#Grappling

World Combat Games Qualifiers: 16 earn quotas

Monday, May 1, 2023 - 09:05 By Vinay Siwach

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TASHKENT, Uzbekistan (April 30) -- The World Combat Games Qualifiers offering 40 quotas got underway in Tashkent, Uzbekistan on Sunday in Grappling and Grappling Gi.

The first phase of the qualification was held in 2022 in Pontevedra, Spain which also offered 40 quotas. The four highest-placed grapplers in each of the Combat Games approved senior weight categories qualified for the World Combat Games in Saudi Arabia in October 2023.

In Tashkent, the process will be the same and the first four highest-placed athletes in each of the weight categories will each qualify for one quota place for their national federation.

If in a weight category, more than one athlete from the same country is ranked in the first four highest places, only one quota will be allocated to the country. The remaining quota(s) will be reallocated in the same weight category to the national federation of the next best-ranked athlete, not yet qualified, in the qualification event where the quota place was obtained.

Men's Grappling

66kg
Mayis NERSESYAN (ARM)
Renzo MARTINEZ (VEN)
Avzal AKHMETOV (UZB)
Syimyk MAKHMEDOV (KGZ)

84kg
Nadir IMAMALIYEV (AZE)
Ulugbek RAKHMONOV (UZB)
Nurbek TALBUDIN (KAZ)
Amirhossein JINOUR (IRI)

92kg
Hajimurad PURTIYEV (AZE)
Eldar RAFIGAEV (MDA)
Mantas DAUBLYS (LTU)
Ramazan KUSSAINOV (KAZ)

Women's Grappling

58kg
Viktoriia SYNIAVINA (UKR)
Zhenishgul ABDYRAKHMAN KYZY (KGZ)
Zilolakhon MUHAMMADOVA (UZB)

90kg
Madinabonu SALOKHIDDINOVA (UZB)
 

#WrestleAthens

Fernandez earns shot at second world U17 title in Athens

Thursday, July 31, 2025 - 14:51 By Vinay Siwach

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ATHENS, Greece (July 31) -- Returning world champion Tania FERNANDEZ (USA) earned herself a shot to win second title in a row after making the 61kg final in Athens, Greece.

Fernandez was one of the two United States wrestlers who reached the Women's Wrestling finals on Thursday in the Greek capital.

The two semifinal wins were after two semifinal losses but Fernandez and Epenesa ELISON (USA) kept the U.S. in the race for team title, making the final at 53kg and 61kg respectively.

Elison, who dominated her way to semifinals, was no different there as well. She caught Farida ABDRAKHMANOVA (KAZ) in a lace and led 6-0. She then scored two takedowns and won 10-0.

Jiaqing JIANG (CHN) scored a late takedown to beat Rion OGAWA (JPN), 4-4, and book a place in the final against Elison.

Fernandez went one step better and pinned Miranda KAPANADZE (GEO) using an arm-bar and returned to the finals. She will take on YASHITA (IND) in the final after the Indian blanked Barbara BAGER (HUN), 5-0.

Uzbekistan had its second Women's Wrestling finalist in Athens as Asian U17 champion Shokhista SHONAZAROVA (UZB) blanked Maisei ELLIOTT (USA), 9-0 in the semifinals.

She will face An NAKANISHI (JPN) for the gold medal after the Japanese defeated Asema ASANGARYEVA (KGZ) 11-0 in the other semifinal, in typical Japanese style using a leg lace.

Japan got one more finalist, at 46kg, after Hanano OYA (JPN) denied returning bronze medalist Jaclyn BOUZAKIS (USA), 6-4, in the semifinals. Bouzakis was not able to cover the 6-0 lead Oya had built in the first period.

Oya will now face Janka SILLEI (HUN) in the gold-medal bout on Friday. Sillei dashed hopes of the hosts Greece by beating silver medalist Maria GKIKA (GRE), 10-4 which was eventually called a pin.

European U17 champion Ayla SAHIN (GER) held off Linda MARTINEZ (MEX), 6-0, in the semifinals at 69kg to earn a shot at the world title against Min ZHAO (CHN) who came from behind to beat MANISHA (IND) 6-4.

RESULTS

40kg
GOLD: Shokhista SHONAZAROVA (UZB) vs. An NAKANISHI (JPN)

SF 1: Shokhista SHONAZAROVA (UZB) df. Maisie ELLIOTT (USA), 9-0
SF 2: An NAKANISHI (JPN) df. Asema ASANGARYEVA (KGZ), 11-0

46kg
GOLD: Janka SILLEI (HUN) vs. Hanano OYA (JPN)

SF 1: Janka SILLEI (HUN) df. Maria GKIKA (GRE), via fall (10-4)
SF 2: Hanano OYA (JPN) df. Jaclyn BOUZAKIS (USA), 6-4

53kg
GOLD: Epenesa ELISON (USA) vs. Jiaqing JIANG (CHN)

SF 1: Epenesa ELISON (USA) df. Farida ABDRAKHMANOVA (KAZ), 10-0
SF 2: Jiaqing JIANG (CHN) df. Rion OGAWA (JPN), 4-4

61kg
GOLD: Taina FERNANDEZ (USA) vs. YASHITA (IND)

SF 1: Taina FERNANDEZ (USA) df. Miranda KAPANADZE (GEO), via fall
SF 2: YASHITA (IND) df. Barbara BAGER (HUN), 5-0

69kg
GOLD: Ayla SAHIN (GER) vs. Min ZHAO (CHN)

SF 1: Ayla SAHIN (GER) df. Linda MARTINEZ (MEX), 6-0
SF 2: Min ZHAO (CHN) df. MANISHA (IND), 6-4