Tunisia Tops Egypt, Wins African Freestyle Team Title

Sunday, March 31, 2019 - 20:23 By Eric Olanowski

HAMMAMET, Tunisia (March 31) – Tunisia was one of three teams who entered into the final session of wrestling with a quartet of finalists, but their trio of gold medalists helped the host nation hoist the freestyle team trophy on the last day of wrestling in Hammamet’s Omni Sports Hall.

Tunisia, who finished with 183 points, had three champions and seven overall medalists who assisted them in narrowly edging Egypt (180 points) by three points for the tournaments top spot.

Ayoub BARRAJ (TUN) won his third consecutive African title with a win in the 79kg finals. (Photo: Kadir Caliskan)

Their trio of champions were Ayoub BARRAJ, Sabri MNASRIYA, and Mohamed SAADAOUI.

In the 79kg finals, two-time defending champion Ayoub Barraj dismantled Algeria’s Fateh BENFERDJALLAH, 10-0 and won his third consecutive title.

Tunisia’s second freestyle title of the day went to Sabri Minasriya who hung on to defeat Oussama REGANI (MAR), 2-1, in the 86kg finals. Their third and final championship performance came at 92kg where Mohamed Saadaoui shutout Egypt’s defending African champion Hosam MERGHANY, 6-0.

Egypt finished in second place, thanks to their three champions, Amr HUSSEN, Khaled ELMOATAMADAWI, and Khaled ABDALLA.

At 70kg, returning silver medalist Amr Hussen trailed 1-0 after the opening period but ignited for eight second period points before planting 2018 African bronze medalist Fares LAKEL (ALG) on his back for the fall.

Elmoatamadawi and Abdalla, the 97kg and 130kg winners respectively, went undefeated in their Nordic system tournaments, claiming Egypt’s second and third freestyle titles.

Abdelhak KHERBACHE won the 57kg gold medal and improved on his bronze-medal finish from a year ago. (Photo: Kadir Caliskan)

Algeria’s Abdelhak KHERBACHE claimed the 57kg title and helped his nation finishing in third place with 117 points. Kherbache improved on his bronze medal finish a season ago, winning his first continental title with a 3-1 victory over Chakir ANSARI (MAR) in the 57kg gold-medal bout.

Morocco, who had 117 points, and Nigeria, who had 90 points, rounded out the top-five of the freestyle team scores.

The Final Three Golds
The final three nations who had a solo gold-medal winner were Senegal, Guinea-Bissau, and Nigeria.

Senegal’s Adama DIATTA claimed his fifth consecutive African Championship title and tenth overall continental gold medal with a 12-0 thumping of Egypt’s Yasser AHMED in the 61kg finals.

In the 65kg finals, Guinea-Bissau’s Mbunde CUMBA MBALI easily claimed the gold medal with an 11-0 routing of Egypt’s Aly ABDELHAMID.

Lastly, in the 74kg gold-medal bout, two-time defending champion Ogbonna JOHN (NGR) put together a seven-point second period that went unanswered and won his third consecutive African title with a 7-1 victory over Tunisia’s Maher GHANMI.

What's Next?
The African Championships were the first senior-level continental championships of the year. The next continental championships are the European Championships, which begin April 8 in Bucharest, Romania.

RESULTS
Freestyle Team Scores
GOLD – Tunisia (183 points)
SILVER – Egypt (180 points)
BRONZE – Algeria (117 points)
Fourth – Morocco (90 points)
Fifth – Nigeria (63 points)

57kg
GOLD - Abdelhak KHERBACHE (ALG) df. Chakir ANSARI (MAR), 3-1
BRONZE - Gamal Abdelnaser Hanafy MOHAMED (EGY) df. Ebikewenimo WELSON (NGR), via inj. def.

61kg
GOLD – Adama DIATTA (SEN) df. Yasser Eshhata Abady AHMED (EGY), 12-0
BRONZE - Mohamed Al Amine LAKEL (ALG) df. Farouk JELASSI (TUN), 4-0

65kg
GOLD – Mbunde CUMBA MBALI (GBS) df. Aly Ibrahim Abdelhamid ABDELHAMID (EGY), 13-0
BRONZE - Reagan NDOMBASI MATADI (COD) df. DJEKOUNDAKOM DJERAYOM Elie (CHA), via forfeit
BRONZE - Kaireddine BEN TELILI (TUN) df. Chems BOUCHAIB (ALG), 16-6

70kg
GOLD – Fares LAKEL (ALG) df. Amr Reda Ramadan HUSSEN (EGY), 8-3
BRONZE - Rabii REGANI (MAR) df. Haithem DAKHLAOUI (TUN), via fall

74kg
GOLD – Ogbonna JOHN (NGR) df. Maher GHANMI (TUN), 8-1
BRONZE - Saifeldin ELKOUMY (EGY) df. Essam ELHAG (SUD), via forfeit
BRONZE - Augusto MIDANA (GBS) df. Kasimir MADJADOUM (CHA), 10-0

79kg
GOLD – Ayoub BARRAJ (TUN) df. Fateh BENFERDJALLAH (ALG), 10-0
BRONZE - Aboubakr GADELMAWLA (EGY) df. Alberto da Silva GUNZA (ANG), 15-5
BRONZE - Ekerekeme AGIOMOR (NGR) df. Zander GERINGER (RSA), 12-1

86kg
GOLD – Sabri MNASRIYA (TUN) df. Oussama REGANI (MAR), 2-1
BRONZE - Melvin BIBO (NGR) df. Blaise DIATTA (SEN), via fall
BRONZE - Bedopassa BUASSAT DJONDE (GBS) df. Nicolaas DE LANGE (RSA), 10-2

92kg
GOLD – Mohamed SAADAOUI (TUN) df. Hosam Mohamed Mostafa MERGHANY (EGY), 6-0
BRONZE - Aron Isomi MBO (COD) df. Francisco Nkunga NGONDA (ANG), 18-4
BRONZE - Mohammed FARDJ (ALG) df. Johan MOSTERT (RSA), 10-0

97kg (Round Robin)
GOLD – Khaled Masoud Ismail ELMOATAMADAWI (EGY)
SILVER – Meher DAHMANI (TUN)
BRONZE – Mohamed Saliou CAMARA (GUI)

125kg (Round Robin)
GOLD – Khaled Omr Zaki Mohamed ABDALLA (EGY)
SILVER – Abdelmoneim ADOULI (TUN)
BRONZE – Ahmed SEREHALI (MAR)

Zhumanarova, Medet Kyzy give Kyrgyzstan double gold at ISG 2025

Thursday, November 20, 2025 - 17:27 By Vinay Siwach

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (November 20) -- Kyrgyzstan was the most successful nation on day three of the Islamic Solidarity Games 2025 with three gold medals out of five on offer.

Three weight classes in women's and two in Freestyle were in action in Riyadh at the Games and Kyrgyzstan captured three gold medals with Paris Olympic silver medalist Meerim ZHUMANAZAROVA (KGZ) leading the way.

Zhumanazarova powered her way to the 68kg gold medal. Facing Svetlana OKNAZAROVA (UZB) in the final, Zhumanazarova hit a counter four-pointer to extend her lead to 7-0 before hitting a takedown and turn to finish the final 11-0.

"It was an easy tournament for me," Zhumanazarova said. "I have not wrestled well since Paris majorly due to the ankle injury I suffered."

Now that she is back to full fitness and winning, Zhumanazarova aims to compete more often year with Asian Championships, World Championships and Asian Games lined up.

"Next year, I will make sure to compete at all three major tournaments," she said.

Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ) celebrates after beating Damola OJO (NGR) in the 76kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

Joining Zhumanazarova on the top of the podium was world silver medalist and Asian champion Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ) who came alive in the second period of the 76kg final against Damola OJO (NGR).

Ojo led 1-1 on criteria when she scored a stepout in the second period but Medet Kyzy scored a takedown and then moved to the legs to lock a lace and turn Ojo four times for an 11-1 technical superiority.

Medet Kyzy's gold medal was the second for Kyrgyzstan in women's wrestling, same as Nigeria. Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan finished the competition with one gold each.

Esther KOLAWALE (NGR) defeated Ruzanna MAMMADOVA (AZE) with a last-second takedown in the 62kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

U23 world bronze medalist Esther KOLAWALE (NGR) needed a final-second takedown against Ruzanna MAMMADOVA (AZE) to win the 62kg gold medal. She scored a takedown when Mammadova was on the activity clock to lead 3-0 and hoped to run out the clock with that lead.

However, Mammadova got on a single-leg attack in the second period which she converted into a takedown during the Nigerian's activity period. Kolawale tried to open the fingers of Mammadova which made the referees dock on point for caution, making it 4-3 for Mammadova with 16 seconds left.

Kolawale first scored a stepout with 12 seconds remaining to make it 4-4 but Mammadova had the criteria lead because of the caution against Kolawale. But she then hit a takedown with three seconds on the clock to claim a 6-4 and the win as well.

Rahman AMOUZAD (IRI) scores on Abdulmazhid KUDIEV (TJK) in the 65kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

Amouzad dominates to gold

World champion Rahman AMOUZAD (IRI) had not trouble in winning the 65kg gold medal after he defeated Abdulmazhid KUDIEV (TJK), 12-2, in the final.

Kudiev gave an early scare when he scored a takedown on Amouzad to go 2-0 up but the Iranian gather himself and scored three stepouts before the break to lead 3-2. Kudiev then tried to hit a double-leg but Amouzad countered with a beautiful chest wrap throw for four points to make it 7-2.

Tajikistan challenged, asking for two points but at no point in the exchange did Kudiev manage to expose or control Amouzad who now led 8-2 for the lost challenge. Two stepouts and a takedown later, Amouzad captured the gold medal with a technical superiority win.

Earlier in the day, Amouzad faced world bronze medalist Umidjon JALOLOV (UZB) in the quarterfinals and came out on top 4-0. The win included three stepout and one point for Jalolov's passivity.

Abdumalik KARACHOV (KGZ) counters Islam BAZARGANOV (AZE) to score four points. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

Kyrgyzstan won gold medals not only in Women's Wrestling but also in Freestyle as Abdumalik KARACHOV (KGZ) won at 57kg, beating Islam BAZARGANOV (AZE), 9-3, in the final.

Karachov had a field day in Riyadh as he defeated world and Olympic bronze medalist Gulomjon ABDULLAEV (UZB) in the quarterfinals before a convincing win in the final.

Bazarganov was down 2-1 with 24 seconds left in the final when he hit a strong snap on Karachov who managed to stay on his feet and countered with a duckunder and get four points.

Bazarganov got one point for reversal but Azerbaijan challenged the call, asking for four points but lost it as Karachov never came in danger. The Kyrgyzstan wrestler then scored a match-ending takedown to win 9-3.

RESULTS

Women's Wrestling

62kg
GOLD: Esther KOLAWALE (NGR) df. Ruzanna MAMMADOVA (AZE), 6-4

BRONZE: Selvi ILYASOGLU (TUR) df. Rebecca AMONGI (UGA),
BRONZE: Nigina SABIROVA (UZB) df. Aylah MAYALI (PLE), 11-0

68kg
GOLD: Meerim ZHUMANAZAROVA (KGZ) df. Svetlana OKNAZAROVA (UZB), 11-0

BRONZE: Nigar MIRZAZADA (AZE) df. Halima AKTER (BAN), via forfeit
BRONZE: Irina KAZYULINA (KAZ) df. Ndiffo AIMELDA (CMR), via fall (6-0)

76kg
GOLD: Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ) df. Damola OJO (NGR), 11-1

BRONZE: Elmira SYZDYKOVA (KAZ) vs. Elmira YASIN (TUR), via fall (7-0)
BRONZE: Samar HAMZA (EGY) df. Wilita PELAGIE (CMR), 5-1

Freestyle

57kg
GOLD: Abdumalik KARACHOV (KGZ) df. Islam BAZARGANOV (AZE), 9-3

BRONZE: Ali MOMENI (IRI) df. Sayed ZAZAI (AFG), 11-0
BRONZE: Gulomjon ABDULLAEV (UZB) df. Ismael CAMARA (GUI), 10-0

65kg
GOLD: Rahman AMOUZAD (IRI) df. Abdulmazhid KUDIEV (TJK), 12-2

BRONZE: Umidjon JALOLOV (UZB) df. Ali RAHIMZADE (AZE), 8-3
BRONZE: Bilol SHARIP UULU (KGZ) df. Alibeg ALIBEGOV (BRN), 10-0

Tunisia Tops Egypt, Wins African Freestyle Team Title

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Zhumanarova, Medet Kyzy give Kyrgyzstan double gold at ISG 2025