#WrestleHammamet

Tunisia Takes Quartet of Olympic Berths, Nigeria Nabs Trio of Tokyo Spots

Saturday, April 3, 2021 - 19:38 By Eric Olanowski

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HAMMAMET, Tunisia (April 3) --- For the second time in as many days, the host nation of the African and Oceania Olympic Qualifier earned four Olympic berths. On Saturday, Rio Olympic bronze medalist Marwa AMRI (TUN) assisted her country in winning three gold medals and a silver and grabbed the team title 45 points ahead of second-place Nigeria, who earned three women’s wrestling Olympic berths on the day.

Sarra HAMDI (TUN), Siwar BOUSETA (TUN) and Marwa AMRI (TUN) won golds at 50kg, 57kg and 62kg, while Zaineb SGHAIER (TUN) won silver at 76kg.

Bouseta’s gold came in the traditional 57kg bracket, while Hamdi and Amri won Nordic style bracket gold medals. The two-time African medalist breezed to the semifinal and final wins over Eman EBRAHIM (EGY) and Fatoumata Yarie CAMARA (GUI). In the semifinals, Bouseta controlled the match whistle-to-whistle with a two-on-one, scored two takedowns, two exposures and a reversal, and cruised to a 9-2 victory over the Egyptian. Then, in the finals, the long and lengthy Tunisian capitalized on her Guinean opponent’s mistakes with eight counter-offensive points and eased her way to a 57kg gold with a 9-3 victory.

Hamdi and Adijat IDRIS (NGR) came into their fourth-round matches with 3-0 records, but the Tunisian took the 50kg gold with a narrow 2-1 victory.

Amri, the most decorated African women’s wrestler ever, punched her fourth ticket to the Olympic Games with three wins on the day. She’ll now head to Tokyo looking to improve on her bronze-medal finish from the Rio Olympic Games.

Coming into the weekend, ’19 world bronze medalist Odunayo ADEKUOROYE (NGR) was the lone Nigerian woman to qualify her nation for the Olympic Games. But Nigeria will have at least four women competiting in Tokyo after Blessing OBORUDUDU’s (NGR) 68kg gold medal and silver-medal finishes from Idris and Aminat ADENIYI (NGR) at 50kg and 62kg, respectively.


Joseph ESSOMBE TIAKO (CMR) won gold at 53kg and punched Cameroon's ticket to the Olympics. (Photo: Ben Mrad Bayrem)

Meanwhile, Cameroon’s Joseph ESSOMBE TIAKO (CMR) stole the show on Saturday night en route to winning the 53kg gold medal. The now-two-time Olympian obliterated her three competitors – scoring back-to-back falls over Bose SAMUEL (NGR) and Lamia CHEMLAL (ALG) before capturing the 53kg crown with a 53-second technical superiority win over Rckaela AQUINO (GUM) in the finals.

Despite falling to Essombe Tiako in the gold-medal match, Aquino scored five first-period takedowns against Siwar LOUATI BEN ALI (TUN) in their semifinal meeting and booked Guam a ticket to the Olympic Games at 53kg. She joined Maria DUNN (GUA) as the only women’s wrestlers from Guam to ever earn an Olympic berth.

Samar HAMZA (EGY) earned Egypt an Olympic berth at 76kg after winning gold on Saturday night. She's now a two-time Olympian. (Photo: United World Wrestling)

The final pair of women's wrestling Olympic berths went to Egpytian wrestlers Enas AHMED (EGY) and Samar HAMZA (EGY). Hamza, who competed at the Rio Olympics, won gold at 76kg with a pair of wins, and Ahmed finished in second place at 68kg after falling to eventual champion Oborududu in the opening round.

The final day of wrestling at the African and Oceania Olympic Qualifier starts on Sunday morning at 11:00 am (local time). Follow all the action live on www.uww.org.

RESULTS

50kg
GOLD – Sarra HAMDI (TUN)
SILVER – SAdijat Avorshai IDRIS (NGR)
BRONZE – Nada MOHAMED (EGY)

53kg
GOLD – Joseph ESSOMBE (CMR) df. Rckaela AQUINO (GUM), 10-0
BRONZE – Siwar LOUATI BEN ALI (TUN) df. Elisa RASOANANTENAINA (MAD), via fall
BRONZE –  Bose SAMUEL (NGR) df. Lamia CHEMLAL (ALG), 10-0

57kg
GOLD –  Siwar BOUSETA (TUN) df. Fatoumata CAMARA (GUI), 9-3
BRONZE – Rayane HOUFAF (ALG) df. Eman EBRAHIM (EGY), via inj. def.

62kg
GOLD – Marwa AMRI (TUN)
SILVER – Aminat ADENIYI (NGR)
BRONZE – Berthe ETANE NGOLLE (CMR) 

68kg
GOLD – Blessing OBORUDUDU (NGR)
SILVER – Enas AHMED (EGY) 
BRONZE – Khadija JLASSI (TUN) 

76kg
GOLD – Samar HAMZA (EGY)
SILVER – Zaineb SGHAIER (TUN) 
BRONZE – Amy YOUIN (CIV) 

#WrestleUlaanbaatar

Weights to watch at Ulaanbaatar Open 2025

Tuesday, May 27, 2025 - 10:14 By Vinay Siwach

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ULAANBAATAR, Mongolia (May 27) -- Among all the names entered for the Ulaanbaatar Open Ranking Series, a few will be involved in mini-battles in the tournament which begins Thursday.

After the continental championships had a few interesting match-ups, the Ranking Series always has more contrasting matches with mix of continental styles and bouts that otherwise may not happen at continental or World Championships.

Orkhon PUREVDORJ (MGL)Orkhon PUREVDORJ (MGL) has previously defeated Tserenchimed SUKHEE (MGL). (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

At the Ulaanbaatar Open, here are three weight classes that are must-watch:

Women's Wrestling: 62kg [May 31, Saturday]

Current Asian champion, former world champions, former Asian champions and world medalists make up for the six-wrestler bracket at 62kg in Women's Wrestling.

MANISHA (IND), who impressed with a gold-winning performance at the Asian Championships in Amman, will be looking to rake up more Ranking Series points. She has a tough bracket in Ulaanbaatar with former world champions Tserenchimed SUKHEE (MGL) and Orkhon PUREVDORJ (MGL). Mongolia has named a third wrestler in the weight class -- Saruul ERDENEBILEG (MGL).

World U23 silver medalist Alina KASABIEVA (UWW) and 2024 European U23 silver medalist Ekaterina KOSHKINA (UWW) will also be part of the bracket and challenge the Asian wrestlers.

An all-Mongolian clash between Sukhee and Purevdorj will certainly give the local fans an exciting match-up. The winner will have the upper hand when the nation selects its team for the World Championships.

Sukhee has lost to Purevdorj before and finished seventh at the Asian Championships. But she also won a silver medal at 59kg at the World Championships last year.

For Manisha, it will be a big test against big throwing Mongolian wrestlers and Kasabieva, who will look to put behind her fifth-place finish at the European Championships in Bratislava. She has struggled against the Asian style but can use this tournament to improve her skills.

Koshkina did not win a medal at the U23 Europeans this year but Ulaanbaatar will be an important stop in her senior level journey.

Freestyle: 70kg [June 1, Sunday]

A world champion from four years ago is trying to find his way to the top in international wrestling. And his first stop is the Ulaanbaatar Open. Zagir SHAKHIEV (UWW), who won gold at 65kg in 2021 World Championships, hopes to restart his career with the Ranking Series and is entered at 70kg.

Shakhiev won the European Championships as well in 2021 before the Worlds but in 2022, he was pinned by Shamil MAMMEDOV (UWW) in the Yasar Dogu final and Shakhiev never made it to international tournament again.

Despite his talent, Shakhiev won't have it easy in Ulaanbaatar. Asian silver medalist at 70kg Viktor RASSADIN (TJK) is coming to improve his ranking. Rassadin has had a few good wins in past one year including one over Chermen VALIEV (ALB), the Olympic bronze and European champion. He also had the Asian gold in his hands but Ernazar AKMATALIEV (KGZ) scored late to snatch the medal.

The hosts have three wrestlers at this weight class but the most eager to compete against Shakhiev will be Tulga TUMUR OCHIR (MGL). At the 2021 World Championships, Tumur Ochir suffered a 4-4 loss to Shakhiev. The Mongolian contested the scoring but to no avail. He won the bronze medal.

Iran has two wrestlers at this weight class -- Mohammadali AMOUZAD (IRI) and Aliakbar FAZLI (IRI). Amouzad is the twin brother of Olympic silver medalist Rahman. If he can replicate the conditioning and underhook of his brother, Amouzad can well upset a few names.

Enes BASAR (TUR)Enes BASAR (TUR) was at the Paris Olympics at 60kg. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

Greco-Roman: 60kg [May 30, Friday]

Three young stars will be challenging a skillful Olympian at 60kg. Enes BASAR (TUR), who surprised most by qualifying for the Paris Olympics, is at 60kg for the Ulaanbaatar. Basar has a defense that frustrates his opponents and his experience will give him the edge in the Nelson bracket of 60kg.

Former world U17 champion SURAJ (IND), Asian U23 champion Akyl SULAIMANOV (KGZ) and Kurmanbek ZHAPAROV (KGZ) will be the challengers to Basar in the weight class.

Suraj won historic age-group medals for India but has not been able to replicate the same at the senior level though he has been the best nationally for India. The Ranking Series will be a big test for him.

Kyrgyzstan two youngsters will be looking to make a mark in a weight class reserved for Olympic bronze medalist and world champion Zholaman SHARSHENBEKOV (KGZ). Sulaimanov has won age-group medals in Asia but finished fifth at the Asian Championships recently. Zhaparov, an Asian U20 silver medalist, will be returning to international competition after three years.