#WrestleRome

Live Blog: U17 World Championships, Day 6

By Vinay Siwach

ROME, Italy (July 30) -- The final full day of competition at the U17 World Championships is here. The five remaining freestyle weight classes will be in action as the USA looks to build on the splendid show from Friday. The wrestlers from 45kg, 51kg, 60kg, 71kg and 92kg will take the mats.

WATCH LIVE | MATCH ORDER | DAY 5 WRAP

14:17: The 71kg semifinals

Razmik YEPREMYAN (ARM) vs. Joseph SEALEY (USA)
Aghanazar NOVRUZOV (AZE) vs. Raul CASO (ITA) 

14:45: The 60kg semifinals are set

Nikhil PILANAGOILA (IND) vs. Ebrahim ELAHI (IRI)
Taiga OGINO (JPN) vs. Bilol SHARIP UULU (KGZ)

14:40: The 51kg semifinals with U17 world silver Luke LILLEDAHL (USA)

Nurdanat AITANOV (KAZ) vs. Luke LILLEDAHL (USA)
Mohammad Reza ASADI (IRI) vs. Elman AGHAYEV (AZE) 

14:35: Here are the 45kg semifinals

Domenic MUNARETTO (USA) vs. Amirmohammad NAVAZI (IRI)
Constantin RUSU (MDA) vs. Bashir VERDIYEV (AZE) 

14:20: The 92kg semifinals are set

Erfan ALIZADEH (IRI) vs. Musza ARSUNKAEV (HUN)
Maxwell MCENELLY (USA) vs. Kamil KURUGLIYEV (KAZ) 

13:45: These are some absolutely top-class quarterfinals at 45kg

Amirmohammad NAVAZI (IRI) vs. Azymberdi ASHYRGULYYEV (TKM)
Taiga OGITA (JPN) vs. Constantin RUSU (MDA)
Domenic MUNARETTO (USA) vs. Arman HARUTYUNYAN (ARM)
Nikoloz BOTCHORISHVILI (GEO) vs. Bashir VERDIYEV (AZE) 

13:23: European champion at 51kg Elman AGHAYEV (AZE) enters the quarterfinals with a 10-0 win over Mustafa KARABUGA (TUR). He will now face Abbosbek KOBILOV (UZB)

13:15: Asian bronze medalist Abbosbek KOBILOV (UZB) with a quick 10-0 win over Arvind KUMAR (IND) at 51kg. This all but ends India's hopes of defending their team title

12:55: Another European champion falls! Returning bronze medalist and Asian champion Kamil KURUGLIYEV (KAZ) controlled most of his 92kg bout against Ibrahim BENEKLI (TUR) to win 6-0.

12:35: European bronze medalist Nikoloz MAISURADZE (GEO) upsets the 71kg European champion Kaloyan ATANASOV (BUL) 4-0 in the qualification bout. The two did not meet in the continental championships as Maisuradze was beaten by Raul CASO (ITA) in the semifinal. Caso, a silver medalist from Bucharest beat Ion MARCU (MDA) 8-6 in Rome.

12:20: Big win for 60kg European champion Abdullah TOPRAK (TUR) over Asian silver medalist Javokhir CHULIBOYEV (UZB). He rolls to a 10-0 victory. Asian champion Bilol SHARIP UULU (KGZ) also gets a 10-0 win over Aidyn BEKBAYEV (KAZ)

12:10: Not the most accomplished opponent but Ebrahim ELAHI (IRI) looked impressive against Kaige BROWN (NZL) for a 10-0 win at 60kg.

11:55: The 45kg qualification bouts went quickly. Here are the results

Domenic MUNARETTO (USA) df. Ningappa GENANNAVAR (IND), 10-0
Constantin RUSU (MDA) df. Nurassyl ASSAMBEK (KAZ), 7-6
Amirmohammad NAVAZI (IRI) df. Riccardo BONANNO (ITA), 10-0
Bashir VERDIYEV (AZE) df. Vladyslav CHORNOVIL (UKR), 10-0
Arman HARUTYUNYAN (ARM) df. Zhanysh MOIDUNOV (KGZ), 13-7
Nikoloz BOTCHORISHVILI (GEO) df. MUSTAFA KOYUN (TUR), via fall

11:30: The repchage rounds are over and we are beginning with the 45kg qualification bouts at the U17 World Championships.

#JapanWrestling

Ozaki, Tanabe take special wrestling trip to Iran

By Vinay Siwach

TEHRAN, Iran (April 28) — While most Paris Olympic medalist from Japan are preparing for June’s Meiji Cup at their base universities in Japan, world champion Nonoka OZAKI (JPN) and Asian champion Kaisei TANABE (JPN) have managed to squeeze in a educational trip to Iran despite their busy training schedule.

Ozaki, who won bronze medal at the Paris Olympics at 68kg, returned to international competition recently won a silver medal at 62kg at the Asian Championships in March. She is expected to compete at the Meiji Cup which will be held in Tokyo from June 19 to 22.

“I am in Iran right now,” Ozaki told UWW. “It’s a place I always wanted to visit. I am really happy.”

Ozaki visited Tehran as part of her education trip and exchanged wrestling notes with few of the Iranian wrestlers who are part of the team.

“Iran has many world and Olympic champions and I wanted to study wrestling here,” she said. “I stayed for a week and this experience will help me learn me about wrestling.”

Nonoka OZAKI (JPN)Nonoka OZAKI (JPN), left, and Kaisei TANABE (JPN), third from left, in Iran. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

Tanabe won the gold medal at the Asian Championships at 65kg and also attended the training camp with Iran wrestlers.

The Nippon Sports Science University wrestler is also expected to compete at the Meiji Cup and if he wins, he will book his ticket to the World Championships in September where he can meet Paris Olympic silver medalist Rahman AMOUZAD (IRI) who was present at the training camp in Tehran.

Amouzad lost the 65kg final in Paris to Kotaro KIYOOKA (JPN) who is a teammate of Tanabe at NSSU.