#WrestleCoralville

Mongolia’s FS/WW World Cup squads set

By Gary Abbott

CORALVILLE, Iowa (November 17) --- The lineups for Mongolia, which will compete in both freestyle and women’s wrestling at the World Cup, have been released.

The Men’s and Women’s Wrestling World Cup will be held at Xtream Arena in Coralville, Iowa, Dec. 10-11. It is the first time that men’s freestyle and women’s wrestling will be held together side-by-side at the World Cup.

The World Cup is the annual international dual meet championships, conducted by United World Wrestling. The top five teams in men’s freestyle and the top five teams in women’s wrestling from the 2022 Senior World Championships in Belgrade, Serbia in September have confirmed their participation. There is also an All-World Team in each discipline, featuring the top available athlete from the World Championships in each weight class that were not from a nation which qualified for the World Cup.

Both the women’s wrestling and the men’s freestyle World Cup rosters from Mongolia are loaded with both Senior and age-group world medalists.

Two major stars on the women’s team roster are 2014 world champion Tserenchimed SUKHEE at 62kg and 2020 Olympic bronze medalist Bolortuya BAT OCHIR at 53kg. In addition to her world title, Sukhee was a 2015 world silver medalist and a 2018 world bronze medalist. Bat-Ochir also has a 2019 world bronze medal to go with her Olympic medal.

There are six other women wrestlers on the Mongolia team who are Senior World medalists. Otgonjargal DOLGORJAV (50kg) won a 2022 world silver medal and a 2021 world bronze medal. Shoovdor BAATARJAV (65kg) won three world bronze medals, in 2018, ‘19 and ‘21.  Khulan BATKHUYAG (53kg) was a 2022 world silver medalist. Sumiya ERDENCHIMEG (55kg) claimed a 2013 world silver medal. Davaachimeg ERKHEMBAYAR (57kg) was a 2021 world silver medalist. Delgermaa ENKHSAIKHAN (68kg) earned a 2021 World bronze medal.

On the 20-athlete Mongolia women’s wrestling roster, 10 of the athletes boast a medal at an age-group World Championships.

Mongolia, which placed fourth at the 2022 World Championships in women’s wrestling, will be joined in the World Cup by World champion Japan, second place United States, third place China and fifth place Ukraine, in addition to the All-World Team.

The Mongolian freestyle World Cup team is led by two-time Senior world medalist Lkhagvagerel MUNKHTUR at 125kg. Munkhtur won a 2022 World silver medal and a 2021 World bronze medal, and was also fifth at the 2020 Olympic Games.

Three other Mongolian men were past World bronze medalists: 2022 World bronze medalist Zanabazar ZANDANBUD (57kg), 2022 world bronze medalist Narankhuu NARMANDAKH (61kg) and 2021 world bronze medalist Tulga TUMUR OCHIR (65kg).

Past age-group World medalists on the squad are Temuulen ENKTUYA (70kg), Sumiyabazar ZANDANUB (74kg), Bat Erdene BYAMBASUREN (86kg), Gankhuyag GANBAATAR (92kg) and Bymanbadorj BAT ERDENE (92kg).

Mongolia, which placed fourth at the 2022 World Championships in men’s freestyle, will be joined in the World Cup by first place United States, second place Iran, third place Japan and fifth place Georgia, in addition to the All-World Team.

The rosters of the World Cup teams for the other nations will be announced over the next week by USA Wrestling.

Ticket packages for the 2022 Men’s and Women’s Wrestling World Cup are currently on sale. The seating capacity for Xtream Arena for the World Cup will be approximately 5,300. Ticket packages include a Gold package for $275, Silver package for $200 and All-Session tickets for $90.

A special Presentation of Teams and Team USA Meet & Greet will also be held on Friday, December 9 at 6:45 pm. It is free and open to the public.

Men’s and Women’s Wrestling World Cup tickets -> https://worldcupiowacity.com/tickets/

Mongolia’s Women’s Wrestling World Cup team
50 kg – Otgonjargal DOLGORJAV
50 kg – Namuuntsetseg TSOGT OCHIR
53 kg – Bolortuya BAT OCHIR
53 kg – Khulan BATKHUYAG
55 kg – Otgonjargal GANBAATAR
55 kg – Sumiya ERDENCHIMEG
57 kg – Davaachimeg ERKHEMBAYAR
57 kg – Erdenesuvd BAT ERDENE
59 kg – Khongorzul BOLDSAIKHAN
59 kg – Bolortuya KHURELKHUU
62 kg – Tserenchimed SUKHEE
62 kg – Bolortungalag ZORIGT
65 kg – Purevsuren ULIZIISAIKHAN
65 kg – Shoovdor BAATARJAV
68 kg – Delgermaa ENKHSAIKHAN
68 kg – Urtnasan GAN OCHIR
72 kg – Davaanasan ENK AMAR
72 kg – Sarnai BAYARBAATAR
76 kg – Ariunjargal GANBAT
76 kg – Zagardulam NAIGALSUREN

Mongolia’s Freestyle World Cup team
57 kg – Zanabazar ZANDANBUD
57 kg – Nasanbuyan NARMANDAKH
61 kg – Narankhuu NARMANDAKH
61 kg – Munkh ERDENE ALTANSUVD
65 kg – Tsogbadrakh TSEVEENSUREN
65 kg – Tulga TUMUR OCHIR
70 kg – Temuulen ENKTUYA
70 kg – Khanburged GANKHUYAG
74 kg – Suldkhuu OLONBAYAR
74 kg – Sumiyabazar ZANDANBUD
79 kg – Dulguun ALTANZUL
79 kg – Batzul DAMJIN
86 kg – Bat Erdene BYAMBASUREN
86 kg – Tsogtgerel MUNKHBAATAR
92 kg – Gankhuyag GANBAATAR
92 kg – Bymanbadorj BAT ERDENE
97 kg – Orgilokh DAGVADORJ
97 kg – Batzul ULZIISAIKHAN
125 kg – Lkhagvagerel MUNKHTUR
125 kg – Batmagnai ENKHTUVSHIN

#BeachWrestling

Algeria sweeps African Beach Wrestling Championships

By United World Wrestling Press

CASABLANCA, Morocco (September 12) -- Rising African heavyweight prodigies, Skander BENMOHAMED (ALG) and Billel BALI (ALG) guided Algeria to the team title of the U17 African Beach Wrestling Championship.

Algeria also bagged the women’s team title, led by a dominating double gold display by Meriem Safiya GRIB (ALG), thus completing a stellar show at the continental competition held in Casablanca, Morocco, on September 4 and 5.

The serene Ain Diab beach, with its gleaming sands and turquoise waters, hosted the best U15, U17, and U20 African talents for the two-day competition. The age-group tournaments were held before the Beach Wrestling World Series event, which was held for the first time in an African city, underlining United World Wrestling’s commitment to increasing the sport’s presence in Africa.

Over the two days of action, wrestling aficionados got a glimpse of some of the best talent from the continent. For many, this was also a build-up to the Dakar Youth Olympic Games, which are less than 500 days away.

From an African point of view, Algeria set an early marker. With two gold medals in the men’s events, in the 80 and 90 kg, and one in the women’s section, the country’s wrestlers dominated the proceedings and finished on top of the overall team rankings in the U17 age group.

Benmohamed, who won the U17 African Championships bronze medals earlier this year in mat wrestling, reigned supreme in the 90kg category.

In his first bout, the 17-year-old edged out Aboubacar Demba CAMARA (GUI) in a close affair before coming into his own and stamping his authority over Ali OUIDAD (MAR) 3-0 and Rihan BRITS (RSA) 3-0 to finish on top of the four-man round-robin draw. With three wins out of three, Benmohamed finished ahead of Ouidad to win the gold medal.

Benmohamed completed a super double by winning the gold medal in the U20 category as well. The Algerian defeated Lahcen AIT ELASRI (MAR) and Mohamed Amine EL MEKKAOUI (MAR) for a double podium finish.

Bali had a chance to follow in the footsteps of his compatriot. In the U17 80kg, Bali blanked Fahd RAZKANE (MAR) for a win by superiority in less than a minute-and-a-half to win the gold medal. However, in the U20 event, he could win just once and finished fourth in the five-man field.

Elbara BENAMMAR (ALG) added a third medal to Algeria's kitty in the men’s U17 category by winning the bronze in the 60kg category. Benammar began strongly by defeating Ernest DIATTA (SEN) and David Kanyimbu Mputu De DEUS (ANG) on technical superiority. However, he lost to Dan KEGODE (KEN) in the third round and then went down once again to Ibrahim DOSSO (CIV) in the semifinals.

Benammar shrugged off the disappointments to finish his campaign with another win by superiority over Hatim RAJAY (MAR) to take home the bronze medal.

With that, Algeria finished with a total of 77 points, ahead of second-placed Morocco (62) and Angola (35), who finished third.

In the women’s U17 category, Grib won both her bouts without conceding a point to reign supreme in the 45kg weight class. Grib defeated Islam BENZBIRIA (MAR) 3-0 in the first round and then got the better of Tahirisoa Tinah ANDRIANAMBININA (MAD) by a similar margin.

Like Benmohamed, Grib too won two titles as she claimed the gold in the U15 category as well, conceding just one point in the three wins.

Algeria came close to a second women’s gold medal in the U17 category but Dounia ZITOUNI was beaten by Hajar KANEB (MAR) 4-2 in the 55kg final. Zitouni won the gold medal in style, after she remained undefeated throughout the competition.

Jemimah Maghumicha WANJALA (KEN) won the 65kg gold medal without conceding a single point. In the final, which lasted less than a minute, Wanjala beat Malak Khaled Fahmy Abdelhamid ABDELGAUL (EGY) on technical superiority, just like her two wins en route to the title clash.

The gold medal in the 75kg category went to Khady Diandy BADJI (SEN), with Dune van ZYL (RSA) taking the silver while Malak SABRY (MAR) won the bronze.

Algeria were close to a gold medal clean sweep in the U20 category. They won gold medals in three out of the four weight categories in the men’s competition to win the team title. But Omar LAMBARRAA (MAR) halted their juggernaut by winning the 80kg title ahead of Bakary SOM (CIV) and Ivan LOUW (RSA).

While Bali could not finish among the medals in U20, his compatriots looked in sublime form.

Watik Aymen TITOUS (ALG) defeated Luvaan LOUW (RSA) 3-1 in the final of the 70kg category to finish on the top of the podium. Titous was largely untested throughout the competition, beating Eugine Osale OMULULE (KEN) and Saad MARIRE (MAR) without conceding a point to storm into the semifinals, where he defeated Nathan Lee STOLTZ (RSA) by technical superiority.

In the +90kg category, Noureddine BOUROUFA (ALG) won two bouts out of two without conceding a point to take home the gold medal ahead of Ruan BRITS (RSA) and Ayoub BELGADI (MAR).

In the women’s event, Kenyan wrestlers were dominant, winning two out of the three gold medals on offer. Ivyone Lusike MASIBO (KEN) reigned supreme in the 60kg class, defeating Fatima Zahra BOUCHIBI (ALG) and Hiba KABIL (MAR) to finish on top in a tough four-wrestler field. At 70kg, Faith Nanjala WAMALWA (KEN) defeated Dyvonter Ashly ODONGO (KEN) in an all-Kenyan affair to win the gold medal.

Yasmine BOUREGBA (ALG) won the title in the +70kg category, defeating Hafsa ECH CHABBI by technical superiority.

Algerian women and men, meanwhile, won two gold medals each as they won the team titles in the U15 sections to extend their dominance on the beach.

Younes MOUSSI (ALG) set the ball rolling by finishing on top in the 50kg category, winning both his bouts in dominating fashion. Later, Houdaifa BARKAT (ALG) defeated Mignane NDONG (SEN) to win the 55kg gold medal.

Senegalese beach wrestlers showed spunk after Mbaye NIANG and Ibrahima SARR picked up the 60kg and 75kg titles, with Michael OOSTHUIZEN (RSA) rallying to the top of the podium in 65kg.

Senegal won two more gold medals in the women’s section. Fatou Bintou COLY (SEN) ensured Algeria did not complete a golden hat-trick as she defeated Soudjoud BOULEBDA (ALG) in a crucial third-round bout to win the gold medal. Both wrestlers had won their opening two matches. In the winner-takes-all Round 3, Coly beat her Algerian rival on superiority for the title. Similarly, Elisabeth DIATTA beat Tasnim CHOUIHI (ALG) to win the 60kg gold medal.

Algerian wrestlers, meanwhile, won the two lightest weight categories. While Grib opened Algeria’s account with the 45kg gold medal, Maram Yamna BOUKHIBAR (ALG) finished ahead of Shalying JOY (KEN) and Ndeye Codou SENGHOR (SEN) to win the 50kg title.

Kenya’s Janet Inwesi OMUMASABA won the 65 kg gold, beating Higidia Januario De Gouveia LEITE (ANG) by technical superiority.