#UWWAwards

Otoguro, Azizli, and Rong Appointed Breakout Performers of the Year

By Eric Olanowski

CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (December 24) -- Takuto OTOGURO (JPN), Eldaniz AZIZLI (AZE), and RONG Ningning (CHN) were appointed the 2018 Breakout Performers of the Year after they reached the top of the podium at the 2018 World Championships in Budapest, Hungary. 

Otoguro, just 19 years old and three years removed from winning the 2015 cadet world title in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, won the 65kg freestyle world title, becoming Japan’s youngest male freestyle world champion ever. Otoguro’s World Championship performance broke a Japanese record that stood in for 44 years. 

Otoguro, who averaged over 13 points a match, advanced to the finals with an impressive 15-10 win over Russian National champion and the favorite to win the weight coming into Budapest, Akhmed CHAKAEV (RUS). In the finals, Otoguro defeated India’s rising star, Bajrang BAJRANG (IND), 16-9. 

In Greco-Roman, Azerbaijan’s Eldaniz Azizli shutout Zholaman SHARSHENBEKOV (KGZ), 10-0 in the 55kg gold-medal bout. Azizli, in his first World Championships appearance, scored four technical superiority wins and averaged nearly nine points a match. 

China’s Rong Ningning held on to defeat Bulgaria’s Bilyana Zhivkova DUDOVA, 3-3 and won her first world title. The 2018 World Championships were Rong’s second World Championship appearance, but her Budapest gold medal was her first career world medal. She finished last year, which was her rookie campaign, in fifth-place. 

In addition to her world title run, Rong also won gold medals at the Asian Championships, the China Open, the Poland Open, and the Ivan Yarygin, while also finishing in second and third place respectively at the U23 World Championships and the Alexander Medved Prizes. 

The next award to be released will be the Outstanding Performances award, which will come out on Thursday.

#WrestleVungTau

U23 Asian Championships 2025 Entries

By United World Wrestling Press

VUNG TAU, Vietnam (June 13) -- The U23 Asian Championships will be held in Vung Tau Vietnam from June 18 to 21.

The competition will begin with Greco-Roman, followed by Women's Wrestling and then Freestyle. For full schedule, click here.

The U17 Asian Championships will be held from June 23 to 28 at the same venue. For U17 Asian Championships entries, click here.

Note: The entries are subject to change 72 hours before the draw of each style. For final entries, refer to UWW Arena.

Women's Wrestling

50kg
VINITA (IND)
Maral TANGIRBERGENOVA (KAZ)
Munkhgerel MUNKHBAT (MGL)
Nipuni WASANA (SRI)
Mushtariy TOLIPBEKOVA (UZB)
Ngoc Linh DO (VIE)

53kg
Hinaben KHALIFA (IND)
Zeinep BAYANOVA (KAZ)
Ariunzaya ODONCHIMEG (MGL)
Ji Hyang KIM (PRK)
Chamodya KESHANI (SRI)
Ya Hsin CHEN (TPE)
Dilshoda MATNAZAROVA (UZB)
Thi My Linh NGUYEN (VIE)

55kg
REENA (IND)
Angelina PERVUKHINA (KAZ)
Aruuke KADYRBEK KYZY (KGZ)
Odonchimeg TSEVEEN (MGL)
Hsiu Ching LIN (TPE)
Lan Phuong VU (VIE)

57kg
Neha SHARMA (IND)
Nilufar RAIMOVA (KAZ)
Sezim ZHUMANAZAROVA (KGZ)
Rentsenkhand MUNKH OCHIR (MGL)
Jin Ju AN (PRK)
Nethmi AHINSA (SRI)
Warisara KHUMDEE (THA)
Pei Ying LIAO (TPE)
Sandugash DJENBAEVA (UZB)

59kg
Tanvi MAGDUM (IND)
Viktoriia KHUSAINOVA (KAZ)
Tancholpon KYBALBEKOVA (KGZ)
Erdenebolor LKHAGVASUREN (MGL)
Laylokhon SOBIROVA (UZB)

62kg
Pragati GAIKWAD (IND)
Tynys DUBEK (KAZ)
Anudari BATKHUYAG (MGL)
Thi Hien DANG (VIE)

65kg
SHIKSHA (IND)
Zhangyl BEKEN (KAZ)
Dilnaz SAZANOVA (KGZ)
Davaajargal ALTANSUKH (MGL)
Huynh Xuan Nhi NGUYEN (VIE)

68kg
Yuqi LIU (CHN)
SRISHTI (IND)
Beibit SEIDUALY (KAZ)
Gulnura TASHTANBEKOVA (KGZ)
Batsuren MYAGMARSUREN (MGL)
Firuza ESENBAEVA (UZB)

72kg
Saihan AO (CHN)
Jyoti BERWAL (IND)
Zhibekzhan SABYRZHANOVA (KAZ)
Nurzat NURTAEVA (KGZ)
Tuyamaa GONCHIGDORJ (MGL)
Asaloy AMANGELDIEVA (UZB)
Thi Ninh TO (VIE)

76kg
PRIYA (IND)
Anastassiya PANASSOVICH (KAZ)
Kaiyrkul SHARSHEBAEVA (KGZ)
Tuvshinjargal TARAV (MGL)

Nan CAO (CHN)Gold medalist at 79kg in 2024, Nan CAO (CHN) will be wrestling at 86kg. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov) 

Freestyle

57kg
Jianhao LIU (CHN)
ANKUSH (IND)
Zhakhongir AKHMAJANOV (KAZ)
Mukhammadrasul SALIEV (KGZ)
Munkh Od LKHAMBUZMAA (MGL)
Kwang Hyon KIM (PRK)
Chanuka GAJANAYAKA (SRI)
Nodirbek JUMANAZAROV (UZB)
Nhu Duy PHAM (VIE)

61kg
Shengjie HU (CHN)
NIKHIL (IND)
Merey BAZARBAYEV (KAZ)
Iukhan DOKTURBEK UULU (KGZ)
Batnasan GANKHULEG (MGL)
Kwang Myong KIM (PRK)
Rukeshnath RELSAN (SRI)
Thirawat MAITHONG (THA)
Amir HAMAYUN (TKM)
Arslan RAKHIMOV (UZB)

65kg
SUJEET (IND)
Rustem TOLEN (KAZ)
Rustamzhan KAKHAROV (KGZ)
Gantulga BATBAATAR (MGL)
Mcclaren MARREN (SGP)
Jelaletdin SEYIDOV (TKM)
Umidjon JALOLOV (UZB)

70kg
SAGAR (IND)
Maiis ALIYEV (KAZ)
Adis RAKHAT UULU (KGZ)
Bumbayar BAARAA (MGL)
Mustafo AKHMEDOV (TJK)
Shirmuhammet BEKIYEV (TKM)
Begijon KULDASHEV (UZB)
Xuan Truong DOAN (VIE)

74kg
Tao SHEN (CHN)
JAIDEEP (IND)
Nurdaulet SEILBEKOV (KAZ)
Kanat KERIMBEKOV (KGZ)
Tolui MUNKHBAT (MGL)
Dilshan WEERASEKARA (SRI)
Vatan ANNAORAZOV (TKM)
Zafarbek OTAKHONOV (UZB)
Van Tu NGUYEN (VIE)

79kg
Bolati NA ERTAI (CHN)
CHANDERMOHAN (IND)
Askhab KHAJIYEV (KAZ)
Baitemir TULEBERDIEV (KGZ)
Gan Erdene BAATARKHUU (MGL)
Ishan FERNANDO (SRI)
Alp Arslan BEGENJOV (TKM)
Daler CHULIBAEV (UZB)
Cong Dat TRUONG (VIE)

86kg
Nan CAO (CHN)
Sagar JAGLAN (IND)
Yelnar SHILDEBAY (KAZ)
Mukhammad ABDULLAEV (KGZ)
Bayarbaatar SANJAASUREN (MGL)
Kowtham SIVAKUMAR (SRI)
Dovletgeldi MYRADOV (TKM)
Boburbek RUZIMBOEV (UZB)
Van Long TRINH (VIE)

92kg
Iqbal AHMADI (AFG)
SACHIN (IND)
Arystan KARABEK (KAZ)
Ulukbek SOOROMBEKOV (KGZ)
Demchigdorj TUMURBAATAR (MGL)
Praveen KADUPITIGE (SRI)
Soltan BEGENJOV (TKM)
Sadirdin DAMINJONOV (UZB)
Viet Trung TRAN (VIE)

97kg
NARENMANDUHAI (CHN)
VICKY (IND)
Nurdaulet BEKENOV (KAZ)
Kutman TOLOBALDIEV (KGZ)
Khosbayar TUGSBAT (MGL)
Shaman SIRIWARDANA (SRI)
Orazmuhammet HOJALYYEV (TKM)
Otabek NAZIRBOEV (UZB)

125kg
Maysam SHAH QOL (AFG)
Jaspooran SINGH (IND)
Alimzhan SALIMZHAN (KAZ)
Sulde DONGAK (KGZ)
Nambardagva BATBAYAR (MGL)
Huoying SHI (CHN)

Asan ZHANYSHOV (KGZ)Asan ZHANYSHOV (KGZ) is the defending champion at 87kg. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

Greco-Roman

55kg
Rishav CHAUDHARY (IND)
Yerassyl MAMYRBEKOV (KAZ)
Nurbolot BERDIKULOV (KGZ)
Chung Ryol KIM (PRK)
Abduvali RAHIMBAYEV (TKM)
Jonpulat TULKINBOEV (UZB)
Trong Nam NGUYEN (VIE)

60kg
Ziyue XI (CHN)
Samarth MHAKAVE (IND)
Iskhar KURBAYEV (KAZ)
Kurmanbek ZHAPAROV (KGZ)
Kuk Ryong KIM (PRK)
Rasul JORAYEV (TKM)
Mehroj BAKHRAMOV (UZB)

63kg
SUMIT (IND)
Ongdassyn KHAMITOV (KAZ)
Baiaman APILOV (KGZ)
Khusniddin OLIMBOEV (UZB)

67kg
UMESH (IND)
Bagdat SABAZ (KAZ)
Baiaman KARIMOV (KGZ)
Chin Wee KOH (SGP)
Ogabek MUKIMOV (UZB)

72kg
Dongfu XIE (CHN)
Ankit GULIA (IND)
Sergazy ABDIKHADYR (KAZ)
Kutman TEMIRBEKOV (KGZ)
Dhirenrajah ANANDARAJAH (MAS)
Didar ORAZBERDIYEV (TKM)
Abdullo ALIEV (UZB)
Van Chuyen NGUYEN (VIE)

77kg
Jixin YU (CHN)
AMAN (IND)
Akzhan YKYLASSOV (KAZ)
Erlan MARS UULU (KGZ)
Aryan BIN AZMAN (SGP)
Wisit THAMWIRAT (THA)
Hekim GURBANMYRADOV (TKM)
Chih Chi LU (TPE)
Doniyorkhon NAKIBOV (UZB)
Cong Manh NGUYEN (VIE)

82kg
PRINCE (IND)
Dias KALTAY (KAZ)
Bekzat ORUNKUL UULU (KGZ)
Samandar BOBONAZAROV (UZB)
The Hoang Anh NGUYEN (VIE)

87kg
ROHIT (IND)
Maksat SAILAU (KAZ)
Asan ZHANYSHOV (KGZ)
Peerawat AUNTHIN (THA)
Dovletmyrat BAYRAMOV (TKM)
Rahimjon UZOKOV (UZB)
Van Thuy NGUYEN (VIE)

97kg
NITESH (IND)
Iussuf MATSIYEV (KAZ)
Nurmanbet RAIMALY UULU (KGZ)
Javokhir SHODIYAROV (UZB)

130kg
Wenhao JIANG (CHN)
Uttam RANA (IND)
Jokhar UZAROV (KAZ)
Nurbolot TOKTOGONOV (KGZ)
Temurbek NASIMOV (UZB)
Van Bao NGUYEN (VIE)