#WrestleSofia

USA push three into Tuesday's U20 world finals

Monday, August 15, 2022 - 19:24 By Vinay Siwach

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SOFIA, Bulgaria (August 15) -- Perhaps it is the James GREEN effect. The USA, which won the freestyle team title at the U17 World Championships two weeks ago, continued its dream run under coach Green and emerged as the best team on day one of the U20 World Championships on Monday.

Green took over the coach just a month ago and is aiming to win the second team title in as many World Championships.

After entering four wrestlers in the semifinals, the USA managed to send three wrestlers to Tuesday's gold medal bouts. Azerbaijan was the next best team with two finalists. Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Armenia and Turkey were the five other countries that managed to have a wrestler each in the final.

All three of the USA wrestlers used their high-paced wrestling to win after trailing initially in the semifinal.

Jore VOLK (USA)Jore VOLK (USA) reached the 57kg final after beating Luka GVINJILIA (GEO) 13-6. (Photo: UWW / Kostadin Andonov)

At 57kg, Jore VOLK (USA) had to do it more than once. Wrestling Ahmad JAVAN (IRI) in the opening bout, Volk led 3-3 on criteria at the break and added another takedown to lead 5-3. But Javan, who was one win away from making the Iran senior World Championships team, took the criteria lead with 36 seconds left on the clock. He then tried defending it but Volk managed to put Javan's on the mat just before the final whistle to win 7-5.

In the semifinals, Luka GVINJILIA (GEO) opened with exposure but Volk with a takedown to lead 2-2 on criteria at the break. He upped the pace in the second and began with a takedown and Gvijilia was cautioned for fleeing. The bout restarted in par terre from which Volk made it 13-4.  But it was too late for Gvijilia as he lost 13-6.

Volk will now wrestle U20 Asian champion Merey BAZARBAYEV (KAZ) as he defeated Heorhii KAZANZHY (UKR), 6-4, in a back-and-forth semifinal. Kazanzhy opened up a 4-0 lead with two exposures when Bazarbayev was trying to chest wrap Kazanzhy.

But the Kazakhstan wrestler, who defeated Abhishek DHAKA (IND) 5-1 in the quarterfinal, scored a takedown and a lace to lead 4-4. With the time running out, Bazarbayev continued his attacks and ultimately got the single leg to lead 6-4. He defended it for the final 47 seconds.

In another USA-Georgia semifinal, Benjamin KUETER (USA) made the gold medal bout after a 31-point slugfest against Luka KHUTCHUA (GEO) at 97kg.

Kueter came back from an 8-0 deficit after Khutchua scored a go-behind and rolled him thrice. He answered with a go-behind and then an arm-trap exposure to cut the lead to 8-4. The bout tilted in Kueter's favor when he managed to take a 9-9 criteria lead at the break against a tiring Khutchua.

The second period saw Kueter more attacks and he made it 15-10 before Khutchua managed a takedown and gut. While going for the second gut, Khutchua lost the grip and Kueter held in danger for the final 35 seconds to win 17-14.

Rifat GIDAK (TUR)Rifat GIDAK (TUR) put on a defensive masterclass to beat Amirali AZARPIRA (IRI) in the 97kg semifinal. (Photo: UWW / Kostadin Andonov)

He will now have the rising star and '21 U17 world champion Rifat GIDAK (TUR) who stunned U20 Asian champion Amirali AZARPIRA (IRI), 6-4 in the semifinal.

After a slow start to the bout, Gidak opened the second period with a duck under to lead 2-1. A stepout and caution against Azarpira extended his lead to 4-1. Azarpira found it difficult to remain at the same pace as Gidak and conceded a counter takedown.

Though he got hold of Gidak on a couple of occasions, Azarpira could not convert them into takedowns. It was only late in the bout that he scored two stepouts but it was too little too late.

The third USA wrestler to reach the final was Mitchell MESENBRINK (USA) as he defeated Hayk PAPIKYAN (ARM), 6-3, in the semifinal after being down 3-0. As the second period began, he strung together three takedowns and ended the bout 6-3.

Kanan HEYBATOV (AZE)Kanan HEYBATOV (AZE) come back from 3-0 deficit to beat Mulaym YADAV (IND) 5-3 in the 70kg semifinal. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

The other semifinal followed a similar script with Kanan HEYBATOV (AZE) winning it 5-3 against Mulaym YADAV (IND) after being behind 3-0 at the break.

Heybatov got a single leg to score a takedown at the edge after Azerbaijan challenged the neutral call. With just 18 seconds left, Heybatov managed to get a stepout and the lead.

Yadav almost scored a takedown over Heybatov but referees called it neutral as both wrestlers were grounded when going out of the zone. India challenged the call and on review, Heybatov was awarded a stepout and one more point for the lost challenge.

Sobhan YARI (IRI)U20 Asian champion Sobhan YARI (IRI) reached the 79kg final in Sofia. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Iran and Armenia clash for the 79kg gold after Sobhan YARI (IRI) and Mushegh MKRTCHYAN (ARM) made it to the final.

Yari ended the hopes of a finalist for Georgia as he defeated Otari ADEISHVILI (GEO), 9-6, in a close encounter. He led 5-4 at the break but Adeishvili scored a takedown to lead 6-4. But Yari got the better of Adeishvili as the Georgian began to feel the heat of Yari's attack.

Mushegh MKRTCHYAN (ARM) will try to spot Yari from winning the gold after he made the final with a narrow 2-2 win over Mukhammad ABDULLAEV (KGZ).

The match was all but over with Abdullaev leading 2-0 with 20 seconds remaining. But Mkrtchyan found a final boost of energy and scored a takedown with 15 seconds remaining to win.

Ziraddin BAYRAMOV (AZE)Ziraddin BAYRAMOV (AZE) defeated Sujeet KALKAL (IND) to reach his second straight U20 Worlds final. (Photo: UWW / Kostadin Andonov)

At 65kg, returning silver medalist Ziraddin BAYRAMOV (AZE) will try to upgrade his medal from Ufa after he handed Sujeet KALKAL (IND) his first international defeat in the semifinal.

Bayramov seemed to have studied Kalkal's style of wrestling with underhooks and snapdowns and did not engage in any scrambles. Instead of allowing Kalkal to control the bout, Bayramov countered with single-leg attacks.

He scored the first two via steptous before blasting a double-leg for another takedown and lead 6-0. He went into a defensive mode in the second period but still managed to keep Kalkal from attacking. A late takedown gave the Indian two consolation points.

Bayramov will have to come up with another top performance if he wants to win the final against former U17 world champion Umidjon JALOLOV (UZB).

Jalolov will be looking to make amends from last year's World Championships in which he finished 10th after suffering a 6-6 loss to Abulfaz NASIROV (AZE) in his opening bout.

But in Sofia, he outscored his opponents 30-2 in the three bouts before the semifinal in which he faced Robert CORNELLA (USA) who reached the last four after scoring a final second takedown against Mohammad Reza SHAKERI (IRI) to win 6-5.

Jalolov was up 2-0 after two passivity calls against Cornella and he then scored a cradle exposure with an ankle pick to lead 4-0 and win the bout.

The remaining five freestyle weight classes will be in action on Tuesday along with the medal bouts of Monday's weights.

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RESULTS

57kg
GOLD: Jore VOLK (USA) vs. Merey BAZARBAYEV (KAZ)

SF 1: Jore VOLK (USA) df. Luka GVINJILIA (GEO), 13-6
SF 2: Merey BAZARBAYEV (KAZ) df. Heorhii KAZANZHY (UKR), 6-4

65kg
GOLD: Umidjon JALOLOV (UZB) vs. Ziraddin BAYRAMOV (AZE)

SF 1: Umidjon JALOLOV (UZB) df. Robert CORNELLA (USA), 4-0
SF 2: Ziraddin BAYRAMOV (AZE) df. SUJEET (IND), 6-2

70kg
GOLD: Mitchell MESENBRINK (USA) vs Kanan HEYBATOV (AZE)

SF 1: Mitchell MESENBRINK (USA) df. Hayk PAPIKYAN (ARM), 6-3
SF 2: Kanan HEYBATOV (AZE) df. Mulaym YADAV (IND), 5-3

79kg
GOLD: Sobhan YARI (IRI) vs. Mushegh MKRTCHYAN (ARM)

SF 1: Sobhan YARI (IRI) df. Otari ADEISHVILI (GEO), 9-6
SF 2: Mushegh MKRTCHYAN (ARM) df. Mukhammad ABDULLAEV (KGZ), 2-2

97kg
GOLD: Benjamin KUETER (USA) vs. Rifat GIDAK (TUR)

SF 1: Benjamin KUETER (USA) df. Luka KHUTCHUA (GEO), 17-14
SF 2: Rifat GIDAK (TUR) df. Amirali AZARPIRA (IRI), 6-4

#wrestlebishkek

Asian Championships: Rise of Sujeet Fuels India’s 65kg Gold Hopes

Sunday, April 5, 2026 - 14:05 By Vinay Siwach

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BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan (April 4) -- When SUJEET (IND) steps on the mat at the Asian Championships in Bishkek on Friday, he will carry hopes of a country looking for an Asian champion in a Freestyle weight class other than 57kg for the past seven years.

The 23-year-old is unbeaten this year, winning gold medals at the Zagreb Open and Muhamet Malo Ranking Series, making him the favorite to win gold at 65kg in Bishkek. The last time India won a gold medal at the Asian Championships was 2019 when Bajrang PUNIA (IND) won in Xi'an, China.

"I don't think much about anything," Sujeet says. "I say the name of the God and step on the mat. I will do the same at the Asian Championships.

"I am happy that I wrestle at 65kg because India has a decent history at 65kg. I will also try to carry it forward."

The 65kg field in Bishkek includes returning 61kg Asian champion Takara SUDA (JPN) who is moving up one weight. Suda's ability to score at any time in a bout puts him as the biggest threat against Sujeet.

World bronze medalist Umidjon JALOLOV (UZB) is another strong competitor for Sujeet. The Indian enjoys a 4-0 head-to-head record against the Uzbekistan wrestler but at last year's Asian Championships, Sujeet pulled out of his bronze medal bout against Jalolov due to an injury.

Another tough competitor for Sujeet can be Peyman NEMATI (IRI). The two wrestled in the final of the Zagreb Open and the Iranian managed to keep Sujeet quiet despite losing 3-0. He will be keen to avenge that loss and win gold for Iran.

Abdulmazhid KUDIEV (TJK), a world bronze medalist at 70kg in 2024, can spring a surprise and so can former U17 world champion Rustamzhan KAKHAROV (KGZ).

Early Start

Hailing from village Imlota, Charkhi Dadri in Haryana, a state that produces majority of wrestlers in India, Sujeet was introduced to wrestling in his village.

"There was an old akhada [training school] in my village so I used to go there," he says. "No coach had formal experience as such and I used to lose at the district level. I remember I lost in 2019 at the state level."

While there was little history of wrestling in the village itself, Sujeet's father Dayanand KALKAL was a national-level wrestler and was keen for his son to pick the sport as well. Till 2020, Sujeet continued training in the village.

"I was decent in studies," he says. "I balanced it with wrestling but after school, it was all wrestling. My village was very supportive of my wrestling. And then in 2021, I made the switch."

From south-west Haryana, Sujeet moved to Sonipat, a district in Haryana 60 kilometers north of New Delhi. With more experienced training partners, Sujeet could feel the improvements in his wrestling.

"The shift in 2021 to Sonipat changed my wrestling," he says. "My wrestling matured and the other wrestlers had international experience so it helped me in all aspects."

SUJEET (IND)SUJEET (IND), third from left, won a bronze medal at the 2022 U20 World Championships in Sofia. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

In just one year, Sujeet made the U20 Indian team and was on his way to Bulgaria for the World Championships. He lost to Ziraddin BAYRAMOV (AZE) in the semifinals but won a bronze medal at 65kg, his first in international wrestling on debut.

"I was happy that I won a medal in my first-ever competition despite it being bronze," he says. "My wrestling was different than my opponents. I had never experienced that. But slowly I got used to it."

The biggest challenge for Sujeet was the vast difference in wrestling between junior and senior levels.

"When you shift from junior to senior, there is a lot of difference from power to technique," he says. "Opponents study you a lot once you are consistently competing. Everyone studies each other but I stick to my techniques."

Senior Career

Sujeet made the required adjustments and won the senior nationals in India to make the team with a hope to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics. But that journey ended in a heartbreak.

At the Asian Olympic Qualifiers in Bishkek, Sujeet failed to reach the competition due to floods at the Dubai airport. A month later at the World Olympic Qualifiers in Istanbul, Sujeet squandered a 2-0 lead against Zain RETHERFORD (USA) and missed out on a ticket to Paris.

"My father says do not celebrate too much when you win, don't be disheartened when you lose, balance it," he says. "So I try to keep it balanced. I don't sulk when I lose. I think about it a little and then move on, sit with my friends and try to see what I can improve."

In need of training partners who could challenge him with different styles, Sujeet spent a few months training overseas. He picked Mongolia, Russia and Japan, and picked a few details from the sparring sessions. He also realized that depending on the renowned Indian conditioning will not be enough to win medals at the world level.

"In India, the training lasts long, usually 3-4 hours," he says. "In Japan, they have smaller training sessions with focus on speed. Russia also has longer sessions with focus on scrambles and bouts.

"Our stamina comes from the longer trainings which are also very hard. The Indian sit-ups are quite different. Others also have unique ways to train but they focus on their own styles. But we ultimately work hard for longer bouts."

Sujeet ended 2024 with a bronze medal at 70kg at the U23 World Championships.

For the majority of 2025, he remained an under-the-radar wrestler. He won the Ranking Series event in Budapest but was far off from being a medal threat at the September World Championships. However, a bout against Olympic silver medalist Rahman AMOUZAD (IRI) at the World Championships caught the attention of the fans.

Though he lost 6-5, Sujeet was surprisingly the only wrestler who troubled Amouzad, the eventual world champion, in Zagreb.

"It was my first bout so I was all over the place and he was clearly stronger than me," he recalls. "May be next time I will be calmer. I took too much pressure on myself to win a medal and that showed in my bout against Real WOODS (USA)."

Woods beat Sujeet in repechage after an initial flurry of turns and then defended his lead to win 7-5. Sujeet returned home empty-handed.

SUJEET (IND)SUJEET (IND), second from left, as the U23 world champion in 2025. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

Unbeaten Streak

But in a month's time, Sujeet would make amends and win the U23 world title with a stunning series of win over former U23 world champion Bashir MAGOMEDOV (UWW) in the quarterfinals, former U20 world champion Yuto NISHUCHI (JPN) in semifinals and Jalolov, who had won bronze in Zagreb, 10-0 in the final. He scored in the final 10 seconds in the quarterfinals and semifinals.

"At the U23 Worlds, I did not care much about the draw," he says. "I think I can manage to score at any moment. I do panic but I try to remain calm. I like going for the sweep and catch both legs to score points."

The Asian Championships will be a huge test of Sujeet's recent form and skill. A gold in Bishkek can put him in the top-tier of 65kg. Does he have the class to win in Bishkek and beyond?

"My wrestling is going good," he says. "Some win via technique, some win by speed. I personally feel my wrestling is good to win here."