Takhti Cup

Olympic, World Medalists to Compete at Takhti Cup

Wednesday, January 24, 2018 - 00:52 By Ali Feizasa

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The southern port of Iran, Mahshahr, hosts the 38th Takhti Cup International Greco-Roman Wrestling Tournament. on Thursday and Friday. Thirteen countries are expected to participate in the event. 

The tournament is the first UWW ranking series event in Greco-Roman and best wrestlers will earn points for UWW ranking as follows:

1st place: 8 points
2nd place: 6 points
3rd place: 4 points
5th place: 2 points

Several Olympic and world medalists are expected to compete.

55kg: Former junior world champions in lightweight

The 55kg weight class is back in Greco-Roman. Many of the 59kg wrestlers have decided to move up to 60kg. At the Takhti Cup, two former junior world champions are among the favorites.

2014 junior world and European champion Ibrahim NURULLAEV(AZE) and former junior and cadet world champion Reza KHEDRI (IRI) are main rivals at 55kg. 

60kg: Olympic champion Borrero again on mat

Olympic and world champion Ismael Borrero Molina (CUB) competes at 60kg after a one-year break. He didn’t compete in Paris and Takhti Cup will be his first test under the new rules.

But Borrero has a tough rival as 2017 world silver medalist Meirambek AINAGULOV (KAZ) is expected to compete in Mahshahr.

U-23 world bronze medalist Sakit GULIYEV (AZE), former junior world champion Murat BAZAROV (AZE) and Iranian world team member Mehrdad MARDANI (IRI) are other wrestlers who could challenge for medals. 

63kg: New weight class

After increasing the weight categories to ten, 63kg will be a new weight category. Former junior world champion Serif KILIC (TUR) will compete against Iranians Mohammad NOURBAKHSH and Mostafa KAEIDKHORDEH for the title.

67kg: Kebispayev, Yueksel headline weight class

Three-time world medalist Almat KEBISPAYEV (KAZ) and Atakan YUEKSEL (TUR), a 2017 world bronze medalist, are the most credentialed wrestlers at 67kg, but several others could figure into the mix, including three-time European bronze medalist Kamran MAMMADOV (AZE), 2017 European bronze medalist Goga GOGIBERASHVILI (GEO) and Mohammad ELYASI (IRI), who placed fifth in Paris.

72kg: Zhadrayev, Byabangard among favorites

Demeu ZHADRAYEV (KAZ), who captured silver medal in Paris, will be a top contender in this weight class, but keep an eye one Afshin BYABANGARD (IRI), a 2014 world bronze medalist and 2016 Asian champion.

77kg: Both young, experienced wrestlers look to contend

Mohammadali GERAEI, a 2017 world bronze medalist at 71 kg, 2017 U-23 world champion Fatih CENGIZ (TUR) and 2016 Junior world champion Tamerlan SHADUKAEV (KAZ) are three young wrestlers expected to contend.  Experienced wrestlers to watch include former world champion Hasan ALIYEV (AZE), 2017 Asian champion Maksat YEREZHEPOV (KAZ) and world bronze medalist Emrah KUS (TUR).

82kg: Akbudak, Ghaderianm Huseynov in action

2015 world bronze medalist and former Asian champion Yousef GHADERIAN (IRI) is the best wrestler of the host country to win a gold medal. Other wrestlers to watch include Burhan AKBUDAK (TUR) and former European champion Rafik HUSEYNOV (AZE).

87kg: World champion experiences new rules

2017 world champion Metehan BASAR (TUR) will get a taste of the new rules, while U-23 world bronze medalist Islam ABASOV (AZE) will look to make his mark at the senior level. Two-time world junior medalist Arman ALIZADEH is the best wrestler of the host country at 87kg.

97kg: Olympic medalist vs. U-23 European champion

The most well-known wrestler at 97kg will be Cenk ILDEM (TUR), who took a bronze medal at the 2016 Olympic Games. Former junior world champion and U-23 European champion Orkhan NURIYEV (AZE) is also a strong contender in this weight class. 

130kg: Heavyweight surrounded by Iranians

The best heavyweight wrestlers in Iran step on the mat at the Takhti Cup. Two-time Asian champion Behnam MEHDIZADEH and Iran world team member Shahab GHOUREHJILI are top competitors at heavyweight. These two wrestlers battled for a spot in Paris, and Ghourehjili came out on top.

New rules at Takhti Cup

After announcement of new rules by UWW, Takhti Cup will be the first tournament with these rules.

 Key points with Greco-Roman rule modifications:

•    All cautions are worth 1 point.
•    Standing wrestling is principle element in Greco-Roman wrestling.
•    Interruption due to passivity is limited.
•    Ordered bottom wrestling only if wrestlers are nearly equal in standing.
•    Only one ordered bottom wrestling per period.
•    New way of ordered bottom wrestling (lying on the stomach).
•    Negative wrestling is prevented immediately.
•    Passivity is confirmed by the mat chairman, along with falls and cautions.

Schedule

Thursday, Jan. 25
Qualification rounds until semifinals for all weight categories

Friday, Jan. 26:
Repechage and final matches

Roster of the teams in Takhti Cup

Cuba
60kg- Ismael BORRERO MOLINA
77kg- Luis Enrique GUTIERREZ GOMEZ
82kg- Antonio DURAN ROBLES

Azerbaijan
55kg- Ziyad  ZEYNALOV – Ibrahim NURULLAEV
60kg- Sakit GULIYEV - Murat BAZAROV 
63kg- Taleh MAMMADOV
67kg- Kamran MAMMADOV
72kg- Ulvi GANIZADE - Sanan SULEYMANOV
77kg- Hasan ALIYEV - Nasir HASANOV
82kg- Rafik HUSEYNOV
87kg- Islam ABASOV
97kg- Turman EYYUBOV - Orkhan NURIYEV
130kg- No wrestler

Turkey
55kg- No wrestler
60kg- Abdurrahman ALTAN – Ahmet UYAR
63kg- Serif KILIC
67kg- Atakan YUEKSEL – Enes BASAR – Murat FIRAT
72kg- Cengiz ARSALAN – Murat DAG
77kg- Emrah KUS – Fatih CENGIZ – Serkan AKKOYUN
82kg- Burhan AKBUDAK
87kg-Metehan BASAR
97kg- Cenk ILDEM – Ebrahim TIGCI – Abdul Kadir CEBI - serkan OZDEN
130kg- Osman YILDIRIM

Iran
55kg- Reza KHEDRI – Moslem NADERI KHADEM – Hamidreza KHAMESI
60kg- Mehrdad MARDANI – Shirzad BEHESHTI TALA – Meysam DELKHANI
63kg- Mohammad NOURBAKHSH – Mostafa KAEIDKHORDEH – Reza ABBASI
67kg- Mohammad ELYASI – Hossein ASADI – Mohammadreza GERAEI
72kg- Farshad BELFEKE – Afshin BYABANGARD – Mohammad HOSSEINI
77kg- Pejman PASHTAM – Broumand ASLAN – Mohammadali GERAEI
82kg- Yousef GHADERIAN – Mehdi EBRAHIMI – Keyvan REZAEI
87kg- Saman AZIZI – Behrouz HEDAYAT – Arman ALIZADEH
97kg- Amir Hossein HOSSEINI – Ali Akbar HEYDARI – Mohammad YEGANEH
130kg- Behnam MEHDIZADEH – Shahab GHOUREHJILI – Abolfazl NAJAFI

Kirgizstan
55kg- Zholaman SHARSHENBEKOV
60kg- Kanybek JOLCHUBEKOV – Rustam TEIISHOV
63kg- Kaly SULAIMANOV – Urmatbek AMATOV 
67kg- Roman TSAREV
72kg- NURGAZY ASANGULOV
77kg-  Esen ASANOV - Kairatbek TUGOLBAEV
82kg-Atabek AZISBEKOV 
87kg- Samat SHIRDAKOV
97kg- Uzur DZHUZUPBEKOV
130kg- No wrestler

Georgia
55kg- Kakha IREMADZE – Bachana PUTKARADZE
60kg- Lasha MARIAMIDZE – Irakli DZIMISTARISHVILI
63kg- Khvicha TCHITAVA
67kg- Goga GOGIBERASHVILI – Joni KHETSURIANI
72kg-Giorgi KHUTCHUA
77kg- Bakuri GOGOLI
82kg- Aivengo RIKADZE – Rudolph OGANEZOV
87kg- Giorgi KATSANASHVILI – Gurami KHETSURIANI
97kg- Valerian MURVANIDZE
130kg- No wrestler

Kazakhstan
55kg- Amangali BEKBOLATOV - Bauyrzhan SADVOKASSOV – Khorlan ZHAKANSHA 
60kg- Meirambek AINAGULOV- Aidos SULTANGALI - Baglan ZHAKANSHA - Dastan ZARLYKHANOV
63kg- Kudaibergen TURSYNOV
67kg- Daniar KALENOV- Almat KEBISPAYEV - Meirzhan SHERMAKHANBET
72kg- Demeu ZHADRAYEV - Abylaikhan AMZEEV - Ibragim MAGOMADOV
77kg- Maksat YEREZHEPOV - Tamerlan SHADUKAEV
82kg- No wrestler
87kg- Azamat KUSTUBAEV - Khussein MUTSOLGOV
97kg-Yerulan ISKAKOV - Olzhas SYRLYBAI
130kg- Anton SAVENKO  

Bulgaria
60kg- Avgustin SPASOV
67kg- Deyvid DIMITROV 
72kg- Stoyan KUBATOV
82kg- Daniel ALEKSANDROV
87kg-Tarek ABDELSLAM

Tajikistan
60kg- Khasan SUFIEV
67kg- Azizbeki SHARIFZODA 
72kg- Loiqi AMIRKHONZODA - Suhrob HOJIEV
82kg- Sukhrob ABDULKHAEV 
97kg- Mirzo SAFAROV - Khabibullah ABDULLOEV
130kg- Sukhroj AZIZOV 

Ukraine
55kg- Viktor PETRIK 
67kg- Vitali FUGLAEV - Fevzi MAMUTOV- Dmitri KOSENOK
72kg- Artur POLITAEV 
82kg- Yaroslav FILCHAKOV
87kg- Yuri SKRYUBA 
97kg- Evgeni SAVETA
130kg- Nikolai KUCHMIY 

Romania
55kg- Florin TITA
87kg-Nicu Samuel OJOG 
97kg- Dorin Constantin PIRVAN
130kg- Alin ALEXUC- CIURARIU 

Finland
87kg- Rami HIETANIEMI  - Vili ROPPONEN
130kg- Tuomas LAHTI
Other wrestlers:
Jarno ALANDER
Nabard SIDIK ALI

Italy
60kg- Jacopo SANDRON
67kg- Davide CASCAVILLA
77kg- Luca DARIOZZI
82kg- Simone FIDELBO
97kg- Luca GODINO

#JapanWrestling

Tokyo Olympic champ Otoguro calls it a career at 26

Sunday, April 6, 2025 - 14:27 By Ken Marantz

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TOKYO (April 6) -- Tokyo Olympic gold medalist Takuto OTOGURO (JPN), whose dynamic moves and fierce tenacity thrilled fans around the world, suddenly announced his retirement, bringing down the curtain on a short but glory-filled career also plagued by injuries.

"Some may be surprised by this sudden announcement, but I have decided to retire as a wrestler," the 26-year-old Otoguro wrote on Instagram on Friday that included an English translation. "I discovered wrestling and became obsessed with it, and [was] loved and supported so much that it was a happy wrestling life."

Otoguro, who still remains Japan's youngest-ever male world champion for the freestyle 65kg gold he won in 2018, said he feels no uneasiness about leaving the mat, while adding a cryptic message about how the sport lost some of its shine for him.

"I have no regrets, because I was able to play the wrestling I love until I started to hate it," Otoguro wrote.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Takuto Otoguro (@01096taku)

It seems that being unable to defend his Olympic title at the 2024 Paris Games likely swayed his decision. First, he was hampered by a lingering foot injury and failed to secure Japan's quota at 65kg at the 2023 World Championships. Then he lost out in the domestic qualifying process to eventual gold medalist Kotaro KIYOOKA (JPN).

As it turned out, the 6-6 loss to Kiyooka in the semifinals at the All-Japan Championships in December 2023 would prove to be Otoguro's final match. There was no symbolic leaving of the shoes on the mat at the time.

In stepping away, Otoguro paid tribute to all those who helped him achieve his success, while expressing his gratitude for putting up with his self-acknowledged stubbornness.

"My family, coaches, trainers, fellow wrestlers, and everyone who supported me and cheered me on," Otoguro wrote. "I can't mention all of their names, but I think I was a crazy and difficult wrestler to deal with. Thank you for believing in me and supporting me."

Otoguro won gold and bronze medals in three appearances at the cadet (U17) worlds, but gained widespread global notoriety with his dazzling performance at the 2018 World Championships in Budapest.

Otoguro overcame an ankle injury to notch a 16-9 victory over Bajrang PUNIA (IND) in a wild, freewheeling final that was selected as UWW's Freestyle Match of the Year  -- overshadowing his 15-10 come-from-behind win in the semifinals over Akhmed CHAKAEV (RUS).  He was also chosen as the Breakout Performer of the Year.

That made him, at 19 years 10 months, Japan's youngest-ever male world gold medalist, breaking the previous record held by 1976 Olympic gold medalist Yuji TAKADA (JPN), his head coach at Yamanashi Gakuin University.

Otoguro, who won back-to-back titles at the Asian Championships in 2020 and 2021, hit the pinnacle of his career at the Tokyo Olympics. He defeated in succession Iszmail MUSZUKAJEV (HUN), avenging a loss in the bronze-medal match at the 2019 worlds; Gadshimurad RASHIDOV (ROC), the 2019 world champion; and Haji ALIEV (AZE), a 2016 Olympic bronze medalist and former world champion.

Otoguro started wrestling at age 4, following older brother Keisuke into the wrestling club coached by their father. He found success early, winning five straight national titles for his elementary school age group from second to sixth grades.

In a 2019 interview with The Japan News, Otoguro recalled the battles he and Keisuke had in their home, and how it laid the foundation for his future success.  "We would break windows, and open holes in the wall," he said, his soft-spoken, reserved nature contrasting with his aggressive style on the mat. "It would escalate from wrestling into fighting. It made us both better. It was the best way."

Otoguro opted to leave their home in Yamanashi Prefecture after elementary school to enroll in the JOC Elite Academy in Tokyo. He won the national junior high school title, then became the fourth wrestler in history to win the national Inter-High tournament for three consecutive years.

For university, Otoguro returned to his home prefecture to attend Yamanashi Gakuin, where his practice partners included 2017 world 57kg champion Yuki TAKAHASHI (JPN) and world 70kg bronze medalist Yuji FUJINAMI (JPN), the older brother Paris women's gold medalist Akari FUJINAMI (JPN).

"Of course he works hard, but what I am most envious about him is his total preparation for matches," Takahashi was quoted as saying by The Japan News. "He knows no fear. He is really remarkable."

Early in his freshman year, Otoguro suffered his first major injury, a torn cruciate ligament in the knee, that kept him off the mat for about a year. But he came back in the fall of 2017 and, at that year's All-Japan, defeated 2016 Rio Olympics 57kg silver medalist Rei HIGUCHI (JPN) for the first of three national titles.

Upon graduation, Otoguro followed Keisuke again, this time to the Japan Self-Defense Forces' Physical Training School team. He has not indicated what he plans to do in the future.

"To everyone who loved my wrestling: I feel a little lonely, but this is farewell as a wrestler. I hope that the wrestling world moves in a positive direction in the future."