Makhmudov breaks Iranian gold monopoly on Asian C'ships opening day

Sunday, April 9, 2023 - 16:27 By Ken Marantz

ASTANA, Kazakhstan (April 9) -- World champion Akzhol MAKHMUDOV (KGZ) prevented an Iranian sweep of the gold medals on the opening day of the Asian Championships on Sunday, retaining his Greco-Roman 77kg title when his Iranian opponent was forced to default before the final due to injury.

Makhmudov was awarded the gold without a fight against Amin KAVIYANINEJAD (IRI), but it could be said the Iranian would have been hard-pressed to defeat Makhmudov even if he had been in the best of shape.

Makhmudov, who became Kyrgyzstan's first-ever male world champion last year in Belgrade, had stormed into the final with a pair of first-period technical falls. The forfeit gave him a second straight Asian title and third overall.

"I would like to say that this is one of the luckiest tournaments for me," Makhmudov said. "Unfortunately, I couldn’t wrestle against the best ones, I could not wrestle the Korean guy, I thought I would wrestle him in the semifinals," he added, referring to five-time former Asian champion and two-time Olympic medalist Hyeonwoo KIM (KOR), who lost in the quarterfinals to Kodai SAKURABA (JPN). Makhmudov handily defeated Sakuraba in the semis.

"Also, I thought I would be able to wrestle my good friend from Iran, but unfortunately he got injured," Makhmudov said. "I wish him a sooner recovery and a quick comeback on the mat."

Kaviyaninejad, the only unseeded Iranian in action on the first day, suffered a twisted left knee during a tough 1-1 quarterfinal win over Rui LIU (CHN). He had it strapped for his semifinal victory over Demeu ZHADRAYEV (KAZ), but felt unable to perform in the final. He now has a silver to go with the Asian gold he won at 72kg in 2020 and a bronze medal won in 2021.

Otherwise, it was as good a day as it gets for Iran at the Zhaksylyk Ushkempirov Martial Arts Palace. The Middle East powerhouse swept the four other gold medals at stake with victories by Poya DAD MARZ (IRI) at 55kg, Iman MOHAMMADI (IRI) at 63kg, Naser ALIZADEH (IRI) at 87kg and Amin MIRZAZADEH (IRI) at 130kg. For Alizadeh, it was his third straight title.

Akzhol MAKHMUDOV (KGZ) won his third Asian Championships title. (Photo: UWW / Assem Shalgumbayeva)

Makhmudov, who will turn 24 on Saturday, stole the spotlight at the 2018 Asian Championships in Bishkek in his native country when he won the 72kg gold at age 18. A serious knee injury soon after that required surgery and a long rehab, which kept him out of action for over two years.

But he made up for the lost time by winning the silver medal at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, then made his historic run to the world gold last year. He underwent knee surgery after that but opened this year with a victory at the Dan Kolov-Nikola Petrov tournament in Sofia in early March.

"After the World Championships in Serbia, I had surgery on my knee, recovered and got back to training," he said. "This is a very important year for me, this is the qualifying World Championships [for the 2024 Paris Olympics], and I would like to be there in my best form. I would like to qualify for the Olympics as soon as possible, and spend the rest of the time preparing for the Olympics."

Iman Khoon MOHAMMADI (IRI) Iman MOHAMMADI (IRI) completed his three wins, including the final, with a 9-0 scoreline. (Photo: UWW / Assem Shalgumbayeva)

The most dominant wrestler of the day was Mohammadi, as he won all three of his matches at 63kg by 9-0 technical falls, finishing up with a victory by that scoreline over Shermukhammad SHARIBJANOV (UZB).

The top-seeded Mohammadi, who completed a world U23 and U20 double last year, scored two takedowns and two stepouts to take a 6-0 lead after the first period. Put in par terre in the second period, he finished the match at 4:09 with a lift and roll.

Mohammadi's victory was a virtual repeat of his 10-0 win over Sharibjanov in a bronze-medal match at the Ranking Series Zagreb Open in early February.

Naser ALIZADEH (IRI) defended his 87kg Asian title in Astana. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Alizadeh was also facing a familiar opponent, and had a similar result, putting away former Asian champion Nursultan TURSYNOV (KAZ) with an 8-0 technical fall 33 seconds into the second period.

Alizadeh used a throw from par terre to take a 3-0 lead, then got three consecutive stepouts to go up 6-0 at the break. The Iranian quickly finished the match in the second period with two more stepouts, the second coming when he slipped out of a headlock throw attempt.

It marks the third year in a row that Alizadeh has defeated Tursynov at the Asian Championships, having beaten him 3-0 in the semifinals last year and by fall in the quarterfinals in 2021.

Tursynov pulled a surprise by knocking off world 82kg silver medalist Jalgasbay BERDIMURATOV (UZB) in the quarterfinals, coming back from five points down to win 11-5.

For the 32-year-old Tursynov, the silver is his first Asian medal in eight years -- he won the silver in 2015, the year after winning his lone gold.

Poya DAD MARZ (IRI) is now unbeaten in four international tournaments since September 2022. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Dad Marz, coming off a victory at the Zagreb Open, got the Iranian gold rush started by taking the 55kg title with a 3-1 win over a scrappy RUPIN (IND), who knocked off 2022 silver medalist and top seed Amangali BEKBOLATOV (KAZ) in the quarterfinals.

"Two years ago in the Kazakhstan Asian Championships, I won a bronze medal and now I changed that medal to gold," Dad Marz said. "I hope to represent Iran in the next World Championships and win a gold medal there."

In the final, both wrestlers received a passivity point, but neither could turn the other in par terre. Rupin's came in the second period, putting him ahead on criteria when he was called for passivity and again put on the bottom. As Dad Marz was working for a front headlock, the Indian was assessed a 2-point penalty for locking the Iranian's arm.

"The Indian wrestler was a tough rival and he defeated Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan in the previous rounds," Dad Marz said.

The 23-year-old Dad Marz is on an upward trajectory, having won the 2017 world junior gold, a senior Asian bronze in 2021, the world U23 gold last year and the Zagreb Open this year.

"During the last months, I won gold medals in Spain and Zagreb tournaments as well as at the Baku World Cup with the Iran team," he said. "I hope to continue these titles and compensate for my loss last year [at the senior worlds] in Belgrade with the best medal at the 2023 World Championships."

World silver medalist Amin MIRZAZADEH (IRI) won his second Asian title and first since 2020. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Capping the gold rush was world silver medalist Mirzazadeh, who received a passivity point in each period to defeat Lingzhe MENG (CHN) 2-0 in the 130kg final to wrap up the day's action and add to the Asian gold he won in 2020.

"It's my second gold in the Asian Championships after the first appearance in 2020 in New Delhi and I am glad about that," Mirzazadeh said. "It was also my first competition after the Belgrade World Championships and I had a good performance in the new year.

"It's five months until the 2023 World Championships and I should prepare myself better to change the 2022 silver medal to gold."

Meng, a bronze medalist at the Zagreb Open, made it to the final with a victory by cautions over defending champion Alimkhan SYZDYKOV (KAZ). Syzdykov, who led 5-0 early on, became visibly winded in the second period and three times sheepishly gave up a stepout, after which he received a caution. Meng was leading 11-3 when the bout ended.

Hosts pick up 3 bronzes

In addition to Tursynov's silver medal, host Kazakhstan came away with three bronze medals from Bekbolatov at 55kg, Mukhamedali MAMURBEK (KAZ) at 63kg and Syzdykov, who mustered the energy to win his third-place match at 130kg.

Bekbolatov needed just 1:38 to notch a 9-0 technical fall over Haifeng ZHANG (CHN), while Mamurbek took only slightly less time (1:28) to beat Chiezo MARUYAMA (JPN) by the same score.

Syzdykov defeated Minseok KIM (KOR) 5-3 in a rematch of last year's gold-medal showdown in Mongolia that the Kazakh won by fall.

Neighboring Uzbekistan was one of two countries with two bronze-medal winners, as Zagreb Open silver medalist Ikhtiyor BOTIROV (UZB) rolled over Taiga ONISHI (JPN) with a 9-0 technical fall in 3:23 at 55kg, and Berdimuratov edged Atabek AZISBEKOV (KGZ) 2-2 at 87kg.

Maruyama and Onishi -- both world U20 bronze medalists -- were among four Japanese wrestlers in bronze-medal matches, but only Kodai SAKURABA (JPN) made it to the medal podium, which he did for the second straight year at 77kg.

Sakuraba, a 2019 world U23 silver medalist, overwhelmed Jeyhun OVEZDURDYYEV (TKM) by a 9-0 technical fall in 1:38 as he tries to solidify his place in the weight class that Shohei YABIKU (JPN) won a bronze medal in at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.

Ovezdurdyyev fell short in his bid to become Turkmenistan's fourth-ever Asian medalist in Greco-Roman and first since 2018.

Masato SUMI (JPN), who gave Alizadeh a tough fight in a 1-1 loss in the 87kg quarterfinals, failed to follow that up and lost 4-1 to Sunil KUMAR (IND), who earned his second straight bronze medal.

India also won two bronze medals, as NEERAJ (IND) preceded Kumar's win by beating Jinseub SONG (KOR) 5-2 at 63kg.

The other bronze at 77kg went to unheralded Rui LIU (CHN), who scored a takedown and gut wrench in the first 15 seconds and held on for a 5-2 win over Demeu ZHADRAYEV (KAZ), which denied him a fifth senior Asian medal.

Roman KIM (KGZ) won his second straight Asian bronze and third overall at 130kg with a 10-1 technical fall in 4:06 over world U20 bronze medalist Temurbek NASIMOV (UZB).

Day 1 Results

Greco-Roman

55kg (10 entries)
GOLD: Poya DAD MARZ (IRI) df. RUPIN (IND), 3-1

BRONZE: Amangali BEKBOLATOV (KAZ) df. Haifeng ZHANG (CHN) by TF, 9-0 (1:38)
BRONZE: Ikhtiyor BOTIROV (UZB) df. Taiga ONISHI (JPN) by TF, 9-0 (3:23)

Semifinal: RUPIN (IND) df. Haifeng ZHANG (CHN), 3-1
Semifinal: Poya DAD MARZ (IRI) df. Ikhtiyor BOTIROV (UZB), 8-1

63kg (9 entries)
GOLD: Iman MOHAMMADI (IRI) df. Shermukhammad SHARIBJANOV (UZB) by TF, 9-0 (4:09)

BRONZE: NEERAJ (IND) df. Jinseub SONG (KOR), 5-2
BRONZE: Mukhamedali MAMURBEK (KAZ) df. Chiezo MARUYAMA (JPN) by TF, 9-0 (1:28)

Semifinal: Iman MOHAMMADI (IRI) df. Jinseub SONG (KOR) by TF, 9-0 (5:03)
Semifinal: Shermukhammad SHARIBJANOV (UZB) df. Mukhamedali MAMURBEK (KAZ) by Fall, 4:41 (6-5)

77kg (12 entries)
GOLD: Akzhol MAKHMUDOV (KGZ) df. Amin KAVIYANINEJAD (IRI) by Inj. Def.

BRONZE: Kodai SAKURABA (JPN) df. Jeyhun OVEZDURDYYEV (TKM) by TF, 9-0 (1:38)
BRONZE: Rui LIU (CHN) df. Demeu ZHADRAYEV (KAZ), 5-2

Semifinal: Akzhol MAKHMUDOV (KGZ) df. Kodai SAKURABA (JPN) by TF, 9-1 (2:41)
Semifinal: Amin KAVIYANINEJAD (IRI) df. Demeu ZHADRAYEV (KAZ), 3-1

87kg (10 entries)
GOLD: Naser ALIZADEH (IRI) df. Nursultan TURSYNOV (KAZ) by TF, 8-0

BRONZE: Sunil KUMAR (IND) df. Masato SUMI (JPN), 4-1
BRONZE: Jalgasbay BERDIMURATOV (UZB) df. Atabek AZISBEKOV (KGZ), 2-2

Semifinal: Naser ALIZADEH (IRI) df. Sunil KUMAR (IND), 7-2
Semifinal: Nursultan TURSYNOV (KAZ) df. Atabek AZISBEKOV (KGZ) by TF, 12-0 (1:43)

130kg (11 entries)
GOLD: Amin MIRZAZADEH (IRI) df. Lingzhe MENG (CHN), 2-0

BRONZE: Roman KIM (KGZ) df. Temurbek NASIMOV (UZB) by TF, 10-1, 4:06
BRONZE: Alimkhan SYZDYKOV (KAZ) df. Minseok KIM (KOR) 5-3

Semifinal: Amin MIRZAZADEH (IRI) df. Temurbek NASIMOV (UZB) by TF, 9-0 (2:34)
Semifinal: Lingzhe MENG (CHN) df. Alimkhan SYZDYKOV (KAZ) by Cautions, 4:30 (11-3)

#WrestleAstana

Tynybekova rises again to win 62kg Asian title; Fujinami repeats

Wednesday, April 12, 2023 - 16:42 By Ken Marantz

ASTANA, Kazakhstan (April 12) -- To paraphrase Mark Twain, reports of the sporting demise of Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ) have been an exaggeration.

The former two-time world champion Tynybekova showed she was alive and kicking in the athletic sense when she captured the gold medal in a formidable 62kg weight class as women's wrestling concluded at the Asian Championships on Wednesday in Astana.

Tynybekova came away with her fifth career Asian gold and 10th medal overall with a gutsy 9-5 victory over former world champion Orkhon PUREVDORJ (MGL) in the final at the Zhaksylyk Ushkempirov Martial Arts Palace.

That victory came hours after Tynybekova eked out a 2-2 victory in the semifinals over defending champion and reigning world champ Nonoka OZAKI (JPN), avenging a pair of losses to the young Japanese in 2022 that included the final at last year's Asian Championships.

"I am very proud of myself," Tynyvekova said. "Last year was super tough for me. Right from the beginning of the year, it was super tough. Now I am happy that I was able to overcome it all. I wish everyone to keep dreaming and believing in themselves."

While Tynybekova was re-establishing her status as a world elite, teen phenom Akari FUJINAMI (JPN) was solidifying her credentials as a budding superstar by storming to her second straight title at 53kg, racking up three one-sided victories that extended her winning streak in domestic and international competitions to 119 in a row.

Japan, which won three titles on Tuesday, also got a gold medal from Sae NANJO (JPN) at 57kg but saw its wrestlers in the two heaviest of the five weight classes in action both fall in the finals.

World silver medalist Jia LONG (CHN) gave China its second gold in Astana with a victory over Mahiro YOSHITAKE (JPN) at 65kg, while hometown favorite Zhamila BAKBERGENOVA (KAZ) successfully defended her 76kg title by beating Sumire NIIKURA (JPN) in a rematch of the 2022 championship bout.

Not surprisingly, Japan ran away with the team title with 205 points, while China finished second with 149 and India, with no champions overall but five medalists on Wednesday, edged host Kazakhstan by two points for third with 143.

Tynybekova, who had been recovering from a knee injury suffered during a loss to Ozaki at last year's Asian Championships in Mongolia, struggled to fifth place at the 2022 World Championships. She then started this year with a first-round loss at the Zagreb Open to Xiaojuan LUO (CHN), who would lose a bronze-medal match here on Wednesday.

Tynybekova showed some of her old form three weeks later by winning the Ranking Series tournament in Egypt with a win over Luo in the final, but there were questions about how she would perform when the stakes were higher in Astana.

The 29-year-old national hero wiped away the doubts with a vintage performance, keeping her cool in desperate situations and relying on her experience to take advantage of every opening.

In the 62kg final, Tynybekova twice gave up points to counters by Purevdorj that would put her behind, but quickly scrambled for a reversal after each, with the second one putting her ahead 5-4. She put the match away with a double-leg takedown and 2-point exposure in the last minute.

"I am very happy to be back at the top of the podium," Tynybekova said. "I am glad this day had finally come. I also would like to note that I have become a five-time Asian champion. Maybe there was no one before. I am proud to be the first one in our country."

Tynybekova was denied her dream of striking Olympic gold when she lost to Japanese rival Yukako KAWAI (JPN) in the final at the 2021 Tokyo Games. As Kawai went on hiatus, Tynybekova regained the world title later that year that she previously won in 2019. Her first-round opponent at the 2021 Worlds was the then-teenaged Ozaki, whom she beat in a struggle.

Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ) scoring a counter over Nonoka OZAKI (JPN) which proved crucial in the win. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Fast-forward to April last year in Mongolia, where Ozaki gained revenge with a victory over Tynybekova by injury default in a match the Japanese seemed to be dominating. Ozaki made sure it was no fluke in their next meeting at the 2022 Worlds in Belgrade, posting a one-sided 11-5 win in the semifinal.

In their clash in the afternoon session on Wednesday, Tynybekova made a 2-point counter lift in the first period hold up for a 2-2 win over Ozaki. In the second period, Ozaki received an activity point, then nearly got the go-ahead takedown, but Tynybekova fought to limit it to a stepout.

"I am happy I managed to beat Ozaki, to whom I lost twice last year," Tynybekova said. "Also, back in 2018, I lost to the Mongolian wrestler in the final match in Indonesia at the Asian Games. That was a 10-0 loss. Today I proved to myself that I deserve this gold."

Ozaki was left to rue her missed opportunities.

"I got in on a high crotch tackle and she turned me over for the first two points," the 20-year-old Ozaki said. "It's very disappointing in one aspect because I was the aggressor and she scored off it. The fact that I couldn't finish it off is something I have to fix. It was the first time a foreign wrestler had countered for points against me."

Ozaki added that having to settle for a stepout after getting in so deep on the takedown attempt "was really big."

Looking ahead, Ozaki has other issues to address besides Tynybekova. Back home, she faces a difficult path in a bid to get back to the World Championships, where the first berths at the 2024 Paris Olympics will be up for grabs.

Japan has two domestic qualifiers for the world team, and Ozaki lost last December to Sakura MOTOKI (JPN) at the first one, the All-Japan Championships. The second qualifier will be the All-Japan Invitational Championships, also known as the Meiji Cup, which Ozaki will need to win to force a playoff.

At 53kg, Fujinami methodically piled up points against the fellow teenager and world U20 champion Antim PANGHAL (IND) en route to a 10-0 technical fall in 3:11 in the final. It was Fujinami's third technical fall of the day, but the first that made it into the second period.

"I wanted to try things other than my specialty of low tackle," Fujinami said. "I found some good things and some things I want to work on. I want to put what I gained here to use going into the Meiji Cup and the World Championships."

Fujinami is set on regaining the world crown that she won in 2021 but was forced to abdicate last year due to a foot injury, then winning the gold in Paris.

At the Meiji Cup, she faces a possible clash with Olympic champion Mayu SHIDOCHI (JPN), who won the gold in Tokyo under her maiden name of MUKAIDA.

On top of her amazing streak, Fujinami has now not given up a point in 29 matches over a span of more than two years. The last opponent to score on her was Nanami IRIE (JPN), who managed to get a takedown in the final at the All-Japan Championships in December 2020 -- a match that Fujinami still won 8-2 for her first national title.

In Japan, the streak takes more importance because it now equals that of one of the country's most beloved sporting legends, three-time Olympic champion and fellow Mie Prefecture native Saori YOSHIDA (JPN). Yoshida put together 119 wins from 2001 to 2008.

Japan's longest winning streak is held by four-time Olympic gold medalist Kaori ICHO (JPN), who won 189 straight from 2003 to 2016 before losing to Purevdorj at the Yarygin Grand Prix.

Her mark comes with a caveat, however, as it does not include a loss by default that she purposely took at the 2007 Asian Championships, when she was injured but had to enter the tournament to be eligible for that year's World Championships.

In the 57kg final, Nanjo added to the Asian gold she won in 2017 with a victory by fall in 2:16 over Laylokhon SOBIROVA (UZB). Nanjo was leading 11-4 when she ended the match.

Nanjo, last year's world bronze medalist and world U23 champion, was up 8-0 when she got a little overexuberant in trying to gain the clinching points. She got in deep with a duck under, only for Sobirova to use her momentum for a 4-point counter lift. But Nanjo quickly recovered, gaining a reversal then locking up both of Sobirova's arms and levering her over for the fall.

Like her compatriots, Nanjo is looking ahead to the road to the Olympics. "This year, the Meiji Cup is an important domestic tournament heading to the Olympics," she said. "I only looked at this as a step toward the Meiji Cup, so from that aspect, it is not so important."

Nanjo advanced to the final with a 5-1 victory in the semifinals over 2022 silver medalist Anshu MALIK (IND), a match that she had been looking forward to.

"At the last World Championships, I was third and she was second, so I had wanted to have one match against her," Nanjo said. "When I actually faced her, she was tough."

Jia LONG (CHN) won her first Asian title. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

At 65kg, Long scored a reversal and two back exposures in the second period for a 5-3 win over Yoshitake, the world U20 champion who was coming off a victory at the Zagreb Open.

Long, who won all three of her Nordic group matches and her semifinal by 10-0 technical falls, gave up an activity point in the first period, then fell behind in the second when Yoshitake caught her with an elbow roll. But the Chinese squirmed out for a reversal, then scored with a gut wrench and tilt to go ahead 5-3.

The match ended with Long using a whizzer to stave off a double-leg takedown attempt by Yoshitake, who last December won her first national title after world champion Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN) moved up to the Olympic weight of 68kg.

Zhamila BAKBERGENOVA (KAZ) defended her 72kg gold medal in Astana. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Bakberbergenova gave the host country a sweep of the two heaviest weights when she scored all of her points in the second period to defeat Niikura 5-1 and retain the 72kg title.

After Niikura received an activity point in the first period, Bakberbergenova went ahead when she scored a takedown off a single-leg attempt after fighting off a counter-lift by Niikura. An activity point made it 3-1 and then Bakberbergenova put it away with exposure as Niikura attempted another counter-lift.

Her victory followed the gold-medal run at 76kg of compatriot Elmira SYZDYKOVA (KAZ) the previous night, much to the delight of the partisan crowd.

Ozaki settles for bronze; India takes home 4

Ozaki will not leave Astana empty-handed, as she bounced back from her disappointing loss to Tynybekova by winning a bronze medal that likely will be less than satisfying.

Ozaki went out the back door on a single-leg attempt against Dilfuza AIMBETOVA (UZB) and ended up between her legs, then simply pressed forward to score a fall in 40 seconds.

The other bronze at 62kg went to world U20 silver medalist Sonam MALIK (IND), one of four won by India along with Malik at 57kg, MANISHA (IND) at 65kg and Reetika HOODA (IND) at 72kg.

Sonam scored a 4-point double-leg tackle to the back in the first period of a 5-1 victory over China's Luo, a two-time former Asian champion and last year's world bronze medalist.

Malik, shrugging off a knee injury suffered during her semifinal loss to Nanjo, had no trouble cruising to a 10-0 technical fall over Erdenesuvd BAT ERDENE (MGL).

Nilufar RAIMOVA (KAZ) won the other 57kg bronze, scoring 4 with a spinning arm throw in the second period to defeat Bermet NURIDIN KYZY (KGZ) 7-0.

Manisha won her second straight bronze and the only one at stake in the seven-woman 65kg weight class by overwhelming Albina KAIRGELDINOVA (KAZ), building up a six-point lead before stuffing a lateral drop attempt and clamping down for a fall in 2:15.

Hooda, a world U20 bronze medalist, scored a takedown in each period in posting a 5-1 victory over Svetlana OKNAZAROVA (UZB).

Mongolia picked up a pair of bronze medals as Bolortuya BAT OCHIR (MGL) and Davaanasan ENKH AMAR (MGL) both crushed Taiwanese opponents with 11-0 technical falls. Bat Ochir crushed Meng HSIEH (TPE) at 53kg and Enkh Amar took the other 76kg bronze with a shellacking of Ping HUNG (TPE).

Aktenge KEUNIMJAEVA (UZB) picked up the third Asian bronze of her career when she rallied from a five-point deficit to defeat Li DENG (CHN) 9-6 at 53kg, going ahead with a 4-point driving takedown with 1:30 left.

Day 4 Results

Women's Wrestling

53kg (11 entries)
GOLD: Akari FUJINAMI (JPN) df. Antim PANGHAL (IND) by TF, 10-0 (2:48)

BRONZE: Aktenge KEUNIMJAEVA (UZB) df. Li DENG (CHN), 9-6
BRONZE: Bolortuya BAT OCHIR (MGL) df. Meng HSIEH (TPE) by TF, 11-0 (3:53)

Semifinal: Antim PANGHAL (IND) df. Aktenge KEUNIMJAEVA (UZB) by Fall, 5:52 (8-1)
Semifinal: Akari FUJINAMI (JPN) df. Bolortuya BAT OCHIR (MGL) by TF, 10-0 (2:32)

57kg (11 entries)
GOLD: Sae NANJO (JPN) df. Laylokhon SOBIROVA (UZB) by Fall, 2:16 (11-4)

BRONZE: Nilufar RAIMOVA (KAZ) df. Bermet NURIDIN KYZY (KGZ), 7-0
BRONZE: Anshu MALIK (IND) df. Erdenesuvd BAT ERDENE (MGL) by TF, 10-0 (3:20)

Semifinal: Laylokhon SOBIROVA (UZB) df. Bermet NURIDIN KYZY (KGZ) by TF, 11-0, 1:22
Semifinal: Sae NANJO (JPN) df. Anshu MALIK (IND), 5-1

62kg (10 entries)
GOLD: Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ) df. Orkhon PUREVDORJ (MGL), 9-5

BRONZE: Sonam MALIK (IND) df. Xiaojuan LUO (CHN), 5-1
BRONZE: Nonoka OZAKI (JPN) df. Dilfuza AIMBETOVA (UZB) by Fall, :40 (2-0)

Semifinal: Orkhon PUREVDORJ (MGL) df. Xiaojuan LUO (CHN), 7-3
Semifinal: Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ) df. Nonoka OZAKI (JPN), 2-2

65kg (7 entries)
GOLD: Jia LONG (CHN) df. Mahiro YOSHITAKE (JPN), 5-3

BRONZE: MANISHA (IND) df. Albina KAIRGELDINOVA (KAZ) by Fall, 2:15 (8-0)

Semifinal: Jia LONG (CHN) df. Albina KAIRGELDINOVA (KAZ) by TF, 10-0 (1:38)
Semifinal: Mahiro YOSHITAKE (JPN) df. Manisha MANISHA (IND) by Fall, 4:07 (2-1)

72kg (8 entries)
GOLD: Zhamila BAKBERGENOVA (KAZ) df. Sumire NIIKURA (JPN), 5-1

BRONZE: Reetika HOODA (IND) df. Svetlana OKNAZAROVA (UZB), 5-1
BRONZE: Davaanasan ENKH AMAR (MGL) df. Ping HUNG (TPE) by TF, 11-0 (1:44)

Semifinal: Zhamila BAKBERGENOVA (KAZ) df. Davaanasan ENKH AMAR (MGL) by TF, 11-1, 4:23
Semifinal: Sumire NIIKURA (JPN) df. Reetika HOODA (IND) 5-4

Makhmudov breaks Iranian gold monopoly on Asian C'ships opening day

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Tynybekova rises again to win 62kg Asian title; Fujinami repeats