#WrestleTunis

Nokhodi, Sarlak earn trip to second Worlds

Sunday, July 17, 2022 - 22:17 By Vinay Siwach

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TUNIS, Tunisia (July 17) -- Iran entered the Zouhaier Sghaier Ranking Series to finalize its World Championships team as it was left with two wrestlers at 57kg and 79kg after the Takhti Cup and the national selection trial.

Two World silver medalists -- Alireza SARLAK (IRI) at 57kg and Mohammad NOKHODI (IRI) at 79kg -- were fighting for their spot on the national team.

While Sarlak had lost to Ahmad MOHAMMADNEZHAD (IRI) at the Takhti Cup, Nokodhi was forced for a trial as Ali SAVADKHOUI (IRI) won the Asian Championships. Coincidentally, the two pairs were placed in the same pool of their brackets and faced each other in the first bout itself.

Savadkhoui won a tense opening bout 5-5 against Nokhodi and took a step closer to that world event. But in a shocking turn of events, Nokhodi won his remaining bouts in the Nordic bracket and made it to the final.

His loss to Savadkhoui became irrelevant as the Asian champion failed to qualify for the semifinal and lost his chance to represent the nation at the World Championships.

Iran coaches and management perhaps wanted to conduct the trial in an international event as that would give a better idea about a wrestler's chance against foreign opponents. Had it been a one-off bout during the Takhti Cup or the later trial, Nokhodi would have failed to go to his second senior World Championships.

But as the management predicted, he lost to Savadkouhi but dominated other international wrestlers. In the final, he faced Bolat SAKAYEV (KAZ) and scored 10 points against six to win the gold medal.

At 57kg, Sarlak and Mohammadnezhad faced in the opening round which Sarlak won 2-0. Mohammadnezhad was expected to bounce back as the two could have met again in the final. But he suffered a loss to UDIT (IND).

Sarlak won all his bouts in the group stage and qualified for the semifinal against world champion Thomas GILMAN (USA). The rematch of the World Championships did not disappoint, with Gilman securing an 11-7 win.

Gilman made the final but not before suffering a  pin against Horst LEHR (GER) in the opening round. But Lehr then got injured and lost his semifinal to Udit 14-4

In the final, Gilman scored three takedowns to lead 7-2 but Udit made a come and came agonizingly close to beating Gilman who won 9-8.

Iran's third entry was Yones EMAMI (IRI) who will wrestle at the World Championships at 74kg. He dominated U17 world champion Sagar JAGLAN (IND) 11-0 in the Round 3 to win the gold.

The USA dominated the proceedings at 61kg and 70kg. Zain RETHERFORD (USA) did not give up a single point en route the 70kg gold, winning five bouts. In the final against Syrbag TALGAT (KAZ), Retherford continuously build the pressure and scored takedown after takedown.

Seth GROSS (USA) at 61kg also had an impressive performance. He will be representing the USA in Belgrade and warmed up with a gold medal after four wins including over Suleyman ATLI (TUR) and Aman SEHRAWAT (IND).

Kazakhstan won the gold medals at 86kg and 92kg. Asian champion Azamat DAULETBEKOV (KAZ) was far better than his two other opponents at 86kg while Abdimanap BAIGENZHEYEV (KAZ) won the 92kg gold after winning his three bouts.

The most he was challenged by was Viky CHAHAR (IND) but Baigenzheyev won that bout 4-2.

India's lone gold medal came at 65kg as SUJEET (IND) captured the gold after wins over Tokyo Olympian Agustin DESTRIBATS (ARG), 15-4, John DIAKOMIHALIS (USA), 8-2 and for U23 silver medalist Adlan ASKAROV (KAZ) 14-4.

The gold is Sujeet's third consecutive international gold in a month after he won the U23 Asian Championships in late June and U20 Asian gold a week back.

Results

57kg
GOLD: Thomas GILMAN df. UDIT (IND), 9-8

BRONZE: Alireza SARLAK df. Horst LEHR (GER), via injury default

61kg
Round 3: Seth GROSS (USA) df. Nebi UZUN (TUR), via injury default
Round 3: Aman SEHRAWAT (IND)  df. Suleyman ATLI (TUR), 12-2

Final standings
GOLD: Seth GROSS (USA)
SILVER: Aman SEHRAWAT (IND)
BRONZE: Suleyman ATLI (TUR)

65kg
Round 3: SUJEET (IND) df. Agustin DESTRIBATS (ARG), 15-4 
Round 3: John DIAKOMIHALIS (USA) df. Adlan ASKAROV (KAZ), 15-5

Final standings
GOLD: SUJEET (IND)
SILVER: John DIAKOMIHALIS (USA)
BRONZE: Adlan ASKAROV (KAZ)

70kg
GOLD: Zain RETHERFORD (USA) df. Syrbaz TALGAT (KAZ), 10-0

BRONZE: Karan MOR (IND) df. Kossai AJIMI (TUN), 10-0

74kg
Round 3: Yones EMAMI (IRI) df. Sagar JAGLAN (IND), 11-0

Final standings
GOLD: Yones EMAMI (IRI)
SILVER: Sagar JAGLAN (IND)
BRONZE: Cesar ALVAN (BRA)

79kg
GOLD: Mohammad NOKHODI (IRI) df. Bolat SAKAYEV (KAZ), 10-6

BRONZE: Chandler MARSTELLER (USA) df. Gourav BALIYAN (IND), 10-0 

86kg
Round 3: Azamat DAULETBEKOV (KAZ) df. Sabri MNASRIA (TUN), 11-0

Final standings
GOLD: Azamat DAULETBEKOV (KAZ)
SILVER: Osman GOCEN (TUR)
BRONZE: Sabri MNASRIA (TUN)

92kg
Round 3: Viky CHAHAR (IND) df. Imed KADDIDI (TUN), 
Round 3: Abdimanap BAIGENZHEYEV (KAZ) df. Chiheb CHIHI (TUN), 10-0

Final standings
GOLD: Abdimanap BAIGENZHEYEV (KAZ)
SILVER: Viky CHAHAR (IND)
BRONZE: Imed KADDIDI (TUN)

#WrestleZagreb

Chung puts Korea in World C'ships final

Saturday, September 20, 2025 - 16:49 By Vinay Siwach

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ZAGREB, Croatia (September 20) -- Hanjae CHUNG (KOR) has long been the training partner of former world champion Hansyu RYU (KOR) at national camps in Korea as both hail from Busan and wrestled at the Kyungsung University.

Eight years after Ryu became a world champion in Paris, Korea's last gold at World Championships, Chung would try to emulate his role model after he made the 63kg final at the World Championships in Zagreb on Saturday.

In his previous two trips to the World Championships, Chung finished eight and 25th but has now assured himself at least a silver medal in 2025. This is also Korea's first medal since Min Seok KIM (KOR) won bronze in 2018.

Chung opened his campaign with a 7-1 victory over Ivan LIZATOVIC (CRO) before picking up a fall over Manato NAKAMURA (JPN). Tokyo bronze medalist Sergey EMELIN (UWW) was next but Chung defended from par terre and posted a 1-1 criteria win.

In the semifinals, Chung had Asian silver medalist Mohammad KESHTKAR (IRI) but he stepped up. Keshtkar got the first par terre position but was not able to score any points, going to the break leading 1-0.

The second period saw Chung go for the reverse throw for two points and Keshtkar was docked two points for a leg foul, giving a 5-1 lead to Chung. Keshtkar tried making a comeback and got a takedown to cut the lead to 5-3 but that was all he had as Chung claimed the victory in the semifinals.

But to win his country's first gold since 2017, Chung will have to go through Aytjan KHALMAKHANOV (UZB) who looks unbeatable. A month after winning the gold medal at the U20 World Championships, the Uzbek star is now in the World Championships final with a dominant 8-0 win over Vitalie ERIOMENCO (MDA).

Khalmakhanov needed only 37 seconds to finish his semifinals against Erimenco as he used an over-under grip to slam him on the mat for two points. He continued the same sequence for two more points and lead 6-0. A trap arm gut was enough to get him two more points and the win.

Iran managed two more wrestlers in the final at the World Championships with Olympic champion Saeid ESMAEILI (IRI) and Olympic silver medalist Alireza MOHAMADI (IRI) a win away from winning their first world titles at 67kg and 87kg respectively.

Esmaeili particularly looked in the form of his life as he blanked his 36-0 in four bouts with none going the full distance of the six minutes. He began with a 9-0 win over 2022 world champion Sebastian NAD (SRB) before two 8-0 wins against Shermukhammad SHARIBJANOV (UZB) and Haavard JOERGENSEN (NOR), 8-0.

In the semifinals, he used a five-point throw to beat Daniial AGAEV (UWW). Using a bodylock, he scored his first takedown and then turned Agaev for a 4-0 lead. He then got the par terre position and reverse lifted Agaev and slammed him for five points.

For the gold medal, he will have to get past Olympic bronze medalist Hasrat JARAFOV (AZE), a returning silver medalist. Jafarov faced Razzak BEISHEKEEV (KGZ) in the semifinal and used a correct throw from par terre to beat the Kyrgyzstan wrestlers 3-1.

Mohamadi had a very contrasting semifinal against David LOSONCZI (HUN) at 87kg. He seemed to be sailing to victory with 5-1 lead and under a minute left but Losonczi locked his waist and threw him for a takedown for two points. Hungary challenged the call asking for four points but it was awarded only two on review and Hungary lost the challenge to give one more point to Mohamadi.

With a 6-3 win, Mohamadi, a silver medalist at 82kg from 2023, will now try to win the gold medal against former European champion Aleksandr KOMAROV (SRB).

Trusting his defense in the semifinal against Milad ALIRZAEV (UWW), Komarov held on to his 1-1 criteria lead to win the bout. Komarov was the beneficiary of the new Greco-Roman rule which states that the criteria will remain with the wrestler who got the first point in a 1-1 finish.

Irrespective of what happens in the final on Sunday, Iran has already won the Greco-Roman team title. This is the first time in the country's history that Iran has won both Freestyle and Greco-Roman team title at the same World Championships.

RESULTS

63kg
GOLD: Hanjae CHUNG (KOR) vs. Aytjan KHALMAKHANOV (UZB)

SF 1: Hanjae CHUNG (KOR) df. Mohammad KESHTKAR (IRI), 5-3
SF 2: Aytjan KHALMAKHANOV (UZB) df. Vitalie ERIOMENCO (MDA), 8-0

67kg
GOLD: Saeid ESMAEILI (IRI) vs. Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE)

SF 1: Saeid ESMAEILI (IRI) df. Daniial AGAEV (UWW), 10-0
SF 2: Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE) df. Razzak BEISHEKEEV (KGZ), 3-1

87kg
GOLD: Alireza MOHMADI (IRI) vs. Aleksandr KOMAROV (SRB)

SF 1: Alireza MOHMADI (IRI) df. David LOSONCZI (HUN), 6-3
SF 2: Aleksandr KOMAROV (SRB) df. Milad ALIRZAEV (UWW), 1-1