#Trnava2018

Three Reigning Greco-Roman Junior World Champions Registered for #Trnava2018

Friday, August 31, 2018 - 02:31 By Eric Olanowski

TRNAVA, Slovakia (August 31) - The 2018 Junior World Championships kick off September 17-23 and each participating nation has summited their final entries to United World Wrestling. Nearly 265 Greco-Roman wrestlers from 43 nations will make the journey to Trnava, Slovakia with hopes of becoming a Junior World Champion.

Three reigning champions in Kamal BEY (USA), Kerem KAMAL (TUR) and Amin KAVIYANINEJAD (IRI) are registered to defend their titles from last years Tampere Junior World Championships.

Aleksander KOMAROV (RUS), the three-time age-level world champion and most dominant age-level wrestler in the world was expected to compete for Russia at 82kg but is not registered for the Junior World Championships. Instead, Russia has entered Shamil OZHAEV (RUS) at GR 82kg.

Greco-Roman wrestling begins on September 17 and will be wrestled through September 19.

ROSTERS
ALG
60kg - Mourtada NAANAA
72kg - Amar MOUMENE

ARM
55kg - Tigran MINASYAN
60kg - Ararat MANUCHARYAN
63kg - Hrachya POGHOSYAN
67kg - Malkhas AMOYAN
77kg - Vahe POGHOSYAN
82kg - Erik ELOYAN
87kg - Hakob BAGHDASARYAN
97kg - Razmik KHACHATRYAN
130kg - David OVASAPYAN

AUT
97kg - Markus RAGGINGER

AZE
55kg - Zulfigar ALIYEV
60kg - Hasan MAMMADLI
63kg - Elnur MUSAYEV
67kg - Mahammadali HASANOV
72kg - Ulvu GANIZADE
77kg - Nasir HASANOV
82kg - Nazarshah FATULLAYEV
130kg - Sarkhan MAMMADOV

BLR
55kg - Aliaksandr NIAHODA
60kg - Ihar DROZD
63kg - Maksim NEHODA
67kg - Aliaksandr LIAVONCHYK
72kg - Martun BADALIAN
77kg - Yauheni YUROU
82kg - Kiryl MASKEVICH
87kg - Ihar YARASHEVICH
97kg - Uladzislau PUSTASHYLAU
130kg - Ilya YUDCHYTS

BRA
67kg - Joilson DE BRITO RAMOS JUNIOR

BUL
60kg - Ivo ILIEV
63kg - Nikalas SULEV
67kg - Krasimir DORMUSHEV
72kg - Krasimir KRUMOV
77kg - Zahari ZASHEV
82kg - Svetoslav NIKOLOV
97kg -Delian ALISHAHI
130kg - Ignat MILENOV

CHI
130kg - Diego ALMENDRAS RODRIQUEZ

2016 Junior World Championship arena shot. Photo by Justin Hoch.

CHN
55kg - Liguo CAO
60kg - Libin DING
63kg - Delin WANG
67kg - Xin HUANG
72kg - Chuan ZHANG
77kg - Yilana YILANA
82kg - Wentao SU
87kg - Maimaiti KAISAIER
97kg - Yiming LI
130kg - Lingzhe MENG

CRO
72kg - Pavel PUKLAVEC
82kg - Karlo KODRIC
87kg - Filip SMETKO
130kg - Ante MILKOVIC

CZE
67kg - Denis MERTL
72kg - Jakub BIELESZ
77kg - David PRUSA / Daniel VARGA
87kg - Jakub KROCAK
130kg - Ondrej DADAK

Mohamed ELSAYED, 2016 Cadet World Champion. Photo by Justin Hoch.

EGY
63kg - Hassan MOHAMED
67kg - Mohamed ELSAYED
72kg - Gamal MARZOUK
130kg - Youssef ISSA

EST
63kg - Denis BOLUNOV
67kg - Kristo VIIDAS
72kg - Andris PENT
77kg - Hans Uku LEITHAM
82kg - Ranet KALJOLA
87kg - Ardo PAJUR
97kg - Hendrik KALME

FIN
67kg - Elmer Joakim MATTILA
72kg - Akseli Elias YLI HANNUKSELA
77kg - Waltteri Harri Kristian LATVALA
97kg - Arvi Martin SAVOLAINEN

GEO
55kg - Ramaz SILAGAVA
60kg- Irakli DZIMISTARISHVILI
63kg - Leri ABULADZE
67kg - Joni KHETSURIANI
72kg - Nikoloz TCHIKAIDZE
77kg - Beka GURULI
82kg - Aivengo RIKADZE
87kg - Temuri TCHKUASELIDZE
97kg - Nika LOMIDZE
130kg - Beka MAKARIDZE

GER
60kg - Andrej GINC
63kg - Chlovelle Van MEIER
72kg - Anthony Ezra SANDERS
87kg - Nikolaos PAPADOPOULOS
130kg - Franz RICHTER

HUN
60kg - Tamas TOEROEK
63kg - Krisztian Istvan VANCZA
67kg - Tibor Sandor GYUERKY
72kg - Gergely BAK
77kg - Moric KISMONI
82kg - Istvan TAKACSHUN
87kg - Alex SZOKE
97kg - Balint VATZI
130kg - Roland VATZI

Vijay VIJAY (IND), 2018 Junior Asian Championship runner-up. Photo by Sachiko Hotaka.

IND
55kg - Vijay VIJAY
60kg - Sachin RANA
63kg - Manjeet MANJEET
67kg - Malkit HOODA
72kg - Kuldeep MALIK
77kg - Sajan SAJAN
82kg - Sanjeet SANJEET
87kg - Kumar SUNIL
97kg - Viresh KUNDU
130kg - Aryan PANWAR

IRI
55kg - Pouya NASERPOUR
60kg - Ali NEJATI
63kg - Bahram MAROUFKHANI IMCHEH
67kg - Yousef HOSSEINVAND FATHI
72kg - Amin KAVIYANINEJAD
77kg - Shayan AFIFI
82kg - Hosein FOROUZANDEH GHOJEHBEIGLOU
87kg - Mohammadhadi SARAVI
97kg - Vahid DADKHAH GHASEM ABADI
130kg - Amin MIRZAZADEH

ISR
67kg - Shamil ALAEV

ITA
55kg - Giovanni FRENI
60kg - Jacopo SANDRON
67kg - Ignazio SANFILIPPO
77kg - Mirco MINGUZZI
97kg - Luca SVAICARIITA

JPN
55kg - Shota OGAWA
60kg - Kazuki YABE
63kg - Harushi SHIMAYA
67kg - Taishi HORIE
72kg - Minto MAEDA
77kg- Rai HAYASHI
82kg - Yudai SASAKI / Masao TANAKA
87kg - Ryohta NASUKAWA
97kg - Akira YAMANAKA / Naoki MATSUMOTO
130kg - Sota OKUMURA

Merey BEKENOV (KAZ), 2018 Junior Asian Champion. Photo by Sachiko Hotaka.

KAZ
55kg - Alpamys DASTANBEK
60kg- Galym KABDUNASSAROV
63kg - Madiyar MALTEKBAYEV
67kg - Merey BEKENOV
72kg - Daulet LARIONOV
77kg - Temirlan YESPENBET
82kg - Stanislav RYLSKIY
87kg - Sanzhar TEMIRBEK
97kg - Islam UMAYEV
130kg - Anton SAVENKO

KGZ
55kg - Nurtazin KERIMBERDI UULU
60kg - Dastan KADYROV
63kg - Erbol BAKIROV
67kg - Khalmurat IBRAGIMOV
72kg - Ilim BILIMOV
77kg - Akzhol MAKHMUDOV
82kg - Ilgiz BILIMOV
87kg - Amankeldi TALANTBEK UULU

KOR
55kg - Doohoon KIM
60kg - Seongmin KIM
63kg - Kyoungsub KIM
67kg - Unho HAN
72kg - Jueun JEONG
77kg - Boseong KANG
82kg - Inseob KIM
87kg - Junyeop PARK
97kg - Jeongbin KWON
130kg - Taeho YIM

KSA
55kg - Tuorki Ali M HAZOAZI
60kg - Hassan M WADDAN

LTU
60kg - Gytis KULEVICIUS
77kg - Titas KERSEVICIUS
97kg - Arnoldas BARANOVAS

MDA
67kg - Valentin PETIC
72kg - Anatolie POPOV

NOR
67kg - Haavard JOERGENSEN
77kg - Per Anders KURE

POL
60kg - Sebastian NOWICKI
63kg - Mateusz SZEWCZUK
67kg - Filip PETRONCZAK
72kg - Gracjan GLOGIEWICZ
82kg - Piotr DUK
87kg - Michal DYBKA
97kg - Gerard KURNICZAK
130kg - Patryk KAMINSKI

POR
55kg - Andre CARDOSO OLIVEIRA SILVA
63kg - Daniel DE MATOS OLIVEIRA DE MORAIS CA

ROU
55kg - Florin TITA
60kg - Razvan ARNAUT
82kg - Nicu Samuel OJOG
130kg - Lenard Istvan BEREI

Oleg AGAKHANOV, 2018 Junior European Champion. Photo by Max Rose-Fyne.

RUS
55kg - Emin SEFERSHAEV
60kg- Abu AMAEV
63kg - Azamat KAIROV
67kg - Miakhdi IAKHIAEV
72kg - Sergei STEPANOV
77kg - Islam OPIEV
82kg - Shamil OZHAEV
87kg - Ilia ERMOLENKO
97kg - Artur SARGSIAN
130kg - Oleg AGAKHANOV

SRB
55kg - Sebastian KOLOMPAR
67kg - Adam KATONA
72kg - Sava MIJOKOVIC
77kg - Andrija Luka MALETIN
82kg - Branko KOVACEVIC

SUI
55kg - Dimitar SANDOV
87kg - Ramon BETSCHART
97kg - Damian VON EUW

SVK
63kg - Istvan SLUKA
67kg - Nikolas HULMAN
72kg - Gergely BUERSOELY
77kg - Bence HOLOCSI
82kg - Zoltan MEGALY

SWE
67kg - Elias ANDERSSON
72kg - Mats AHLGREN
77kg - Per OLOFSSON
82kg - Anders OLSSON
130kg - Jacob LOGAARD

TJK
67kg - Faridun AKHMEDOV
72kg - Bakhtovar KHASANOV
77kg - Daler REZA ZADE
130kg - Azmuddin VAKHOBOV

TKM
63kg - Seydylla TAZAYEV

TUR
55kg - Cihat Ahmet LIMAN
60kg - Kerem KAMAL
63kg - Abdullah TOPRAK
67kg - Ismail GUN
72kg - Erkan ERGEN
77kg - Alper Murat ERDURAN
82kg - Muhutdin SARICICEK
87kg - Bedirhan TAN
97kg - Beytullah KAYISDAG
130kg - Fatih BOZKURT

UKR
55kg - Vladyslav KUZKO
60kg- Ihor KUROCHKIN
63kg - Oleksandr HRUSHYN
67kg - Parviz NASIBOV
72kg - Ihor BYCHKOV
77kg - Dmytro GARDUBEI
82kg - Vitalii ANDRIIOVYCH
87kg - Dmytro KIIASHOK
97kg - Oleksandr YEVDOKIMOV
130kg - Vladyslav KOVALENKO

Kamal BEY (USA), 2017 Junior World Champion. Photo by Marion Stein.

USA
55kg - Brady KOONTZ
60kg - Taylor LA MONT
63kg - Alston NUTTER
67kg - Peyton OMANIA
72kg - Tyler DOW
77kg - Kamal BEY
82kg - Andrew BERREYESA
87kg - Barret HUGHES
97kg - Chad PORTER
130kg - Cohlton SCHULTZ

UZB
63kg - Turabek TIRKASHEV
67kg - Kamol KUZIEV
72kg - Makhmud BAKHSHILLOEV
82kg - Alijon KHUSEYNOV
97kg - Abubakr ALIMOV
130kg - Temur Mirzo MAMAJANOV

#wrestlebishkek

Asian Championships: Iran Puts Four into Greco-Roman Finals

Monday, April 6, 2026 - 16:52 By Ken Marantz

Erfan JARKANI (IRI) celebrates after reaching the 63kg final at the Asian Championships in Bishkek. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan (April 6) – On an opening day bereft of big surprises, the Iranians were their usual dominant selves, while local hero Azkhol MAKHMUDOV (KGZ) sent the partisan crowd into a frenzy by doing what he does best.

Amin MIRZAZADEH (IRI) and fellow reigning world champion Gholamreza FAROKHI (IRI) were among four Iranians who qualified for the finals in the five Greco-Roman weight classes in action on the first day of the Asian Championships on Monday in Bishkek.

For the first time, the two-day format for all weight classes is being used at the Asian Championships, so that the five divisions on the first day were competed only through the semifinals.

Amin MIRZAZADEH (IRI) turns Minseok KIM (KOR) during the 130kg semifinal at the Asian Championships. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

Mirzazadeh’s march toward a fourth Asian gold at 130kg over a seven-year span could not be regarded as unscathed – he was on the receiving end of a painful head butt in his 8-0 semifinal victory over Minseok KIM (KOR).

Other than that, it was smooth sailing as the Paris Olympic bronze medalist and two-time world champion advanced with a pair of wins by technical superiority.

Mirzazadeh and Farokhi were joined in the finals by Erfan JARKANI (IRI) and Ali OSKOU (IRI) as Iran looks on track to surpass its 2025 gold medal tally of five in Amman, Jordan.

“We were expecting Farokhi and Mirzazadeh to reach the final, but over the last two years, both Jarkani and Oksou have improved a lot and good results were expected from them and they showed that,” Iran head coach Hassan RANGRAZ said. “Hopefully, tomorrow also our wrestlers will achieve good results.”

Against Kim, Mirzazadeh jumped out to a 5-0 lead with a pair of gut wrenches in par terre. In the second period, Kim rose his head as Mirzazadeh approached, causing a collision that left both rubbing their wounds.

Kim was assessed a 2-point penalty, and when a Korean challenge of the call was denied, that gave the Iranian his eighth and decisive point.

In the final, Mirzazadeh will face a newcomer to the Asian scene, former Russian national champion Rafael TSITSUASHVILI (UZB), who advanced with a 7-2 victory over two-time bronze medalist Yuta NARA (JPN).

Gholamreza FAROKHI (IRI), the world champion at 82kg, defeated Sunil KUMAR (IND) in 87kg semifinals at the Asian Championships. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

In one of those blink-and-you-missed-it dominant victories, Farokhi swiftly powered to an 8-0 victory over three-time Asian medalist Sunil KUMAR (IND) to advance to the 87kg final.

Farokhi, last year’s world champion at 82kg who has not lost an international match since 2022, shrugged Kumar by to get behind, then used an arm lock for four quicksilver back-and-forth exposures to end the match in 37 seconds.

In the final, Farokhi will take on world bronze medalist Asan ZHANYSHOV (KGZ), who put together a slightly less dominant 8-0 victory over Nursultan TURSYNOV (KAZ) to become one of three wrestlers from the host country to make the finals.

Zhanyshov, a two-time Asian U23 champion, finished up the win with a go-behind takedown to top Tursynov, who has three Asian medals over a 10-year span – from a gold in 2014 to silvers in 2015 and 2023.

Akzhol MAKHMUDOV (KGZ) launches Doniyorkhon NAKIBOV (UZB) for four points during the 77kg semifinals in Bishkek. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

The biggest cheers of the night at the new Zhastyk Arena came in response to the exploits at 77kg of Makhmudov, who first stole the spotlight when he won the first of his three Asian golds in 2018 across the street at the Soviet-era Kojomkul Sports Palace.

Facing 2024 Asian bronze medalist Doniyorkhon NAKIBOV (UZB), Makhmudov got the first shot at par terre and took full advantage, thrilling the crowd with not one but two powerful reverse body lifts in which he flipped his opponent over like a pancake on the griddle.

Makhmudov, a two-time world champion and two-time Olympic medalist, began the year on a sluggish note, falling in the 82kg quarterfinals of the Tirana Ranking Series tournament in February to Tunjay VAZIRZADE (AZE).

But back at his usual weight, Makhmudov is looking more like his old self – and he’ll need to be in that form in a challenging final against Iran’s Oskou, this year’s Zagreb Ranking Series champion and a 2024 world U23 bronze medalist.

Oskou had a pair of four-point throws and, while having to fight off his back when one roll attempt was stopped, still managed to forge a solid 13-3 victory over AMAN (IND) in the other semifinal.

Erfan JARKANI (IRI) battles it out with Islomjon BAKHRAMOV (UZB) in the 63kg semifinal. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

At 63kg, Zagreb Open champion and 2024 world U23 and U20 bronze medalist Jarkani held off former Asian champion Islomjon BAKHRAMOV (UZB) in a 5-3 win to advance to the final in his senior Asian debut.

Jarkani opened with a takedown, then quickly went up 5-0 when he received single points for passivity, fleeing and an unsuccessful challenge.

In the second period, Bakhramov showed the fight that led him to the 60kg gold in 2019, but could only manage a single gut wrench from par terre to fall short of victory.

Bakhramov, a world bronze medalist in 2023, still has a chance for his fourth career Asian medal and third bronze.

Jarkani will battle for the gold against Aftandil TAALAIBEK UULU (KGZ), who become the first wrestler from the home team to make the finals when he bulldozed his way to a 10-0 victory over Azatjan ACHILOV (TKM) in the other semifinal.

Taalaibek Uulu started the rout with a four-point arm throw onto which a challenge point was added. A passivity call put Taalaibek Uulu on top in par terre, and he hit his second four-pointer of the match to end it at 2:05.

Ikhtiyor BOTIROV (UZB) raises the hand of Ulan MURATBEK UULU (KGZ) after beating the home wrestler in the 55kg semifinal. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

At 55kg, two-time bronze medalist Ikhtiyor BOTIROV (UZB) shrugged off the vocal partisan crowd and a potentially costly penalty against 2024 bronze medalist Ulan MURATBEK UULU (KGZ), riding a five-point first period to a 5-3 victory and a place in tomorrow’s final.

Botirov, the silver medalist in Zagreb, reeled off a pair of gut wrenches from par terre for a 5-0 lead. In the second period, Muratbek Uulu was put on top and before the action even started, Botirov was assessed a two-point penalty for moving too soon.

Despite the crowd’s efforts to spur their wrestler on, Botirov withstood Muratbek Uulu’s late attacks and assured he will improve on the bronze medals he won last year and in 2023 by making the final, where he will face LALIT (IND).

Botirov earlier defeated the only Iranian to not make the final on the day, Hajiali HOSSEINVAND (IRI), in the quarterfinals.

“Hosseinvand, too, should have been in the final given his recent performances, but it was unfortunate that he lost 8-0 [officially 10-0] against the Uzbekistan wrestler,” Rangraz added. “He beat him in February and he deserved to reach the final.”

LALIT (IND) reached the 55kg final after beating Houying SHI (CHN), 11-3. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

Lalit put himself in position to become just the fourth Asian champion from India in Greco and first since 2020 when he battled back after losing the lead to defeat world bronze medalist Huoying SHI (CHN) 11-3.

Lalit, who likes to use a standing roll through from par terre, hit the move to take a 3-1 lead in the second period, but got stuck when he tried it again and Shi got around front, clamped on a front headlock and bulled Lalit over to go ahead 3-3 on criteria.

But Lalit struck back right away with a slick duck under for a takedown, then went to the roll through for two more, with an unsuccessful challenge point tacked on. A stepout and a defensive takedown gave Lalit the win by technical superiority as time ran out.

RESULTS

55kg
GOLD: LALIT (IND) vs. Ikhtiyor BOTIROV (UZB)

SF 1: Ikhtiyor BOTIROV (UZB) df. Ulan MURATBEK UULU (KGZ), 5-3
SF 2: LALIT (IND) df. Huoying SHI (CHN), 11-3

63kg
GOLD: Aftandil TAALAIBEK UULU (KGZ) vs. Erfan Behnam JARKANI (IRI)

SF 1: Erfan JARKANI (IRI) df. Islomjon BAKHRAMOV (UZB), 5-3
SF 2: Aftandil TAALAIBEK UULU (KGZ) df. Azatjan ACHILOV (TKM), 10-0

77kg
GOLD: Ali OSKOU (IRI) vs. Akzhol MAKHMUDOV (KGZ)

SF 1: Akzhol MAKHMUDOV (KGZ) df. Doniyorkhon NAKIBOV (UZB), 9-0
SF 2: Ali OSKOU (IRI) df. AMAN (IND), 13-3

87kg
GOLD: Asan ZHANYSHOV (KGZ) vs. Gholamreza FAROKHI (IRI)

SF 1: Gholamreza FAROKHI (IRI) df. Suni KUMAR (IND), 8-0
SF 2: Asan ZHANYSHOV (KGZ) df. Nursultan TURSYNOV (KAZ), 8-0

130kg
GOLD: Amin MIRZAZADEH (IRI) vs. Rafael TSITSUASHVILI (UZB)

SF 1: Rafael TSITSUASHVILI (UZB) df. Yuta NARA (JPN), 7-2
SF 2: Amin MIRZAZADEH (IRI) df. Minseok KIM (KOR), 8-0

Three Reigning Greco-Roman Junior World Champions Registered for #Trnava2018

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Asian Championships: Iran Puts Four into Greco-Roman Finals