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LIVE BLOG: Senior Asian Championships, Day Six

Sunday, April 18, 2021 - 05:04 By United World Wrestling Press

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Senior Asian Championships enters the final day in Almaty with Iran looking to win the team title as they did in Greco-Roman.

WATCH LIVE | MATCH ORDER

1310 hrs: We are ready for the semifinals here in Almaty. Watch out for the 61kg semifinal between Ravinder and Asakarov.

1305 hrs: A thriller on Mat A! U23 world championships silver RAVINDER (IND) holds on for a 3-3 win over Majid Almas DASTAN (IRI)

1245 hrs: Deepak PUNIA (IND) continues to be on his way for showdown against Hassan YAZDANI (IRI). He beats Bakhodur KODIROV (TJK) 4-3

1230 hrs: Hassan Aliazam YAZDANICHARATI (IRI) doesn't mess around. He gets a 12-0 win over junior world champion Hayato ISHIGURO (JPN)

1200 hrs: Mostafa Mohabbali HOSSEINKHANI (IRI) will end Ikhtiyor NAVRUZOV (UZB) return to the mat with a 5-2 win at 74kg

1145 hrs: Deepak PUNIA (IND) off to a winning start as he beats Isa SHAPIEV (UZB) 9-2 in the opening bout. Unurbat PUREVJAV (MGL), the 74kg silver medalist from 2015 Worlds won a hard fought bout 8-8 against Yeskali DAULETKAZY (KAZ)

1130 hrs: Final day here in Almaty and freestyle action continues into day two. Keep your eyes on world champion Hassan YAZDANI (IRI)

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#WrestleAlmaty Weight-to-Watch: Freestyle 97kg

Thursday, April 8, 2021 - 11:58 By Eric Olanowski

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ALMATY, Kazakhstan (April 1) -- Mohammadhossein MOHAMMADIAN (IRI) headlines the ten-man freestyle 97kg bracket at next week's Asian Olympic Qualifier (April 9-11) that'll feature a field that has a Rio Olympic bronze, a world bronze, and five Asian medals.

Wrestlers have to reach the finals in Almaty to book their nation's tickets to the Tokyo Olympic Games.

Mohammadian will take the mat for the first time since his magical run to the ’20 Matteo Pellicone gold medal. During that run in Rome, the former Asian champion outscored his five opponents 41-0, while tallying victories over an Olympic champion, a U23 world champion, a world bronze medalist and a world fifth-place finisher.

Behind the headlining Iranian, other notable entries are Magomed IBRAGIMOV (UZB), Satywart KADIAN (IND), and Batzul ULZIISAIKHAN (MGL).

Ibragimov is a Rio Olympic bronze medalist and two-time Asian champion. He's looking to punch his ticket to a second consecutive Olympic Games. Ibragimov fell to Kyle SNYDER (USA) in the quarterfinals at the '19 World Championships and barely missed out on an Olympic berth with a seventh-place finish. Most recently, the 36-year-old struggled at the International Ukrainian Tournament, but before that, he was riding an 11-tournament streak where he finished top ten -- including six podium finishes.

Kadian, last year's Asian runner-up, is also entered at 97kg. The three-time Asian medalist is looking to become the fourth Indian freestyle wrestler to qualify for the Olympic Games. India has also qualified at 57kg, 65kg and 86kg. 

Ulziisaikhan rounds out the list of Olympic, world, or continental medalists who are entered at 97kg.

The last competition where Ulziisaikhan laced up his boots was the '19 World Championships. In Nur-Sultan, the '19 Asian runner-up won his opening match against Magomed MUSAEV (KGZ) but fell to eventual fifth-place finisher Alisher YERGALI (KAZ) in the quarterfinals and fell to a 15th-place finish.

Wrestling at the Asian Olympic Qualifiers kicks off on April 9-11 in Almaty, Kazakhstan, but freestyle action takes center stage on Sunday morning. You can follow all the action live on www.uww.org.

97kg Freestyle Entries 
Awusayiman HABILA (CHN)
Satywart KADIAN (IND)
Mohammadhossein MOHAMMADIAN (IRI)
Naoya AKAGUMA (JPN)
Symbat SULAIMANOV (KGZ)
Minwon SEO (KOR)
Jongku LEE (KOR)
Batzul ULZIISAIKHAN (MGL)
Muhammad INAM (PAK)
Zyyamuhammet SAPAROV (TKM)
Magomed Idrisovitch IBRAGIMOV (UZB)