Junior Asian Championships

Trio of Junior World Champs Propel Japanese Women to Team Title at Junior Asian C'ships

Friday, July 12, 2019 - 15:10 By United World Wrestling Press

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CHON BURI, Thailand (July 12) - A trio of junior world champions helped propel Japan to the team title in women's wrestling on Friday at the Junior Asian Championships in Chon Buri, Thailand.

Umi IMAI (53kg), Andoriahanako SAWA (57kg) and Atena KODAMA (62kg), all returning junior world champions, captured gold medals on the final day of women's wrestling at the Junior Asian Championships.

Japan finished with 200 points and earned medals in all 10 weight categories. The medal haul included four gold medals, two silver medals and four bronze medals. China finished second in the team standings with 157 points, while India was third with 123 points. 

Umi IMAI (JPN) was dominant in the finals. (Photo: Sachiko Hotaka)

Imai, a Klippan Lady Open champion, won her second straight title at the Junior Asian Championships, beating Anudari NANDINTSETSEG (MGL) by 10-0 technical superiority in the finals at 53kg. She went up 4-0 in the first period. In the second period she added two takedowns before ending the match with a gut wrench. 

Andoriahanako SAWA (JPN) cruised to a 10-0 technical superiority in the finals. (Photo: Sachiko Hotaka)

Sawa cruised to the gold medal at 57kg with a 10-0 victory over Nuraida ANARKULOVA (KGZ). She built a 6-0 lead after a takedown followed up by two gut wrenches. Sawa then took Anarkulova down to her back late in the first period, nearly securing the fall before settling with a technical superiority. 

Kodama claimed her gold medal at 62kg by defeating Yaru WU (CHN) 15-5 in the finals. She used two first-period takedowns to go up 4-0 at the break. Kodama added another takedown to go up 6-0 before Yu scored a reversal, which she followed up with two consecutive gut wrenches to get within a point at 6-5. But Kodama would dominate the rest of the way, scoring nine consecutive points on her way to a technical superiority. 


Yue ZHANG (CHN) celebrates after her finals victory. (Photo: Sachiko Hotaka)

Japan's gold-medal run was halted by Yue ZHANG (CHN), who defeated Shion MASUYAMA (JPN) by fall in the finals at 65kg. The two wrestlers traded four-point moves in the opening period, and Zhang held a 5-4 lead at the break. With just under two minutes remaining in the match, Zhang threw Masuyama to her back and secured a fall. 

Tsz CHANG (TPE) came from behind to win at 72kg. (Photo: Sachiko Hotaka)

At 72kg, Hui Tsz CHANG (TPE) came back to defeat Svetlana OKNAZAROVA (UZB) to earn the gold medal. Oknazarova took a 2-0 lead into the break after a first-period takedown. She added to her lead in the second period with another takedown to go up 4-0 before Chang turned the tables, scoring with an exposure and then a takedown to take the lead on criteria with just over a minute and 30 seconds remaining. She would then hang on for the narrow victory. 

The freestyle competition at the Junior Asian Championships begins on Saturday. Action is set to begin at 10 a.m. local time.

RESULTS

Final Women's Wrestling Team Scores 
GOLD - Japan (200 points)
SILVER - China (157 points)
BRONZE - India (123 points)
Fourth - Uzbekistan (113 points)
Fifth - Kazakhstan (89 points)

53kg
GOLD - Umi IMAI (JPN) df. Anudari NANDINTSETSEG (MGL), 10-0
BRONZE - Song Ok KIM (PRK) df. Shokhida AKHMEDOVA (UZB), 10-0
BRONZE - Pooja POOJA (IND) df. Thi Oanh NGUYEN (VIE), 4-0

57kg
GOLD - Andoriahanako SAWA (JPN) df. Nuraida ANARKULOVA (KGZ), 10-0
BRONZE - Bharti BAGHEL (IND) df. Thi My Trang NGUYEN (VIE), 3-1
BRONZE - Youmei WU (CHN) df. Madina USMONJONOVA (UZB), 9-0

62kg
GOLD - Atena KODAMA (JPN) df. Yaru WU (CHN), 15-5
BRONZE - Irina KUZNETSOVA (KAZ) df. Aibike ARTYKALI KYZY (KGZ), 11-9
BRONZE - Ariukhan JUMABAEVA (UZB) df. Phimsuphak AINPHEN (THA), FALL 

65kg
GOLD - Yue ZHANG (CHN) df. Shion MASUYAMA (JPN), FALL
BRONZE - Hsin Ping PAI (TPE) df. Assiya ALIBEK (KAZ), 7-2
BRONZE - Tina TINA (IND) df. Jeumeun KWON (KOR), FALL

72kg
GOLD - Hui Tsz CHANG (TPE) df. Svetlana OKNAZAROVA (UZB), 4-4 
BRONZE - Dieu Thuong LAI (VIE) df. Dokyung (Hyerim) YUN (KOR), 10-0
BRONZE - Kanon KOBAYASHI (JPN) df. Gulnaz ZHAPPAROVA (KAZ), 5-5
 

#Grappling

Alshinbay defends crown in Grappling Gi; Poland wins team title

Friday, October 17, 2025 - 14:09 By Vinay Siwach

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NOVI SAD, Serbia (October 16) -- Coming into the World Grappling Championships, Alikhan ALSHINBAY (KAZ) had one goal -- two become a two time world champ.

But he had disappointing start to competition, losing the No-Gi semifinal in Novi Sad, Serbia. He later bounced back to win the bronze medal but his goal was still not achieved.

Alikhan ALSHINBAY (KAZ)Alikhan ALSHINBAY (KAZ) celebrates after winning the 58kg final in Grappling Gi. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

A day later on Thursday, Alshinbay began his title defense at 58kg in Grappling Gi and won his first bout via submission Samir BEN BELKACEM (FRA) to take step closer to the final.

Next up was Joseph DIEHL (USA) in the semifinals but Alshinbay, unbothered, controlled the match from the start and defeated the American grappler 9-3 to book a spot in the final against former U20 world champion ABYLBEKOV (KGZ).

Using his experience, Alshinbay made the final one-sided and used a bow-and-arrow choke to defeat Abylbekov via submission in just three minutes. He claimed his second straight gold medal in Grappling Gi, having won the 2024 world title in his home country Kazakhstan.

At 62kg, after dropping a close final in No-Gi Grappling, Magomedbek TEMEEV (UWW) bounced back and made sure he did not make any mistakes in Grappling Gi. Temeev was facing Rafayel KOSTANYAN (ARM) in the final and got the opening control when Kostanyan decided to start in grounding. The control gave Temeev two points.

Temeev decided to keep his control on top even as Kostanyan tried various moves. The referees called Temeev passive twice which costed him two points but he held a 2-2 criteria lead and won the final.

Two more UWW grapplers, Abduragim MAGOMEDOV (UWW) and Idris OMAROV (UWW), won gold medals on Thursday. MAgomedov defeated Jakub NAJDEK (POL), 5-0, in the 77kg final while Omarov defeated Christian FRILLICI (ITA), 5-2, in the 84kg final.

Youngster Giovanni SUAREZ ARTILES (ESP), who had a disappointing outing in 2024, made amends and defeated Magomed MAGOMEDOV (UWW), 5-3, at 66kg to win the gold medal.

The final began with Magomedov scoring a stepout in standing for one point before Saurez hit a throw to get Magomedov out in standing to make it 1-1 and lead on criteria. Magomedov kept getting control of Saurez who kept stepping out in standing and Magomedov's lead swelled to 3-1.

In the last 30 seconds, Saurez managed to come in a back mount and score via a rear-naked-choke. Though Magomedov did not submit, Saurez got four points for his control which made him a 5-3 winner.

At 92kg, Mateusz MAZUR (POL) was crowned world champion after Ruslan ISRAILOV (KAZ) submitted three minutes into the final.

RESULTS

Men's Grappling Gi

58kg
GOLD: Alikhan ALSHINBAY (KAZ) df. Zhyldyzbek ABYLBEKOV (KGZ), via submission (6-0)

BRONZE: Razmik MISAKYAN (ARM) df. Jerzy IZDEBSKI (POL), 2-0
BRONZE: Joseph DIEHL (USA) df. Samir BEN BELKACEM (FRA), via submission (1-0)

62kg
GOLD: Magomedbek TEMEEV (UWW) df. Rafayel KOSTANYAN (ARM), 2-2

BRONZE: Ruslan RADZHABKHANOV (UWW) df. Kiryl AHEIKA (UWW), 1-0
BRONZE: Asher URBAN HOYER (USA) df. Mark BODO (HUN), via submission

66kg
GOLD: Giovanni SUAREZ ARTILES (ESP) df. Magomed MAGOMEDOV (UWW), 5-3

BRONZE: Adlan ASUEV (KAZ) df. Giorgi RAZMADZE (GEO), via submission
BRONZE: Artur AGASHIRINOV (UWW) df. Mayis NERSESYAN (ARM), via submission (2-2)

77kg
GOLD: Abduragim MAGOMEDOV (UWW) df. Jakub NAJDEK (POL), 5-0

BRONZE: Hector SEPULVEDA PALMA (ESP) df. Darkhan TOLYBAYEV (KAZ), 6-4
BRONZE: Dumitru CEBAN (MDA) df. Pavlo MAKSYMCHUK (UKR), 8-4

84kg
GOLD: Idris OMAROV (UWW) df. Christian FRILLICI (ITA), 5-2

BRONZE: Cristian TUGULEA (MDA) df. Kacper ROT (POL), 5-2
BRONZE: Dzhabrail ISRAPILOV (UWW) df. Adlan MADAYEV (KAZ), 5-2

92kg
GOLD: Mateusz MAZUR (POL) df. Ruslan ISRAILOV (KAZ), via submission (1-3)

BRONZE: Alibek SULEIMANOV (UWW) df. Mantas DAUBLYS (LTU), 3-2
BRONZE: Pablo ESTEPA NIETO (ESP) df. Antonio SALTUPS CARETTO (ITA), 6-2

Women's Grappling Gi

58kg
GOLD: Alina KOPEIKINA (UWW) df. Magdalena GIEC (POL), via submission (0-2)

BRONZE: Breanna STIKKELMAN (USA) df. Tetiana ASTAKHOVA (UKR), 2-0
BRONZE: Rachel GUTIERREZ (USA) df. Minerva MONTERO PEREZA (ESP), 6-0

64kg
GOLD: Mia MONTESINOS PERDOMO (ESP) df. Alsu IANSHINA (UWW), 5-2

BRONZE: Sheliah LINDSEY (USA) df. Adrianna MAZUR (POL), 9-0
BRONZE: Sylwia WIERZBOWSKA (POL) df. Renata IAKUBOVA (UWW), 3-2

71kg
GOLD: Alycia QUENEE (FRA) df. Maja SALAMON (POL), via submission (2-2)

BRONZE: Anna REMNEVA (UWW) df. Christina HANSEN (USA), via submission (0-2)
BRONZE: Valentina PAVLOVA (UWW) df. Sandra TRIEBEL (GER), 2-1