#WrestleHammamet

LIVE BLOG: African and Oceania Olympic Qualifier, Day Three

Sunday, April 4, 2021 - 06:01 By United World Wrestling Press

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HAMMAMET, Tunisia (April 4) -- Six countries claimed the 12 Olympic berths that were available on Sunday.

2000 hrs: Diaaeldin Kamal Gouda ABDELMOTTALEB (EGY) and Djahid BERRAHAL (ALG) qualify Egypt and Algeria for the Tokyo Games at 125kg 

1940 hrs: Down goes Rio Olympian Soso TAMARAU (NGR). Former African champion at 97kg, Mohammed FARDJ (ALG) gets a 6-2 win over the Nigerian and qualifies Algeria for Tokyo Olympics

1927 hrs: Another Olympic quota for Tunisia! Mohamed SAADAOUI (TUN) beats Hosam Mohamed Mostafa MERGHANY (EGY) 6-1 to win the ticket for his country 

1915 hrs: Fateh BENFERDJALLAH (ALG) and Ekerekeme AGIOMOR (NGR) earn the Tokyo berths for their respective countries. The Algerian defeated Khaled Masoud Ismail ELMOATAMADAWI (EGY) 3-1 while the Nigerian won 12-2 against Jayden Alexander LAWRENCE (AUS)

1856 hrs: Three-time Olympian Augusto MIDANA (GBS) defeats African champion Ishak BOUKHORS (ALG) 4-1 to win the ticket to Tokyo. 

1845 hrs: American Samoa have to wait for their third freestyle wrestler at Olympics. Amr Reda Ramadan HUSSEN (EGY) shatters the dreams of Elias Lauofo VAOIFI (ASA) with a 10-0 win at 74kg semifinal 

1842 hrs: Local boy Haithem DAKHLAOUI (TUN) steps up in style. He qualifies Tunisia for Tokyo by beating Fathi Tarek Fathi Attia ISMAIL (EGY) 6-3

1830 hrs: Adama DIATTA (SEN) qualifies Senegal for the Tokyo Olympics. What a stunning performance from the Rio Olympian as he beats Aime Mbolalalaina Joel RAKOTONIAINA (MAD) 10-0 in the 65kg semifinal 

1825 hrs: Three takedowns and a point for stepout. It's 10-0 win for Diamantino IUNA FAFE (GBS) as he qualifies his country for the Games.

1820 hrs: Diamantino IUNA FAFE (GBS) with a point for activity and a takedown to lead Chakir ANSARI (MAR) 3-0 at the break in the second semifinal at 57kg. 

1813 hrs: Algeria with the first Olympic berth of the night! Abdelhak KHERBACHE (ALG) mounts a strong comeback to beat Junjun ASEBIAS (FSM) 15-8 to qualify his nation for the Tokyo Games

1805 hrs: Asebias with a takedown and a gut to lead 6-1 against two-time African champion Kherbache. He gets another takedown but Kherbache with a four! Asebias 8-5 at the break

1800 hrs: We're back! Abdelhak KHERBACHE (ALG) is wrestling Junjun ASEBIAS (FSM) for a place in the 57kg final. The winner also earns a ticket to Tokyo 

1745 hrs: We are 15 minutes away from the second session in Hammamet. Mat B will see all the action of the qualifiers

1245 hrs: We have are semifinalists! 24 wrestlers are now locked in and will wrestle for the 12 Olympic spots on offer in Hammamet

At 74kg, Amr Reda Ramadan HUSSEN (EGY) vs Elias Lauofo VAOIFI (ASA) and Augusto MIDANA (GBS) vs Ishak BOUKHORS (ALG) are the two semifinals

At 97kg, Mohamed SAADAOUI (TUN) will wrestle Hosam Mohamed Mostafa MERGHANY (EGY) in the first semifinal while Soso TAMARAU (NGR) will be wrestling Mohammed FARDJ (ALG) in the second semifinal

Diaaeldin Kamal Gouda ABDELMOTTALEB (EGY) at 125kg sets up a semifinal against Johannes Jacobus KRIEL (RSA) while Djahid BERRAHAL (ALG) will take on Abdelmoneim ADOULI (TUN)

1230 hrs: Two more semifinals set. At 57kg,  Chakir ANSARI (MAD) will take on Diamantino IUNA FAFE (GBS) while in semifinal two, Abdelhak KHERBACHE (ALG) will be up against  Junjun ASEBIAS (FSM).

1215 hrs: Senegal's Rio Olympian Adama Diatta will be looking to qualify for the Games again as he makes his way to the semifinals at 65kg. He will take on Aime Mbolalalaina Joel RAKOTONIAINA (MAD) 

1200 hrs: We have our first set of semifinals for the night. The two winners will get a ticket to Tokyo Olympics. At 86kg, Jayden Alexander LAWRENCE (AUS) vs Ekerekeme AGIOMOR (NGR) and Khaled Masoud Ismail ELMOATAMADAWI (EGY) vs Fateh BENFERDJALLAH (ALG) will wrestle for the two spots in the final

1137 hrs: Senior Africa Championships bronze medalist at 125kg Johannes Jacobus KRIEL (RSA) if knocked out in a thriller. Djahid BERRAHAL (ALG), who was a silver medalist at the same tournament, 8-8 

1134 hrs: Did you see that? Ishak BOUKHORS (ALG), the silver medalist in Africa, with a 10-0 mauling of Guy Robert DE LUMEAU JR (PLW)

1130 hrs: Junior African champion Fathi Tarek Fathi Attia ISMAIL (EGY) holds off Amas DANIEL (NGR) 4-3 to advance in the 65kg qualifications

1128 hrs: What a show from local boy Haitem DAKHLAOUI (TUN). The African champion at 70kg starts his qualifying tournament at 65kg with a 14-3 tech victory over Mostafa REZAEIFAR (AUS). Six guts to finish it off

1110 hrs: Former African Youth Games champion Diamantino IUNA FAFE (GBS) gets going with a 6-1 win over Gamal Abdelnaser Hanafy MOHAMED (EGY). Good start for the youngster

1100 hrs: Hammamet is ready for the final day of wrestling at the African and Oceania Olympic qualifiers.

#WrestleNoviSad

Fujinami wins U23 world gold with perfect debut at 57kg

Saturday, October 25, 2025 - 00:37 By Vinay Siwach

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NOVI SAD, Serbia (October 24) -- Akari FUJINAMI (JPN) said she was 'a little nervous' before coming to Novi Sad for her first international tournament at 57kg.

On the mat, however, the Paris Olympic champion showed no signs of nerves.

Fujinami won her first U23 world title, extended her win streak to 145 matches dating back to 2017 and made a golden debut at the new weight class. Even more remarkable was the manner in which she won her all bouts, via technical superiority.

"It was my first match in a long time," Fujinami said. "I think it was a tournament where I was able to show my skills I had practiced, feeling relieved and have fun playing in the competition."

In the 57kg final, it took Fujinami only five second to hit that outside single against Aryna DZEMCHANKA MARTYNAVA (UWW) and score the first takedown. Another similar attack and she was up 4-0. A go-behind made it 6-0 and a transitioned double-leg attack gave her four points as she won 10-0.

"I could feel the power of my opponents in the new weight class," Fujinami said. "I still had to reduce weight but I feel that I moved very well on the mat.

"As for the final, when it comes to handling when (my) head is outside, foreign players are strong [in dealing with that], so I have honed my skills a lot. It's a move that doesn't let the opponent get together, or to tackle."

Fujinami, who won the Japan's Queens Cup in April to qualify for the U23 World Championships, decided to skip the Meiji Cup and in turn the World Championships in Zagreb, as she would not be ready physically for the challenge.

The U23 Worlds, however, laid a perfect platform for her to test herself as she gears up for the all-important Emperor's Cup in December. In Novi Sad, she spent a total of 8:22 on the mat in four bouts with little trouble.

"I wasn't aware of it at all," she said about winning every bout via technical superiority. "I thought I was just doing what I had been doing. This time, I was practicing not only tackles but also snaps. It's a move like Masanosuke ONO, who dropped his opponent down. I want to practice more and more and make it a technique that can score."

Akari FUJINAMI (JPN)Akari FUJINAMI (JPN) won the gold medal at 57kg at the U23 World Championships. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

The competition at Emperor's Cup, which Fujinami wants to win in order to compete at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games in 2026, will be much tougher. Apart from the regulars at 57kg including Sara NATAMI (JPN), Himeka TOKUHARA (JPN) and Sowaka UCHIDA (JPN), a possible return of fellow Paris Olympic champion Tsugumi SAKURAI (JPN), may spice up the competition.

Fujinami also has eyes on the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics and in particular wrestling one wrestler -- Helen MAROULIS (USA).

"I respect Helen Maroulis a lot," she said. "But now I am at 57kg and I must beat her."

In other women's wrestling finals on Friday, Kazakhstan got its first-ever U23 world champion in women's wrestling after Shugyla OMIRBEK (KAZ) held on to a thrilling win against Tuba DEMIR (TUR) at 55kg.

Omirbek got a takedown to start the final as Demir was put on the activity clock. She then turned Demir three times using an underhook from behind and stretching the other arm of Demir for exposure. As the sequence finished, Omirbek was up 9-0.

Demir made a match out of it when she hit a slick ankle pick and landed Omirbek in danger for four points which she got after a challenge. A double-leg attack gave her two more points to make it 9-6.

The dramatic part of the final began now as Demir added another takedown to cut the lead to one point, 9-8, before exposing Omirbek for danger but the referees scored it as neutral as the Kazakhstan wrestler may not been have in danger position.

Not disheartened by the decision, Demir launched another attacked and almost got the stepout with 15 seconds left. However, the referees called it par terre position for both wrestlers and no points were given. Turkiye decided to challenge this time only to lose it and give a 10-8 lead to Omirbek.

After Demir missed her desperate shot, Omirbek circled and got behind to get two more points before bursting into a celebration with her coaches.

Turkiye's gloomy mood changed a little when Nesrin BAS (TUR) won her third U23 world title at 68kg in a dominant fashion. Bas now has three golds and one silver U23 Worlds.

The European and world silver medalist was facing Alina SHEVCHENKO (UWW) in the final and at no point she seemed in any danger of losing her title. She began with a single leg for takedown before a fireman's carry added two more point to her score.

It was way to simple from there on as Bas used a low single, go-behind and elevated leg takedown to finish the match 10-0. She joins Haruna OKUNO (JPN) and Alenxadrin GUTU (MDA) as three-time U23 world champions.

At 65kg, Elizaveta PETLIAKOVA (UWW) pinned Yuqi RAO (CHN) in the final using a fireman's carry and finishing the bout in just a minute and four seconds to win the gold medal.

RESULTS

55kg
GOLD: Shugyla OMIRBEK (KAZ) df. Tuba DEMIR (TUR), 12-8

BRONZE: NISHU (IND) df. Albina RILLIA (UKR), 3-1
BRONZE: Amory ANDRICH (GER) df. Mihaela SAMOIL (MDA), 10-5

57kg
GOLD: Akari FUJINAMI (JPN) df. Aryna DZEMCHANKA MARTYNAVA (UWW), 10-0

BRONZE: Neha SHARMA (IND) df. Roza SZENTTAMASI (HUN), 5-0
BRONZE: Yaynelis SANZ VERDECIA (CUB) df. Emine CAKMAK (TUR), 6-4

65kg
GOLD: Elizaveta PETLIAKOVA (UWW) df. Yuqi RAO (CHN), via fall (4-0)

BRONZE: PULKIT (IND) df. Eniko ELEKES (HUN), 8-4 
BRONZE: Oleksandra RYBAK (UKR) df. Mukhayyo NARZILLOEVA (UZB), 10-0

68kg
GOLD: Nesrin BAS (TUR) df. Alina SHEVCHENKO (UWW), 10-0

BRONZE: Gulnura TASHTANBEKOVA (KGZ) df. Gerda BARTH (GER), 4-2
BRONZE: SRISHTI (IND) df. Karolina POK (HUN), 6-1

Women's Wrestling Semifinal

53kg
GOLD: Haruna MORIKAWA (JPN) vs. Hansika LAMBA (IND)

SF 1: Haruna MORIKAWA (JPN) df. Christianah OGUNSANYA (NGR), 5-2
SF 2: Hansika LAMBA (IND) df. Carla JAUME SOLER (ESP), 11-0

59kg
GOLD: Ruka NATAMI (JPN) vs. SARIKA (IND)

SF 1: Ruka NATAMI (JPN) df. Hiunai HURBANOVA (AZE), 3-1
SF 2: SARIKA (IND) df. Olha PADOSHYK (POL), 12-6

62kg
GOLD: Sakura MOTOKI (JPN) vs. Iryna BONDAR (UKR)

SF 1: Sakura MOTOKI (JPN) df. Immacolata DANISE (ITA), via fall
SF 2: Iryna BONDAR (UKR) df. Astrid MONTERO CHIRINOS (VEN), 8-5

Freestyle Semifinal

74kg
GOLD: Halit OZMUS (TUR) vs. Mitchell MESENBRINK (USA)

SF 1: Halit OZMUS (TUR) df. Magomed KHANIEV (AZE), 7-3
SF 2: Mitchell MESENBRINK (USA) df. Yoshinosuke AOYAGI (JPN), 7-4

92kg
GOLD: Mukhamed KHANIEV (UWW) vs. Mobin AZIMI (IRI)

SF 1: Mukhamed KHANIEV (UWW) df. Ion DEMIAN (MDA), 12-1
SF 2: Mobin AZIMI (IRI) df. Ivan CHORNOHUZ (UKR), 12-1