Norwegian king Mukubu reigns supreme at U23 Worlds

Wednesday, October 19, 2022 - 23:56 By Vinay Siwach

PONTEVEDRA, Spain (October 19) – When Exauce MUKUBU (NOR) first burst onto the wrestling scene in Norway, he was noticed as a refugee. But as he grew as a wrestler over the years, Mukubu has proved himself as a force to reckon with in wrestling.

Mukubu became the first male wrestler from Norway to win the U23 World Championships when he won the Greco-Roman 82kg gold medal in Pontevedra, Spain on Wednesday.

The U20 world silver medalist last year, Mukubu made sure he goes home with the title this year, giving no chance to Karlo KODRIC (CRO) in the final gold medal bout which he won 10-1, extending Croatia's wait for a world champion.

And then came out the celebration in which he placed a crown on his head symbolizing him as the king of the [wrestling] world, at least for now.

Exacue MUKUBU (NOR) Exauce MUKUBU (NOR) throws Karlo KODRIC (CRO) for four points. (Photo: UWW / Kostadin Andonov)

Mukubu was eight years old when he fled the war-torn Democratic Republic of Congo with his mother and four siblings for Norway. For four years, the family was unaware of the whereabouts of Exauce's father who had been taken to the USA by the United Nations peacekeeping forces.

“In 2013, we received a phone call and my mother was screaming,” Mukubu said. “It had been four years since any news of my father. We did not even know where he was.”

Last year, Mukubu and his family flew to the United States to meet his father after 12 years and first since moving to Norway.

“So many people don't know this history about me,” he said. “It was awesome to see him after 12 years and know my history.”

While his father still cannot stay with the Mukubus in Norway, he remains in constant touch and is interested in his son's wrestling.

Mukubu first trained in the sport when he was 10 years old. One day, his mother lost her patience seeing the siblings fight around the house. Hence, she went up to their neighbor Sheikhrullah, a former wrestler, to take the kids to train.

“He took us to wrestle and I fell in love,” Mukubu recalled.

While the three other siblings moved on to other sports; Gabriel is part of Norway's U18 ice hockey team, Mukubu stayed. It took some time for him to make his mark but in his first championships, he won a bronze medal at the U17 Euros in 2018. The biggest breakthrough came when he reached the final of the U20 Worlds last year.

“I was 8-0 in the final in Ufa but to make it 10-1 here, it feels awesome to finally take the gold medal,” he said.

Exauce MUKUBU (NOR) with his gold medal in Pontevedra. (Photo: UWW / Kostadin Andonov)

In Pontevedra, Mukubu looked a notch above the field as he outscored his opponents 29-1 with a burst of big throws including two in the final Kodric.

“In this tournament, I went in with the belief that I can do it,” he said. “All the work I have put in has paid off with a gold medal.”

In the last year, Mukubu has been training in the Netherlands with the Sterkenburg twins and in Denmark with European champion and world silver medalist Turpal BISULTANOV (DEN). The four first met at the U23 European Championships in Skopje, North Macedonia four years ago.

“We have been in together since,” he said. “We want to build a team and qualify for the Paris Games.”

That's the complex part. Bisultanov and Marcel STERKENBURG (NED) are at 87kg and will try to qualify for that weight. Mukubu is tempted to 77kg but the coaches want him to go for 87kg.

“Coaches want me to go 87kg but I am not big yet so I want to go 77kg,” he said. “Maybe I will try to have some bouts at 87kg. But I will go with the flow. This year I wrestled against wrestlers who have been to the Olympics and World Championships and I think 77kg is better.”

It is yet to be seen if he will be able to qualify for the 2024 Olympics, both Norway and his family are pinning hopes on Mukubu for a brighter future.

Norway failed to qualify a single wrestler for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and it does not want the same to happen this year. The wrestling team is also the subject of an NRK TV documentary 'Hodet i klemme', translation to 'headlock', which shows the wrestling team's journey.

On the other hand, Mukubu's family hopes to get a job through wrestling. He is currently building an app that lets a person reserve car parking in advance, Mukubu has pushed that project for later and set his sights on the Olympic qualification.

“Ultimately, I have to take care of my family,” he said. “It's a different culture. They are happy for me but I have responsibilities. But I don't get money for wrestling. For now, it's all about the Olympics, but one day, I have to return.”

Kerem KAMAL (TUR) ended a four-year wait for a world title. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Kamal wins gold

In other gold medal bouts, European champion Kerem KAMAL (TUR) ended a three-year wait for a world title. He won the U20 gold in 2019 but has since been able to repeat the same at the senior level.

Wrestling another young star Nihat MAMMADLI (AZE) in the final, Kamal never looked in trouble and scored an 8-0 win.

After getting points for stepout and passivity, Kamal got a huge four to lead 6-0 before a caution for two points against Mammadli gave him the gold medal.

Gurban GURBANOV (AZE) won the long gold medal for Azerbaijan in Pontevedra. (Photo: UWW / Kostadin Andonov)

But Gurban GURBANOV (AZE) made sure Azerbaijan finished with a gold medal as he denied another Croatian wrestler the opportunity to create history. He defeated Pavel PUKLAVEC (CRO) in the 72kg final as Croatia's wait for the Greco-Roman world champion was extended by another year.

Puklavec scored two points over Gurbanov but never looked in control of the final as the Azerbaijan wrestler scored eight points.

Alex SZOKE (HUN) claimed the 97kg gold with a 3-2 win over Markus RAGGINGER (AUT). (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliksan)

At 97kg, senior world silver medalist Alex SZOKE (HUN) used his experience to win 3-2 against returning bronze medalist Markus RAGGINGER (AUT).

Szoke, who finished fifth at the Tokyo Olympics, was awarded the par terre position and he turned Ragginger to lead 3-2.

When Szoke was put in forced par terre, he fled the hold. After an Austrian challenge, he was cautioned and the bout restarted in par terre with Szoke leading 3-2. But Ragginger failed to score and the bout ended with the same scoreline.

U20 world champion Danial SOHRABI (IRI) defeated Gagik SNJOYAN (FRA) 17-7 to win the 67kg gold. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Iran won the team title with 138 points, 37 points more than second-placed Georgia. Turkey jumped over Azerbaijan to finish third with 93 points.

For Iran, Danial SOHRABI (IRI) won the third gold medal of the tournament by winning the 67kg weight class.

With a sense of calm about him, Sohrabi overcame a 7-0 deficit to win the gold medal 17-7 against Gagik SNJOYAN (FRA).

He was surprised early by a Snjoyan takedown. Sohrabi was put in par terre from which Snjoyan scored a four to lead 7-0. But Sohrabi got a headlock for four, a call which France challenged and lost to make it 7-5.

Sohrabi began the second period with another big four to lead 9-7 and with Snjoyan struggling to match his pace, the U20 world champion used the underhook to perfection to score stepouts.

Once the lead swelled to 13-7, Sohrabi was happy to play out the clock but Snjoyan attempted a big throw which resulted in him giving up another four points and the win to the Iran wrestler.

Yui SUSAKI (JPN) reached the final at 50kg without giving up a point. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Women's wrestling also began Wednesday in Pontevedra and as expected, world and Olympic champion Yui SUSAKI (JPN) wasted no time stamping her authority.

In her three bouts, Susaki won without being scored and finished all her bouts inside the first period. She is one win away from completing a grand slam of winning all the world titles along with the Olympic gold, for which she will face Anksuh PANGHAL (IND) in the final Thursday.

Moe KIYOOKA (JPN), Himeka TOKUHARA (JPN) and Naruha MATSUYUKI (JPN) also made it to the gold medal bouts at 55kg, 59kg and 68kg.

Matsuyuki will face Nesrin BAS (TUR) in the final who defeated senior world bronze medalist Irina RINGACI (MDA) 11-6 in a battle.

At 76kg, Dymond GUILFORD (USA) will face returning silver medalist Tatiana RENTERIA (COL) for the gold medal bout.

RESULTS

Greco-Roman

60kg
GOLD: Kerem KAMAL (TUR) df. Nihat MAMMADLI (AZE), 8-0

BRONZE: Olzhas SULTAN (KAZ) vs. Nurmukhammet ABDULLAEV (KGZ), 8-0
BRONZE: Melkamu FETENE (ISR) df. Irakli DZIMISTARISHVILI (GEO), via injury (11-7)

67kg
GOLD: Danial SOHRABI (IRI) df. Gagik SNJOYAN (FRA), 17-7

BRONZE: Diego CHKHIKVADZE (GEO) df. Julian HORTA (COL), 3-1
BRONZE: Kyotaro SOGABE (JPN) df. Sahak HOVHANNISYAN (ARM), 3-1

72kg
GOLD: Gurban GURBANOV (AZE) df. Pavel PUKLAVEC (CRO), 8-2

BRONZE: VIKAS (IND) df. Daigo KOBAYASHI (JPN), 6-0
BRONZE: Amir ABDI (IRI) df. Irfan MIRZOIEV (UKR), 3-1

82kg
GOLD: Exauce MUKUBU (NOR) df. Karlo KODRIC (CRO), 10-1

BRONZE: Lukas AHLGREN (SWE) df. Ranet KALJOLA (EST), 7-1
BRONZE: Beka GURULI (GEO) df. Ali HUNC (TUR), 9-0

97kg
GOLD: Alex SZOKE (HUN) df. Markus RAGGINGER (AUT), 3-2

BRONZE: Ali ABEDI (IRI) df. Giorgi KATSANASHVILI (GEO), 1-1
BRONZE: NITESH (IND) df. Igor ALVES (BRA), 10-0

Women's wrestling semifinals

50kg
GOLD: Ankush PANGHAL (IND) vs. Yui SUSAKI (JPN)

SF 1: Ankush PANGHAL (IND) df. Nada MOHAMED (EGY), via fall
SF 2: Yui SUSAKI (JPN) df. Emanuela LIUZZI (ITA), 10-0

53kg
GOLD: Mihaela SAMOIL (MDA) vs. Moe KIYOOKA (JPN)

SF 1: Mihaela SAMOIL (MDA) df. Alisha HOWK (USA), 9-8
SF 2: Moe KIYOOKA (JPN) df. Virginie KAZE GASCON (CAN), 10-0

59kg
GOLD: Himeka TOKUHARA (JPN) vs. Magdalena GLODEK (POL)

SF 1: Himeka TOKUHARA (JPN) df. Lexie BASHAM (USA), 9-0
SF 2: Magdalena GLODEK (POL) df. Ramina MAMEDOVA (LAT), 8-2

68kg
GOLD: Nesrin BAS (TUR) vs. Naruha MATSUYUKI (JPN)

SF 1: Nesrin BAS (TUR) df. Sienna RAMIREZ (USA), 9-4
SF 2: Naruha MATSUYUKI (JPN) df. Noemi SZABADOS (HUN), 6-5

76kg
GOLD: Dymond GUILFORD (USA) vs. Tatiana RENTERIA (COL)

SF 1: Dymond GUILFORD (USA) df. Inkara ZHANATAYEVA (KAZ), 11-0
SF 2: Tatiana RENTERIA (COL) df. Anastasiya ALPYEYEVA (UKR), 4-1

#JapanWrestling

Gomi Takes Big Strides as Japan’s Next Greco-Roman Hope

Wednesday, February 18, 2026 - 13:33 By Vinay Siwach

JAPAN (February 18) -- Koto GOMI (JPN) has been racking up titles in recent times. Last year, he won the U23 world title, the first for Japan in six years. He then won the All-Japan Championships gold in December for the first time.

Making his senior debut in 2026, the 21-year-old had an extraordinary run at the Zagreb Open Ranking Series event, winning the 60kg gold medal and giving up only three points in four bouts. In the final, Gomi defeated world silver medalist Alisher GANIEV (UZB), 10-0, using three arm-throws to secure the victory inside the first period.

Koto GOMI (JPN) defeated Alisher GANIEV (UZB) in the Zagreb Open final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

While it may be too early to call Gomi a protégé, he may have already ended Japan's search for a new star at 60kg and a replacement for Olympic champion Kenichiro FUMITA (JPN).

The 30-year-old Fumita is a two-time world champion and won silver at the 2023 World Championships. A silver medalist from the Tokyo Olympics, he turned it into gold at Paris 2024.

But Fumita has not stepped on the mat since. He took time off and was entered in the All-Japan Championships at 63kg, but later pulled out. Though he did not mention it, most in Japan cite weight-cut issues for his delayed return.

That leaves Yu SHIOTANI (JPN), Kaito INABA (JPN) and Gomi as the front-runners for the spot if Fumita cannot make it. Gomi pinned Shiotani and then beat Inaba via technical superiority at the National Sports Festival in October.

Two months later in December, he again beat Shiotani to earn a spot on Japan’s Asian Championships team.

Koto GOMI (JPN), left, after winning the All-Japan University Championships. (Photo: Koto Gomi / Instagram)

Early start

Gomi was born in the Yamanashi Prefecture, west of Tokyo. The prefecture has given wrestling some of its biggest stars including Olympic champions Takuto OTOGURO (JPN) and Tatsuhiro YONEMITSU (JPN).

He was introduced to wrestling by his father Joe, a kickboxer. Joe would take his eldest son Koto to far away tournaments to compete. Though the results were not always satisfying, Shiro wanted his son to face high-level competition every year.

"Wrestling has few injuries," he was quoted as saying by Japan Wrestling Federation in 2010. "It's a sport that develops physical ability and trains both the body and mind. I think it's the perfect martial art for children.

"It's a sport where older students take care of younger students. They naturally take care of you without you having to teach them."

It's true in Gomi's case. Like Gomi, both Fumita and Inaba hail from the same prefecture and attended the same high school.

Fumita's father, Toshiro, introduced most wrestlers to Greco in their high school. While Fumita and Inaba moved to Nippon Sports Science University, Gomi is at the Ikuei University, same as the world and Olympic champions in women's Sakura MOTOKI (JPN) and Tsugumi SAKURAI (JPN).

Koto GOMI (JPN), blue, at the 2022 U20 World Championships. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

Gomi began competing exclusively in Greco-Roman around 2022 but did not get satisfactory results internationally, finishing fifth and ninth at the two U20 World Championships.

In one of the memorable matches early in his career, Gomi had troubled the now Olympic Saied ESMAEILI (IRI). At the 2022 U20 Worlds, he was led 6-4 and then 9-4 at one point in the match against the Iranian but he lost it 13-9.

Two years later, Gomi emerged as a dominant force. He won the gold medal at the U20 Asian Championships and all age-group domestic competitions. His only losses came at the senior All-Japan Championships, winning bronze at three of them.

Gomi said his recent success was the result of years of hard work, particularly at university.

"I don't seem to be the athletic type, but rather a refreshing liberal arts type, and that's how I'm often seen," Gomi said. "I'm competitive. I get really annoyed and frustrated when I lose in practice. The hard work I've put in over the past four years at university is starting to show in the past year."

Domestic challenges

In 2025, Gomi suffered only one loss in five tournaments -- a 10-0 humiliation to Shiotani in May. But in December, he avenged that loss in the final of the All-Japan Championships and earned a chance to represent Japan at the 2026 Asian Championships in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan in April.

The December win also put Gomi a step closer to the 2026 World Championships and Asian Games. He now has to win the Japan National Championships in May to qualify for both. If he fails to win, he will have a wrestle-off with the winner on the same day.

Both the U23 World Championships and the Zagreb Open showcased Gomi's technical excellence. He often uses a two-on-one to set up his arm-throws and arm-drags. It is his swiftness, rather than brute force, that allows him to complete his attacks.

In par terre, Gomi has an excellent high gut-wrench, which he used effectively against Sajjad ABBASPOUR (IRI) in Zagreb and Maxwell BLACK (USA) at the U23 Worlds.

"I'm starting to find my strengths, like in terms of technique, so I think that's a good thing," he said.

Despite his rapid rise, Gomi is cautious about calling himself the best yet. He knows he still needs to get past several domestic rivals before becoming Japan’s first-choice wrestler at 60kg.

"It's not like that, but I was conscious of focusing on my strengths and techniques and taking the initiative to attack," he said. "But, there are many other players in Japan, like Fumita and Inaba, and I don't think I can beat them yet, so I'll continue to practice hard."

But if Zagreb was any indication, it may not take long.

Norwegian king Mukubu reigns supreme at U23 Worlds

Comments

Gomi Takes Big Strides as Japan’s Next Greco-Roman Hope