#WrestleSofia

Sonam Wins Second World Title, Japan Captures Three Gold at #WrestleSofia

By Taylor Miller

Photo of Sonam SONAM (IND).

SOFIA, Bulgaria – Sonam SONAM (IND) earned her second Cadet World title and third-straight Cadet World medal on Thursday night, winning the 65 kg weight class in Sofia, Bulgaria.

Sonam shut down Binbin XIANG (CHN) in the gold-medal match, scoring a four-point takedown in the second period for a 7-1 victory. With the win, Sonam added to her 2017 Cadet World gold and 2018 Cadet World bronze

Japan earned three World champions out of five weight classes.

The first champion of the night for Japan was Nagisa HARADA (JPN), who knocked off returning World champion Luchana BEKBAULOVA (RUS) in the 43 kg gold match.

Harada scored in the first period on a step out, and in the last few seconds of the match, she picked up a takedown to ice the match and take a 3-1 win.

Japan also won the next two weights, 49 kg and 57 kg.

At 49 kg, 2018 U15 Asian champion Moe KIYOOKA (JPN) defeated Cristelle RODRIGUEZ (USA), 5-2. Rodriguez led 2-1 in the final minute, but Miyooka scored two takedowns to for an insurmountable 5-2 lead and eventual win.

Winning gold at 57 kg was Ruka NATAMI (JPN), who also faced an American in the finals, Skylar HATTENDORF (USA). Natami collected a takedown in each period for a 4-0 shutout, giving Japan its third World champion of the night.

In the last gold match of the night, 2019 Cadet European champion outlasted 2019 Cadet Asian champion Yifeng LU (CHN) in a 4-3 decision.

Action continues tomorrow at 10:30 a.m. local time (3:30 a.m. ET) live on unitedworldwrestling.org.

Finals matchups
43 kg
GOLD: Nagisa HARADA (JPN) dec. Luchana BEKBAULOVA (RUS), 3-0
BRONZE: Zerda DEMIR (TUR) dec. Nazik MIRLAN KYZY (KGZ), 6-0
BRONZE: Aida KERYMOVA (UKR) df. Madhuri PATEL (IND), fall

49 kg
GOLD: Moe KIYOOKA (JPN) dec. Cristelle RODRIGUEZ (USA), 5-2
BRONZE: Valeryia KAPUSTSINA (BLR) dec. Yung Hsun LIN (TPE), 2-1
BRONZE: Munkhgerel MUNKHBAT (MGL) dec. Xiaomin XIE (CHN), 6-6

57 kg
GOLD: Ruka NATAMI (JPN) dec. Skylar HATTENDORF (USA), 4-0
BRONZE: Alina KASABIEVA (RUS) dec. Birgul SOLTANOVA (AZE), 8-0
BRONZE: Krystyna SOKOLOVSKA (UKR) df. Yifan TANG (CHN), 12-2

65 kg
GOLD: Sonam SONAM (IND) dec. Binbin XIANG (CHN), 7-1
BRONZE: Ekaterina GLUKHAREVA (RUS) df. Khadija JLASSI (TUN), 10-0
BRONZE: Rushana ABDIRASULOVA (UZB) dec. Veronica BRASCHI (ITA), 4-2

73 kg
GOLD: Olga KOZYREVA (RUS) dec. Yifeng LU (CHN), 4-3
BRONZE: Julia FRIDLUND (SWE) dec. Pooja POOJA (IND), 3-2
BRONZE: Nodoka YAMAMOTO (JPN) dec. Nazar BATIR (TUR), 7-0

 

#IndiaWrestling

Wrestling Federation of India provisionally suspended

By United World Wrestling Press

CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY (August 23) -- United World Wrestling placed the Wrestling Federation of India under provisional suspension with immediate effect after the Indian body failed to hold an election in due course.

The UWW Disciplinary Chamber decided on Wednesday that it had sufficient grounds to impose the provisional suspension on the body as the situation in the federation has prevailed for at least six months. The Chamber noted that the absence of a regularly elected president and a board does not comply with the UWW regulations and the conditions for membership.

The Chamber also considered the protection of athletes after the allegations against the former President of the WFI and the necessity to restore the functioning of the federation as another ground to impose the provisional suspension.

Wrestlers and their support personnel [individuals with a high-performance, medical or technical role such as coaches, assistant coaches, sports physicians or masseurs] remain authorized to participate in all UWW-sanctioned events. However, they shall do so under the UWW flag.

The decision means that all other members of the federation [current board members, administrators, etc.] are not authorized to attend any UWW event until further notice.

The wrestling affairs in India were run by an ad hoc body which was warned by UWW on July 3 about the possible suspension of the WFI should elections not be held in due course. Recently, the elective general assembly was postponed due to an unknown date, which led UWW to act according to the resolution of the UWW Bureau on June 27, 2023.