#WrestleAlmaty

Japan Announces Squads for Asian Olympic Qualifier, Asian Championships

Tuesday, March 23, 2021 - 15:48 By Japan Wrestling Federation

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Two-time world champion Yui SUSAKI heads a contingent of 10 Japanese who will aim to earn tickets to the Tokyo Olympics at next month's Asian Qualifying tournament in Kazakhstan, the Japan Wrestling Federation announced.

The federation also announced the squad to be dispatched to the Asian Championships that will follow the Olympic qualifier at the same venue in the Kazakh city of Almaty. Among those entries are seven wrestlers who have already qualified for the Tokyo Games, four of whom are also defending Asian champions.

The Olympic qualifying tournament will be held April 9-11, with competition in the six Olympic weight classes in each style. That will be followed by the Asian Championships, to run April 13-18 in all 10 weight classes.

It will mark the first time Japan has sent a team overseas since last year's Asian Championships in New Delhi in February 2020.

For the Tokyo Olympics, Japan has already qualified at freestyle 65kg and 74kg, Greco-Roman 60kg and women 53kg, 57kg, 62kg, 68kg and 76kg, based on results from the 2019 World Championships. The top two finishers at the continental qualifier will earn Olympic berths for their country.

Susaki will be looking to earn her first Olympic spot at women's 50kg. She and the others earned the right by winning titles at the 2019 national championships. Even when the Tokyo Games were postponed a year, they were allowed to keep their places.

Also hoping to qualify for Tokyo will be 2016 Rio Olympic silver medalist Rei HIGUCHI at freestyle 57kg and Sosuke TAKATANI, who will be aiming to make his third Olympics and first at freestyle 86kg.

The team for the Asian Championships consists mainly of the champions at the most recent national championships held in December 2020. In cases where the champion opted out or was unavailable, the runner-up or a third-place finisher filled the spot.

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Takuto OTOGURO, Japan's '18 world champion, will wrestle at 65kg at the Asian Championships. (Photo: Kadir Caliskan)

The wrestlers who have already qualified for the Tokyo Olympics and are entered for the Asian Championships are brothers Takuto and Keisuke OTOGURO at freestyle 65kg and 74kg, respectively, and the female quintet of Mayu MUKAIDA (53kg), Risako KAWAI (57kg), Yukako KAWAI (62kg), Sara DOSHO (68kg) and Hiroe MINAGAWA (76g).

Kenichiro FUMITA, Japan's lone current Olympic qualifier in Greco-Roman, has opted to skip the tournament and the chance to defend his 2020 Asian title at 60kg. He earned his Olympic ticket by winning the 2019 world title.

Takuto Otoguro, the Kawai sisters and Minagawa are the reigning Asian champions in their weight classes. Mukaida will be looking to improve on her silver medal from 2020.

At the 2020 tournament in New Delhi, Japan took home seven medals in freestyle, but with the exception of Otoguro, none of the other medalists earned a return trip this year. Also missing out are two women's champions from 2020, Miho IGARASHI and Naomi RUIKE.

Here are the squads:

Asian Olympic Qualifying Tournament  (April 9-11, Almaty)

Greco-Roman
67kg: Shogo TAKAHASHI
77kg: Shohei YABIKU
87kg : Masato SUMI
97kg: Yuta NARA
130kg: Arata SONODA

Women
50kg : Yui SUSAKI

Freestyle
57kg : Rei HIGUCHI
86kg : Sosuke TAKATANI
97kg : Naoya AKAGUMA
125kg : Tetsuya TANAKA

Asian Championships (April 13-18, Almaty)

Greco-Roman
55kg: Yu SHIOTANI
60kg: Ayata SUZUKI
63kg: Kensuke SHIMIZU
67kg: Tsuchika SHIMOYAMADA
72kg: Taishi HORIE
77kg: Kodai SAKURABA
82kg: Satoki MUKAI
87kg: So SAKABE
97kg: Masayuki AMANO
130kg: Sota OKUMURA

Women
50kg: Remina YOSHIMOTO
53kg: Mayu MUKAIDA
55kg: Tsugumi SAKURAI
57kg: Risako KAWAI
59kg: Akie HANAI
62kg: Yukako KAWAI
65kg: Miwa MORIKAWA
68kg: Sara DOSHO
72kg: Masako FURUICHI
76kg: Hiroe MINAGAWA

Freestyle
57kg: Yuto TAKESHITA
61kg: Shoya SHIMAE
65kg: Takuto OTOGURO
70kg: Jintaro MOTOYAMA
74kg: Keisuke OTOGURO
79kg: Ryuki YOSHIDA
86kg: Hayato ISHIGURO
92kg: Yuto IZUTSU
97kg: Takashi ISHIGURO
125kg: Taiki YAMAMOTO

Development

Wrestling Enters a New Era in Southern Africa with Namib Storm and SADC Open Championships

Wednesday, August 13, 2025 - 13:57 By United World Wrestling Press

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WINDHOEK, Namibia — July 2025 The Namibian Wrestling Federation (NWF), in partnership with United World Wrestling (UWW) and Olympic Solidarity, launched a landmark initiative to boost wrestling development in Southern Africa: the Namib Storm Wrestling Week and SADC Open Championships, held from 30 June to 5 July 2025 at the Windhoek Showgrounds.

Speaking at the official launch in Windhoek, NWF President Colin Steytler emphasized the significance of this new chapter for the sport:

“This is where everything comes together — grassroots, elite, and development levels. It’s the most important step we’ve taken to date in bringing our strategic goals to life.”

A New Benchmark for Regional Wrestling Development

The week-long event featured two core components:

  • REDT – Namib Storm Training Camp (30 June – 3 July)
    This high-performance camp delivered Level 3 Coaching and Level 2 Refereeing Certification under the guidance of UWW instructors — a first for Namibia and a major milestone for the region.

“You can’t grow grassroots wrestling without qualified coaches,” Steytler noted.
Coaches and officials from multiple countries, including Zambia, Zimbabwe, South Africa, and Mauritius, took part in intensive technical sessions.

  • SADC Open Championships (4 July)
    This tournament gathered elite athletes from Angola, South Africa, Zimbabwe, and beyond — many of whom are continental medallists. Importantly, the SADC Open became the first UWW-rated event in Southern Africa, enabling both athletes and referees to earn international exposure without needing to travel abroad.

“This changes the game,” said Steytler. “We can now compete regionally and still gain global recognition — this saves costs and boosts participation.”

NAMAttendees go through the Level 3 Coaching and Level 2 Refereeing Certification under the guidance of UWW instructors. (Photo: United World Wrestling)

Beach Wrestling: Taking the Sport to New Shores

The week concluded on 5 July with a Beach Wrestling showcase, reinforcing UWW’s commitment to accessibility and outreach.

“Beach wrestling will be the only wrestling discipline featured at the 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Senegal,” Steytler reminded. “And we are proud to host Namibia’s first-ever beach wrestling event in Swakopmund on 7 December 2025.”

Beach wrestling, requiring only sand and a rope, offers a practical and inclusive way to expand the sport into rural and underserved communities — a cornerstone of UWW’s vision.

Towards a Self-Sustaining Wrestling Future

The REDT initiative and Namib Storm programme are part of the NWF’s five-year strategy to develop a self-sustainable wrestling ecosystem, bridging the gap between grassroots and elite competition and aiming for future Olympic qualification and medals.

“The Namib Storm Week and SADC Open pull all of our strategic elements together,” said Steytler. “From here, we take what we’ve built back to the regions and expand wrestling further than ever before.”

This event highlights Southern Africa’s growing role in the global wrestling community and reflects UWW’s dedication to regional empowerment, education, and international competition access.