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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

#development

2024 Southeast Asian Championship & Oceania Invitational (REDT): A New Era of Regional Collaboration in Wrestling

Thursday, October 10, 2024 - 13:48 By United World Wrestling Press

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CHIANGMAI, Thailand (9 October, 2024) - The 2024 Southeast Asian Championship & Oceania Invitational was a Regional Educational Development tournament (REDT), held from September 25-29 in Chiang Mai, Thailand, marked a historic moment for the sport of wrestling in the region. This event was the first in over nine years to include Oceania teams, a significant milestone that highlighted the potential for collaboration and growth between Southeast Asia and Oceania.

A total of 13 countries participated, with Southeast Asia represented by Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam, and Oceania by American Samoa, Australia, New Zealand, Samoa, and Tonga. Over the five days, 284 athletes competed across three wrestling styles—Freestyle, Greco-Roman, and Women’s Wrestling—within the U15, U17, and senior age groups.

The feedback from participating teams was overwhelmingly positive. For both Southeast Asia and Oceania, the championship provided a valuable opportunity for athletes to gain crucial international exposure while competing against teams of a similar skill level. This event acted as a development springboard, allowing the athletes to refine their skills and measure their progress in a competitive yet supportive environment.

The enthusiasm from Oceania teams was particularly notable, with several expressing their strong desire to be invited back in future editions. Many teams have already committed to increasing their participation in the next event, and there is significant interest from additional Oceania nations should this tournament become a regular fixture on the calendar.

SEAWrestlers jocky for position at the 2024 Southeast Asian Championship & Oceania Invitational was a Regional Educational Development tournament (REDT). (Photo: United World Wrestling)

As we look to the future, the success of the Southeast Asian Championship & Oceania Invitational underscores the importance of fostering regional cooperation. The event has laid the foundation for further development in both regions and holds immense potential to become a cornerstone for wrestling in Southeast Asia and Oceania.

The 2024 edition was not just a competition but a powerful demonstration of unity, skill, and the collective ambition to elevate wrestling in these developing regions. The positive outcomes have set the stage for ongoing collaboration, and the prospect of even greater participation in future years is a testament to the event's success.

We look forward to welcoming even more nations and athletes as we continue to grow the sport of wrestling in Southeast Asia and Oceania.