#WrestleAlexandria

Ndum, Fafe repeat as African champs; Nigeria sweeps WW

Tuesday, March 19, 2024 - 20:47 By Vinay Siwach

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ALEXANDRIA, Egypt (March 19) -- Egypt dominated Greco-Roman on day one of the senior African Championships with nine out of 10 gold medals and the team title. While it won the team title in Freestyle, it could not repeat the golden performance of the Greco team.

Egypt finished at the top of the podium with 205 points with Algeria finishing second with 170 points. Senegal finished third with 96 points. The three countries shared eight gold medals amongst themselves and the remaining two went to Guinea Bissau.

Diamantino IUNA FAFE (GBS) and Bacar NDUM (GBS) became the African champions for the second time after winning the 57kg and 74kg gold medals respectively.

Iuna Fafe was defending his 57kg gold medal and opened his account with a 5-1 win over KHALIL BARKOUTI (TUN). He followed that up with a fall over Omar FAYE (SEN) and then pinned Roland TAMBI NFORSONG (CMR) in the final after leading 8-0.

Ndum, who won the 70kg title in 2022, won the gold medal at 74kg after blanking Saad BOUGUERRA (ALG), 10-0, in the final. But his first bout was a see-saw that he won 13-12 against Mohamed ABDELHADY (EGY). Ndum had built a 7-0 lead in the first period but Abdelhady hit a beautiful reverse trip to score a four-pointer and then rolled Ndum three times to lead 10-7 with 1:04 left.

Ndum would put Abdelhady on his back for four before a reversal forced him to give up a point. Abdelhady led 11-11 on criteria when Ndum challenged and lost to give him a clear 12-11 lead with 31 seconds left.

That time was enough for Ndum to finish another takedown and lead 13-12 as he played out the final 18 seconds without further drama.

Iuna Fafe and Ndum will now look to earn a spot for Paris next weekend at the African & Oceania OG Qualifiers.

Egypt was carried by Shehabeldin MOHAMED (EGY) who won the 65kg gold medal after beating Zohier IFTENE (ALG), 8-6, in the final. At 86kg, Mohamed ABDELAAL (EGY) overcame Oussama ABDELLAOUI (ALG), 11-4 and won the gold medal.

Youssif HEMIDA (EGY) was far more convincing as he won his final against Ashton MUTUWA (NGR), 11-0. Mohamed SALAHELDIN (EGY) at 92kg earned the bronze medal in a three-wrestler bracket.

Tokyo Olympian Abdelhak KHERBACHE (ALG) had moved to 61kg for the championships and won the gold medal in the new weight category. He defeated Didier DIATTA (SEN), 16-5, in a high-scoring final. In all likelihood, Kherbache will move to 57kg for the qualifiers.

Abderrahmane BENAISSA (ALG) added another gold medal for Algeria after he defeated Ahmed MOHAMED (EGY), 7-5, in the 70kg final as Algeria won its third gold medal of the night.

Pape NDIAYE (SEN) stunned everyone as he defeated Abdelrahman ABOUHEIBA (EGY), via fall, in the 97kg final. Ndiaye won all his bouts via technical superiority or via fall.

Nigeria sweeps

Nigeria won all five gold medals on offer as the Asian Championships ended. It had won four out of the five on Monday and added five more.

At 50kg, Mercy GENESIS (NGR) defeated Rosine NTSA ASSOUGA (CMR), via fall, to announce her name as the favorite to earn a Paris ticket at the qualifiers from  March 22 to 24.

Adijat IDRIS (NGR), Mercy ADEKUOROYE (NGR), Ebipatei MUGHENBOFA (NGR) and Ebi BIOGOS (NGR) won the gold medals at 55kg, 59kg, 65kg and 72kg.

With nine gold and one silver medal, Nigeria won the team title with 245 points out of the possible 250 points. Egypt finished second with 162 points while Tunisia is third with 140 points.

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RESULTS

Freestyle

57kg
GOLD: Diamantino IUNA FAFE (GBS) df. Roland TAMBI NFORSONG (CMR), via fall (8-0)

BRONZE: KHALIL BARKOUTI (TUN) df. Omar FAYE (SEN), 2-1
BRONZE: Abdelrahman MAHMOUD (EGY) df. Alexander BUCKMAN (CPV), 10-0

61kg
GOLD: Abdelhak KHERBACHE (ALG) df. Didier DIATTA (SEN), 16-5

BRONZE: Hassan ELSAYED (EGY) df. Reginaldo da SILVA (ANG), 10-0

65kg
GOLD: Shehabeldin MOHAMED (EGY) df. Zohier IFTENE (ALG), 8-6

BRONZE: Manaceu NGONDA (ANG) df. Sylvio DIATTA (SEN), 13-3
BRONZE: Stephen IZOLO (NGR) df. Gibriel CHOW (GAM), via walkover

70kg
GOLD: Abderrahmane BENAISSA (ALG) df. Ahmed MOHAMED (EGY), 7-5

BRONZE: Brendin LOUW (RSA) df. Ya Mouhamed NDONG (SEN), via fall (2-4)

74kg
GOLD: Bacar NDUM (GBS) df. Saad BOUGUERRA (ALG), 10-0

BRONZE: Joao BARBOSA (CPV) df. Jacques MONTY (CMR), 10-0
BRONZE: Mohamed ABDELHADY (EGY) df. Arno VAN ZIJL (RSA), 11-7

79kg
GOLD: Chems FETAIRIA (ALG)
SILVER: Nasser SAYED (EGY)
BRONZE: Mohamed BEN JAAFAR (TUN)

86kg
GOLD: Mohamed ABDELAAL (EGY) df. Oussama ABDELLAOUI (ALG), 11-4

BRONZE: Harrison ONOVWIOMOGBOHWO (NGR) df. Mark ONGUYESI (KEN), 10-0
BRONZE: Matteo MONTEIRO (CPV) df. Cedric ABOSSOLO (CMR), 5-3

92kg
GOLD: Mohamed SALAHELDIN (EGY)
SILVER: Issa RHIMI (TUN)
BRONZE: Yacine LAKROUT (ALG)

97kg
GOLD: Pape NDIAYE (SEN) df. Abdelrahman ABOUHEIBA (EGY), via fall (10-0)

BRONZE: Franck ANABA (CMR) df. Amoussou CAKPO (BEN), via inj. (4-1)

125kg
GOLD: Youssif HEMIDA (EGY) df. Ashton MUTUWA (NGR), 11-0

BRONZE: Justin VAN ZYL (RSA) df. Georges TCHADIE (CMR), via fall (4-0)
BRONZE: Modou FAYE (SEN) df. Djahid BERRAHAL (ALG), 15-4

Women's Wrestling

50kg
GOLD: Mercy GENESIS (NGR) df. Rosine NTSA ASSOUGA (CMR), via fall

BRONZE: Nourhene HEDHLI (TUN) df. Matilda KOKERA (RSA), via fall
BRONZE: Ibtissem DOUDOU (ALG) df. Malak AHMED (EGY), 13-2

55kg
GOLD: Adijat IDRIS (NGR)
SILVER: Aya SOLIMAN (EGY)
BRONZE: Lobna ICHAOUI (TUN)

59kg
GOLD: Mercy ADEKUOROYE (NGR)
SILVER: Hana HUSSEIN (EGY)
BRONZE: Chahd JELJELI (TUN)

65kg
GOLD: Ebipatei MUGHENBOFA (NGR)
SILVER: Badawi HAMDOUN (EGY)
BRONZE: Ikome VIOLETTE NAMONDO (CMR)

72kg
GOLD: Ebi BIOGOS (NGR)
SILVER: AYA ICHAOUI (TUN)
BRONZE: Aimelda NDIFFO (SEN)

#WrestleAthens

Olympic legend Icho returns to Athens to lead Japan’s next generation

Sunday, August 3, 2025 - 09:59 By Vinay Siwach

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ATHENS, Greece (August 2) -- In Athens, home of the Olympics, Kaori ICHO (JPN) is already one of the pantheon of greats.

Having once made history as an athlete here -- winning the first of four Olympic gold medals at the 2004 Olympics -- Icho now sets out to carve a new legacy, this time as coach to the next generation of Japanese talent.

In Athens, she is making her international debut as coach of the Japanese women's team at the World U17 Championships as she returns to the Ano Liossia Olympic Sports Hall, the same venue she won the Olympic gold.

"I have returned to this arena for the first time in 21 years," Icho told United World Wrestling. "I won an [Olympic] gold medal in this arena for the first time."

Icho, who ended her wrestling career in 2019, started coaching after the Tokyo Olympics. She has coached Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN) domestically as both Morikawa and Icho are recruited with ALSOK.

Japan managed to win only one gold medal in Women's Wrestling at the World Championships and finished third in the team race. While Japan is not used to finishing at that position in Women's Wrestling, the third-place highlighted that even Japan's second-tier team poses a significant challenge to the world.

The presence of Icho definitely helped the wrestlers, who were not only helped by her experience but the presence of the four-time Olympic champion motivated them.

Japan's world champion in Athens, Hanano OYA (JPN), said that watching Icho win her record fourth gold medal in Rio 2016 inspired her to take up wrestling.

"The reason I started wrestling was because of the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics," Oya said. "It was when Kaori achieved her fourth consecutive victory, and I saw it on TV. I started wrestling myself, so I was very happy when she accompanied me and acted as my second coach, and I felt that I had to live up to her expectations."

Kaori ICHO (JPN)Kaori ICHO (JPN) coaches one of the members of the Japanese team. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

For Icho, not being on the mat and coaching from the corner was a different experience.

"I feel really strange being able to come back here as a coach," she said. "This tournament is the World Championships for those under 17 years old. I also became an Olympic gold medalist at this venue when I was 20 and I hope that the young athletes will work hard towards their Olympic dreams."

Back in 2004, the first Olympics when Women's Wrestling became part of it, Icho remembered the nervous and the excitement. The enjoyment, however, came only after she had won the gold.

"It was my first Olympics," she said. "I was very nervous and excited. I was here for about two weeks, from the opening ceremony to the closing ceremony. After winning, I went swimming in the Aegean Sea. It was a very enjoyable Olympics."

Kaori ICHO (JPN)Kaori ICHO (JPN) during a warm-up session of the Japanese team in Athens. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

When she landed at the airport in Athens on Monday, memories from the past came rushing back.

"I don't particularly feel it at the airport, but I wondered if it was this hot," she said. "I wondered what the venue will be like. I was reminiscing about 21 years ago."

Once at the venue, Icho was requested for photos from wrestlers and coaches which she obliged. With her first tournament as coach behind her, Icho is determined to work even harder as she prepares the senior Japan team for the World Championships in Zagreb, Croatia, this September.

"Coaches and players asked me to take pictures with them," she said. "I felt stronger coming here. I want to work harder as a coach."