. Stay tuned!

14:45: Asian domination at 55kg! Alkham ABDIRASULOV (KGZ) will face Aditya GUPTA (IND) and Makhdi BAROTOV (TJK) will take on Nurali ASKAR (KAZ) in the semifinals.

14:35: Asian champion HARDEEP (IND) beats European bronze medalist Anatolii NOVACHENKO (UKR), 9-0, with turns from par terre and enters the semifinals at 110kg.

14:30: Yazdan DELROUZ (IRI) holds his positions good and gets both par terre points in the match against Hu Anshi NUERLEBIEKE (CHN) and makes it to the 110kg semifinal.

14:20: Aditya GUPTA (IND) with a takedown in the final second of the bout to beat Rakhman GAMIDOV (UKR) 4-2. He was down 2-2 on criteria but manages to wrap his arm around Gamidov to score a takedown. Ukraine challenges for time but it was inside the last second.

14:02: Madness on Mat A! Luka MARTIASHVILI (GEO) was trying to stop a pin from Nijat YEYLAGALIYEV (AZE) and turns it around and manages to pin the Azerbaijan wrestlers for the win at 80kg!

13:50: Makhdi BAROTOV (TJK) continues his good show at 55kg as he pins Osman OZDEMIR (TUR) and advances to the quarterfinals.

13:45: Asian silver medalist Sadriddin TULKINBOEV (UZB) drops his 55kg 1/8 final to Aditya GUPTA (IND), 4-1. Gupta did not get any turn from par terre but Tulkinvoev scored a stepuot in the second period and made it 1-1. But due to a new rule currently being tested by UWW, a 1-1 scoring in Greco-Roman will see the wrestler who scored the first point, win on criteria. Gupta keeps his attacks and there is no par terre for Tulkinboev. Uzbekistan throw a challenge for "nothing", as the review team said. Gupta wins 4-1

13:25: Rakhman GAMIDOV (UKR) digs deep and pulls off a four-pointer later in the match to win 5-2 against Naru SEMBA (JPN) at 55kg. He was down 2-1 with just 30 seconds left.

13:15: Big win for ANUJ (IND) at 65kg as he beats Asian bronze medalist Xusan GIEZIDINOV (UZB) 8-0. High pace match from Anuj to block Geizidinov.

13:05: Janes NAZARYAN (ARM), European silver medalists, reaches the quarterfinal at 65kg, after a technical superiority 9-1 win over Huseyn ISGANDAROV (AZE).

12:50: Nijat YEYLAGALIYEV (AZE) bounces back from 5-0 down by blocking a throw from Mardanbek MAKHKAMBAYEV (KAZ) and gut wrenches his way to a 13-5 win at 80kg.

12:46: Ismail BEREKET (TUR) continues his big-throwing streak as he beats Stepan DANHEL (CZE) 9-0 in a minute 50 seconds at 80kg. The European bronze medalist is looking better with every win.

12:45: How do you win with one second remaining?! Kaisei YAMAMOTO (JPN) hits a four-pointer in the final second after getting thrown by Martin MANJIKYAN (ARM) and wins 6-6. He can't believe it as well

12:40: Zhanarbek SEIITOV (KGZ) uses the gut-wrench to great effect and wins his 48kg bout against Fuhua KANG (CHN) 10-2. He gets Asian bronze medalist Bunyod HASANOV (UZB) in the next round after Hsanov pulled off a late throw against Amirmohammad HAJIVAND (IRI) and win 4-3.

12:35: HARDEEP (IND), Asian champ at 110kg, gets both the par terre points and beats Baktur SOVETKHAN (KAZ), 2-0, in the opening round.

12:30: Quick work from Sayidamir NEMATOV (UZB) at 110kg as he beats European champ Rihad IBRAHIMLI (AZE) 10-0 in the first period.

12:20: Hu Anshi NUERLEBIEKE (CHN) was so calm despite being down 8-1 against Vasileios BOUNTOULIS (GRE) at 110kg. Nuerlebieke locked Bountoulis in bodylocks twice in last 15 seconds and threw him for two four-pointers to win 9-8. He was thrown for two four-pointers in the first period by Bountoulis.

12:15: A 2024 Asian U15 champ Makhdi BAROTOV (TJK) stops European silver medalist Giorgi CHACHUA (GEO) 4-2 in their 55kg bout.

11:50: Alkham ABDIRASULOV (KGZ) pulls off a stunning win over Amirreza  TAHMASBPOUR (IRI) 5-3 at 55kg. Abdirasulov scores a correct throw to lead 3-3 on criteria but Iran challenges for no points. The challenge is won but on review, it's four points for Abdirasulov wins the bout

11:20: Pan-Am champion Arseni KIKINIOU (USA) has a hard time against Janes NAZARYAN (ARM), who is an European silver medalist, as he cannot get a turn but Nazaryan manages to score. Nazaryan wins 4-1

11:05: Big match between Asian champion Abdulaziz KHOLMIRZAEV (UZB) and European silver medalist Benediktas BUBELEVICIUS (LTU). Kholmirzaev and Bubelevicius go back-and-forth but Kholmirzaev manages to hang on for an 11-6 win.

10:45: Luka MARTIASHVILI (GEO), who finished 5th at 92kg at the European Championships, is back at 80kg and finishes with two front headlocks to win 9-0 in just 21 seconds against David VILK (CRO).

10:40: Big throws right from the start in Athens! European bronze medalist Ismail BEREKER (TUR) launches Samarth GOVEKAR (IND) for big throws and wins the opening bout at 80kg 11-0 in just a minute and 28 seconds.

10:30: Welcome to the World U17 Championships in Athens. It is being held at the iconic Ano Liosia Olympic Hall, the venue where wrestling competition during the 2004 Olympics was held.