#Trnava2018

Returning Freestyle World Champs Steveson, Fix Enter #Trnanva2018 Field

Tuesday, September 4, 2018 - 10:58 By Eric Olanowski

TRNAVA, Slovakia (September 4) - Daton FIX (USA) and Gable STEVESON (USA), the duo of American returning champions lead a freestyle #Trnava2018 field that boasts 245 wrestlers from 40 different nations.

Fix, the 55kg champion from a year ago enters the Junior World Championships at 57kg, while Steveson, the 120kg gold-medal winner enters at 125kg.

Steveson will be looking for his fourth age-level world title. Since stepping on the international scene in 2015, Steveson has yet to drop a match on his way to claiming two Cadet World titles, and a Junior World gold medal.

Fix, the three-time world medalist will be trying to win back-to-back Junior World titles while competing in his fifth age-level World Championship. Since taking tenth place at the 2014 Cadet World Championships, Fix has rallied to win two bronzes, and most recently, a gold medal.

Freestyle action begins on Friday, September 21 and will close the Junior World Championships.

ALB
65kg - Eriglent PRIZRENI
125kg - Paris KAREPI

ALG
57kg - Salah Eddine KATEB
65kg - Fares LAKEL
79kg - Oussama ABDELLAOUI
97kg - Mohammed FARDJ

ARM
57kg - Arsen HARUTYUNYAN
61kg - Vazgen TEVANYAN
65kg -  Gegham GALSTYAN
70kg -  Arman ANDREASYAN
74kg - Hrayr ALIKHANYAN
79kg -  Arman AVAGYAN
86kg -  Mher MARKOSYAN
125kg - Hovhannes MAGHAKYAN

AUT
74kg -Simon MARCHL
79kg -Benjamin GREIL

AZE
57kg -  Aliabbas RZAZADE
61kg -  Intigam VALIZADA
65kg -  Royal AGHAMALIYEV
70kg -  Khadzhimurad GADZHIYEV
74kg -  Ismail ABDULLAEV
79kg -  Orkhan ABASOV
86kg -  Magomed ASIYATILOV
92kg -  Askhab HAMZATOV
97kg -  Alimagomed ALIKHMAEV
125kg - Rahid HAMIDLI

BLR
57kg -  Uladzislau KOIKA
61kg -  Dzmitry HERASIMENKA
65kg -  Mikita STRAKH
70kg -  Aliaksandr KURYSHTA
86kg -  Arkadzi PAHASIAN
92kg -  Vasil PAULIUCHENKA
97kg -  Yaraslau SLAVIKOUSKI
125kg - Uladzislau ASIPENKA

BUL
61kg -  Alish Gyoksel ALISH
65kg -  Nikola Delchev LEVENOV
70kg -  Veselin Georgiev PETROV
74kg -  Dzhemal Rushen ALI
79kg -  Oktay Ruzhdi HASAN
86kg -  Ivan Kostadinov STEFANOV
125kg - Daniel Milanov VESELINOV

CAN
57kg -  Brayden TODD
61kg -  Marco PALERMO
65kg -  Connor MCNEICE
70kg -  Gunnar SALES
74kg - Ty BRIDGWATER
86kg - Connor PATTISON
92kg - Hunter LEE
97kg -  Richard DESCHATELETS
125kg - Aly BARGHOUT

CHN
57kg -  Wanhao ZOU
61kg -  Minghu LIU
65kg -  Chao ZHENG
70kg -  Jun ZHAO
74kg -  Yi LI
79kg -  Gangsuhe GANGSUHE
86kg -  Danan XU
92kg -  Awusayiman HABILA
97kg - Qirui BING
125kg - Benxin DUAN

Vojtech PISKOR (CZE), two-time World Team represenative.

CZE
61kg -  David KOPRIVA
86kg -  Vojtech PISKOR
92kg -  Matous VONDAL

EGY
57kg -  Gamal MOHAMED
74kg -  Samy MOUSTAFA
86kg -  Hassan FOUAD

EST
65kg - Marek KUETT
74kg - Erik REINBOK

FRA
61kg - Arman ELOYAN
79kg - Charles AFA

GEO
57kg -  Teimuraz VANISHVILI
61kg -  Ramaz TURMANIDZE
65kg -  Giorgi ELBAKIDZE
70kg -  Iveriko JULAKIDZE
74kg -  Goga MAMIAURI
79kg -  Tornike KVINIKADZE
86kg -  Demur MEGENEISHVILI
92kg -  Beka NADASHVILI
97kg -  Zuriko URTASHVILI
125kg - Aleksi ZHORZHOLIANI

GER
57kg -  Horst Junior LEHR
70kg -  Tino RETTINGER
74kg -  Kevin LUCHT
86kg -  Johannes DEML
92kg -  Ertugrul AGCA

HUN
57kg -  Rajmund FARKAS
70kg -  Botond GULYAS
74kg -  Botond LUKACS
79kg -  Milan MESTER
86kg -  Patrik SZUROVSZKI

Naveen NAVEEN (IND), Junior Asian runner-up. Photo by Sachiko Hotaka.

IND
57kg -  Naveen NAVEEN
61kg -  Suraj Rajkumar KOKATE
65kg -  Karan KARAN
70kg -  Vishal KALIRAMANA
74kg -  Sachin RATHI
79kg -  Sachin GIRI
86kg -  Deepak PUNIA
92kg -  Somveer SOMVEER
97kg -  Hussain NASIR
125kg - Mohit MOHIT

IRI
57kg -  Reza ALIJANZADEHJOUYBARI
61kg -  Mehdi ESHGHIVASOUKOLAEI
65kg -  Amirhossein MAGHSOUDI
70kg -  Amirhossein KAVOUSI
74kg -  Ali SAVADKOUHI
79kg -  Sajjad GHOLAMI
86kg -  Seyedabolfazl HASHEMIJOUYBARI
92kg -  Abbas Ali FOROUTANRAMI
97kg -  Sajad AZIZI
125kg - Amir YARI

ISR
79kg - David LABKOVSKY
86kg -  Uri KALASHNIKOV
125kg - Lior ALTSHULER

JPN
57kg -  Daiki ARAKI
61kg -  Kodai OGAWA
65kg -  Takuma TANIYAMA
70kg -  Jintaro MOTOYAMA
74kg -  Yuto MIWA
79kg -  Hayato ISHIGURO
86kg -  Shutaro YAMADA
92kg -  Takuma OTSU
92kg -  Shohei YAMAZAKI
97kg -  Hiroto NINOMIYA
125kg - Akiho MORI / Kota TOYAMA

Serik BAKYTKHANOV (KAZ), Junior Asian runner-up. Photo by Sachiko Hotaka.

KAZ
57kg -  Rakhat KALZHAN
61kg -  Syrbaz TALGAT
65kg -  Kuanysh DUISENKUL
70kg -  Nurkozha KAIPANOV
74kg -  Aibar ZHYLKAIDAROV
79kg -  Daniyar MELDEBEK
86kg -  Aslan DZICOEV
92kg -  Alisher YERGALI
97kg -  Serik BAKYTKHANOV
125kg - Omar EYUBOV

KOR
57kg -  Hyeonsu CHO
61kg -  Minsu CHO
65kg -  Sangho HAN
70kg -  Jinwoo MOON
74kg -  Gihwan LEE
79kg -  Jaegyun GO
86kg -  Jayong JIN
92kg -  Myeongseok CHOO
97kg -  Hyunsu HAN
125kg - Ki Bum KIM

KSA
57kg - Tuorki HAZOAZI
61kg - Hassan M WADDAN

LTU
65kg - Gytis JOVAISA
79kg - Dominykas VILIUSIS

MDA
57kg -  Ion BUTNARU
61kg -  Leomid COLESNIC
65kg -  Nicolai GRAHMEZ
70kg -  Vasile DIACON
74kg -  Piotr CARASENI
79kg -  Andrian GROSUL
86kg -  Ivan NEDEALCO
92kg -  Gheorghe ERHAN
125kg - Samhan JABRAILOV

BYAMBASUREN Bat-Erdene (MGL), Junior Asian runner-up. Photo by Sachiko Hotaka.

MGL
57kg -  Tumentsogt BOLD
61kg -  Jamsranjav DUGERKHOROL
65kg -  Bud BATBAATAR
70kg -  Tergel TUMURKHUYAG
74kg -  Bat-Erdene BYAMBASUREN
79kg -  Tserendash BAASANDORJ
92kg -  Altangerel CHINBAT
97kg -  Mungunshagai TUMURBAT
125kg - Lkhagvagerel MUNKHTUR

MKD
65kg - Fati VEJSELI

PAK
70kg - Ghulam GHOUS
97kg - Haroon ABID

POL
61kg -  Karol Jakub CZEGUS
70kg -  Szymon WOJTKOWSKI
74kg -  Pawel Tomasz MALICKI
79kg -  Jakub SZYMULA
86kg -  Michal Jan BIELAWSKI
92kg -  Matthew WROBLEWSKI
125kg - Jakub BRYLEWSKI

RSA
61kg - Frederik NORTJE
74kg - Matthew BARTLETT

RUS
57kg -  Akhmed IDRISOV
61kg -  Abasgadzhi MAGOMEDOV
65kg -  Saiyn KAZYRYK
70kg -  Razambek ZHAMALOV
74kg -  Devid BETANOV
79kg -  Aslanbek GVARAMIIA
86kg -  Alik SHEBZUKHOV
92kg -  Khokh KHUGAEV
97kg -  Magomedkhan MAGOMEDOV
125kg - Soslan KHINCHAGOV

SUI
57kg - Nino LEUTERT
70kg - Tobias PORTMANN

SVK
61kg -  Pavol RAPCAN
65kg -  Balazs HAKSZER
70kg -  Daniel CHOMANIC
74kg -  Martin HORINEK
79kg -  Christopher BEDNARIK
92kg -  Dominik PECHA
97kg -  Viliam OROSS

TKM
65kg -  Perman HOMMADOV
86kg -  Azat GAJYYEV
97kg -  Zyyamuhammet SAPAROV

TPE
61kg - Chia Hung CHANG
74kg - Hsiang-Wei WENG

TUR
57kg -  Ahmet TAS
61kg -  Ertugrul KAHVECI
65kg -  Ahmet Salim YIGIT
70kg -  Hasan KAYA
74kg -  Isa DEMIR
79kg -  Ramazan Ishak SARI
86kg -  Arif OZEN
92kg -  Erhan YAYLACI
97kg -  Feyzullah AKTURK
125kg - Oktay GUNGOR

UAE
125kg -Bader ALALI

UKR
57kg -  Andrii DZHELEP
61kg -  Ihor NYKYFORUK
65kg -  Denys BOROHAN
70kg -  Stepan LYLYK
74kg -  Mahomed HADZHYMAHOMEDOV
79kg -  Adlan BATAIEV
86kg - Andrii HYKA
92kg -  Oleksandr BYKANOV
97kg -  Ruslan HEORHIIEV
125kg - Yurii IDZINSKYI

Aaron BROOKS (USA), 2017 Cadet World champion. Photo by Martin Gabor.

USA
57kg -  Brandon COURTNEY
57kg -  Daton FIX
61kg -  Josh SAUNDERS
65kg -  Domonick DEMAS
70kg -  Brady BERGE
74kg -  Mekhi LEWIS
79kg -  Aaron BROOKS
86kg -  Lou DEPREZ
92kg -  Jacob WARNER
97kg -  Daniel KERKVLIET JR
125kg - Gable STEVESON

UZB
57kg -  Gulomjon ABDULLAEV
61kg -  Abbos RAKHMONOV
65kg -  Ikhtiyor NORMURODOV
86kg -  Davlatbek ASHUROV
92kg -  Makhsud VEYSALOV
125kg - Khasanboy RAKHIMOV

#WrestleAmman

Asian Championships 2025 Preview

Thursday, March 20, 2025 - 15:58 By United World Wrestling Press

AMMAN, Jordan (March 20) -- The 2025 Asian Championships will be held in Amman, Jordan from March 25 to 30. More than 370 wrestlers from across the continent will compete in Amman, a city which is hosting the Asian Championships for the first time in its history.

The Asian Championships will be live on uww.org and UWW+. Follow United World Wrestling on Instagram, YouTube, X, Facebook and TikTok.

DOWNLOAD THE FULL PREVIEW HERE | Asian Championships 2025 Entries

Text version:

While Iran has dominated the Asian scene for a long time in wrestling, Japan has emerged as the new challenger to its dominance. The Asian Championships in Amman will provide more insight into Japan's ever-improving wrestling program which helped it win eight gold medals at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Undoubtedly, Japan is the supreme power in Women's Wrestling. But for the 2025 Asian Championships, it is bringing strong teams in Freestyle and Greco-Roman as well. Iran, on the other hand, is banking on young stars in Freestyle and mixing youth and experience in Greco-Roman.

Another big talking point of the tournament is the return of Olympic champion Akhmed TAZHUDINOV (BRN) after his shoulder surgery. He has won the Asian, World and Asian Games and Olympic gold medals over the last two years.

Olympic champion Saeid ESMAEILI (IRI) is is the defending 67kg champion at Asian Championships. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

Greco-Roman

With two Olympic champions and several age-group and senior world champs, Iran's juggernaut in Greco-Roman is set to continue at the Asian Championships. Led by Saeid ESMAEILI (IRI) and Mohammadhadi SARAVI (IRI) at 67kg and 97kg respectively, Iran will be hoping to win at least five gold medals.

Add to the list the phenom Fardin HEDAYATI (IRI) at 130kg, who is quickly rising to be the best Greco-Roman in the super heavyweight class.

Poya DAD MARZ (IRI) at 55kg, Pouya NASERPOUR (IRI) at 60kg, Danial SOHRABI (IRI) at 72kg, Alireza ABDEVALI (IRI) at 77kg, Mohammad NAGHOUSI (IRI) at 82kg and Yasin YAZDI (IRI) at 87kg complete the line-up expected to dominate at the Asian Championships.

Kaito INABA (JPN) is the returning 60kg silver medalist. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

The big question is -- can Japan, or any other country, challenge Iran?

Katsuaki ENDO (JPN) at 67kg, Kaito INABA (JPN) at 60kg, and Taizo YOSHIDA (JPN) at 82kg are among the favorites to win the gold medals. Yoshida is the returning champion at 82kg and one of the biggest prospects of the Nippon Sports Science University (NSSU) that produced five out of eight Japanese gold medalists in Paris. Endo and Inaba, both from NSSU, have past experience and can go all the way on their day.

In total, six of the 10 Japanese Greco-Roman wrestlers train at NSSU. [High-school student Yoshida will formally join NSSU on April 1].

A few other challengers to these two countries include returning champion Yu Chol RO (PRK) and bronze medalist Ulan MURATBEK UULU (KGZ) at 55kg, Paris bronze medalist Se Ung RI (PRK), and U23 world champion Alisher GANIEV (UZB) will be the key names at 60kg.

Kyrgyzstan is without its three Paris medalists Zholaman SHARSHENBEKOV (KGZ), Akzhol MAKHMUDOV (KGZ) and Uzur DZHUZUPBEOKV (KGZ) but the likes of Razzak BEISHEKEEV (KGZ), Doolotbek CHOIBEKOV (KGZ), Yryskeldi KHAMZAEV (KGZ), Yryskeldi MAKSATBEK UULU (KGZ), Asan ZHANYSHOV (KGZ) will be hoping to climb the podium as a few of them did at the Muhamet Malo Ranking Series 2025.

Kazakhstan is clearly trying to rebuild its team as it has Yerbol KAMALIYEV (KAZ) and Meiirzhan SHERMAKHANBET (KAZ) and also veterans Ibragim MAGOMADOV (KAZ) and Alimkhan SYZDYKOV (KAZ) among others.

Amirreza MASOUMI (IRI) is looking for his first Asian Championships gold medal at 125kg. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Jake Kirkman)

Freestyle

Another style which Iran dominates at the Asian level. While it is not bringing its first team to Amman, Iran still has its young stars in Amirreza MASOUMI (IRI), Amirhossein FIROUZPOUR (IRI), Sina KHALILI (IRI) and a few others.

Masoumi at 125kg is looking to win his first Asian medal that he missed in 2023, losing to world silver medalist Lkhagvagerel MUNKHTUR (MGL) and later to BUHEEERDUN (CHN). For Firouzpour, the road to gold should not have many hurdles.

Iran's bench strength will be tested in the other weight classes as it hopes to win medals with Khalili at 70kg, Ahmad JAVAN (IRI) at 61kg, Abbas EBRAHIMZADEH (IRI) at 65kg, Mohammad Reza SHAKERI (IRI) at 74kg, Mahdi YOUSEFI (IRI) at 79kg, Abolfazl RAHMANI (IRI) at 86kh and Mohammadmobin AZIMI (IRI) at 97kg.

Despite a relatively depleted squad, Japan still boasts of Rin SAKAMOTO (JPN) at 57kg, 2025 Muhamet Malo Ranking Series winner Takara SUDA (JPN) at 61kg, returning silver medalist at 70kg Yoshinosuke AOYAGI (JPN), former world U20 silver Ryunosuke KAMIYA (JPN) at 79kg, former world U23 champion at 86kg Tatsuya SHIRAI (JPN), Paris Olympian Takashi ISHIGURO (JPN) at 92kg and former champion Arash YOSHIDA (JPN), who recently defeated Kyle SNYDER (USA) in Tirana, at 97kg.

Rizabek AITMUKHAN (KAZ) will look to upgrade his silver medal at 97kg this year. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

Kazakhstan's two world champs in Freestyle -- Rizabek AITMUKHAN (KAZ) and Nurkozha KAIPANOV (KAZ) -- will be in action. Aitmukhan, an Asian silver medalist, will once again challenge Akhmed TAZHUDINOV (BRN) who he lost to.

Kaipnov will be challenging the 74kg field, a category one weight up. Azamat DAULETBEKOV (KAZ) will be moving to 92kg for the Asian Championships.

World U23 champion CHIRAG (IND) will lead India's challenge at the Asian Championships. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

India has won the 57kg gold medal four times out of the last five but the weight class is stacked for this year. Paris bronze medalist Gulomjon ABDULLAEV (UZB) entered will be the favorite to win the gold medal. He will be challenged by Milad VALIZADEH (IRI), Rin SAKAMOTO (JPN), Merey BAZARBAYEV (KAZ), Almaz SMANBEKOV (KGZ), Chong Song HAN (PRK) and Aiaal BELOLYUBSKII (TJK) among others.

While India's Paris medalist AMAN (IND) has skipped the tournament, world U23 champion CHIRAG (IND) will be leading the charge at 57kg. 2024 57kg silver medalist UDIT (IND) will be at 61kg while world U20 medalist SUJEET (IND) at 65kg. At 92kg, Deepak PUNIA (IND) is returning to action after missing the Paris berth.

Other than aforementioned stars, other big names include Tuvshintulga TUMENBILEG (MGL) and Kum Chol RI (PRK) at 61kg, Taiyrbek ZHUMASHBEK UULU (KGZ) and Umidjon JALOLOV (UZB) at 65kg, and Feng LU (CHN) and Arsalan BUDAZHAPOV (KGZ) at 79kg.

Battle at 70kg

While defending champion Amirmohammad YAZDANI (IRI) is not entered at 70kg, returning silver medalist Yoshinosuke AOYAGI (JPN) will have his hands full.

Former world U23 champion Nachyn KUULAR (KAZ) will hope to put aside a forgetful Muhamet Malo Ranking Series and start afresh in Amman. Another world medalist Ernazar AKMATALIEV (KGZ) is long due for a rocking performance and Asian Championships offers the perfect platform to announce his return to the podium.

Add to the mix Asian Games champion and Asian silver medalist Tulga TUMUR OCHIR (MGL) who is not reducing his weight to fit into 65kg this edition. Then there is returning 74kg silver medalist Viktor RASSADIN (TJK) who is at 70kg as well, making this weight class the deepest in Freestyle.

Remina YOSHIMOTO (JPN) is the 2022 and 2023 Asian champion at 50kg. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

Women's Wrestling

As the Women's Wrestling powerhouse, Japan has entered seven world champions in 10 weight classes. In the remaining weight categories, it has two age-group world champs.

Nonoka OZAKI (JPN) at 62kg, the lone Paris medalist from Japan entered, will lead the charge along with 2024 world champs Moe KIYOOKA (JPN) at 55kg and Ami ISHII (JPN) at 68kg. Former world champion at 50kg Remina YOSHIMOTO (JPN), three-time world champion Haruna MURAYAMA (JPN) at 55kg, world U23 champion Sara NATAMI (JPN) at 57kg, world U20 champion at 59kg Sakura ONISHI (JPN), former world champion Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN) at 65kg, former world champion Masako FURUICHI (JPN) at 72kg, and Nodoka YAMAMOTO (JPN) at 76kg complete the line-up.

The possibility of all 10 returning with a medal is extremely high. China is likely to offer some resistance to this line-up and DPR Korea may surprise in some weight classes like it did at the 2022 Asian Games.

China is banking on world champion Qi ZHANG (CHN) who is now at 65kg, Paris bronze medalist Kexin HONG (CHN) at 57kg, world silver medalist Jin ZHANG (CHN) and U20 world champ Yu ZHANG (CHN). Former Asian champion Mengyu XIE (CHN) is wrestling at 59kg.

DPR Korea will spice up Asian Championships in Women's Wrestling as it is likely to cause some disruptions. Its first medalist in Olympics, Hyo Gyong CHOE (PRK) is making her Asian Championships debut and will lead a team that consists of Myong Gyong WON (PRK) at 50kg, returning silver medalist at 55kg Kyong Ryong OH (PRK), World Military Championships gold medalist Il Sim SON (PRK) and Paris 5th placer Sol Gum PAK (PRK) among others.

World bronze medalist ANTIM (IND) is wrestling for the first time after a disappointing Paris Olympics. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

India, however, will have a young line-up to challenge Japan and China led by Paris Olympian world bronze medalist ANTIM (IND). Former world U23 champion REETIKA (IND) will be at 76kg and world U17 champion Mansi LATHER (IND) made it to her first senior team at 68kg.

Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ), Elmira SYDYZKOVA (KAZ), Zhamila BAKBERGENOVA (KAZ), Laylokhon SOBIROVA (UZB), Aktenge KEUNIMJAEVA (UZB) and Delgermaa ENKHSAIKHAN (MGL) are a few other stars entered for the women's competition.

Returning Freestyle World Champs Steveson, Fix Enter #Trnanva2018 Field

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Asian Championships 2025 Preview