#WrestleHammamet

#WrestleHammamet Weight to Watch: Freestyle's 57kg

Thursday, March 25, 2021 - 19:04 By Eric Olanowski

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HAMMAMET, Tunisia (March 26) – Freestyle’s 13-man 57kg bracket at the Africa and Oceania Olympic Qualifier (April 2-4) is loaded with top-level talent and will feature all four of last year’s African championship medalists.

But there are only two Tokyo Olympic tickets up for grabs at each weight class. Wrestlers must win their semifinal matches to earn an Olympic license for their respective National Olympic Committees.

Returning champ Abdelhak KHERBACHE (ALG) heads into Tunisia as one of the favorites to earn an Algerian berth to the Olympic Games. He hasn’t lost on African soil since he finished in third place at the ’18 African Championships. Since that ’18 loss, Kherbache has claimed golds at the ’19 and ’20 African Championships and the ’19 All African Games.

Last year, the Algerian picked up a pair of wins over wrestlers who are entered into the Africa and Oceania Olympic Qualifier field on his way to winning the 57kg title. He defeated Diamantino IUNA FAFE (GBS) and Gamal MOHAMED (EGY), who finished with silver and bronze, respectively, en route to a second continental title.

Iuna Fafe, last year’s runner-up, is returning to the mat for the first time since finishing in the top-ten at December’s Individual World Cup. He defeated Minir REDJEPI (MKD) and Niklas STECHELE (GER) but fell to eventual bronze medalist Rahman AMOUZADKHALILI (IRI) and ended his Belgrade run in ninth place.

Last year’s African bronze medalists Jakobo Tanki TAU (RSA) and Mohamed are also entered at 57kg.

Tau is looking to become the first wrestler from the Republic of South Africa to punch his nation’s ticket to the Olympic Games since Heinrich BARNES (RSA) qualified for the ’12 London Olympic Games.

Mohamed will have to have a career-best day if he has hopes of earning Egypt a 57kg Tokyo berth. He’s competed on the continental level three times and medaled in each of those appearances -- but he’s failed to reach the finals. He’s earned bronze medals at the  ’19 and ’20 African Championships and the ’19 All African Championships.

Another guy to keep an eye on is Rio Olympian, Chakir ANSARI( MAR). He’s the most experienced guy in the field. Ansari has 33 senior-level competitions under his best – including three world championship appearances.

Wrestling at the Africa and Oceania Olympic Qualifier kicks off Friday (April 2-4) and can be followed live on www.uww.org.

57kg
Abdelhak KHERBACHE (ALG)
Josh FAILAUGA (ASA)
Raoul Brillant NGANJI (BDI)
Gamal Abdelnaser Hanafy MOHAMED (EGY)
Junjun ASEBIAS (FSM)
Diamantino IUNA FAFE (GBS)
Mohamed CAMARA (GUI)
Ethan AGUIGUI (GUM)
Chakir ANSARI( MAR)
Soufiane KABIL (MAR)
Ebikewenimo WELSON (NGR)
Jakobo Tanki TAU (RSA)  
Saber DRIDI (TUN)
Kossai AJIMI (TUN)
Hachem HASNAOUI (TUN)

#WrestleBudapest

Yazdani, Jamalov reach final; China dominates WW in Budapest

Friday, June 7, 2024 - 08:34 By Vinay Siwach

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BUDAPEST, Hungary (June 7) -- With three Freestyle and four Women's Wrestling weight classes in action, the Budapest Ranking Series enters day two. Hassan YAZDANI (IRI) will be competing for the first time since his surgery.

WATCH LIVE | LIVE MATCH ORDER

13:00: Hassan YAZDANI (IRI) with some high-paced action in his 86kg semifinal to blank Azamat DAULETBEKOV (KAZ) 10-0. He will wrestle for the gold medal at 86kg against Trent HIDLAY (USA).

12:50: ANTIM (IND) hangs on! Katarzyna KRAWCZYK (POL) went all out for a takedown in the final seconds but Antim kept her at bay. A 3-1 win for Antim and she will wrestle for gold at 53kg against Jonna MALMGREN (SWE), a rematch of the bronze medal bout from the World Championships.

12:45: Otgonjargal DOLGORJAV (MGL) seems to have upped her game since that fifth-place finish at the Asian Championships. She beats Nadezhda SOKOLOVA (AIN) 12-8 in an action-packed bout.

12:35: Jonna MALMGREN (SWE) is in the 53kg final without wrestling in Budapest. First, Zeynep YETGIL (TUR) pulled out injured and now Lucia YEPEZ (ECU) is injured.

12:30: Incredible bout between Anastasia NICHITA (MDA) and Anshu MALIK (IND) at 57kg. Nichita trailed 4-3 but she got a stepout and Anshu was cautioned for fleeing which gave Nichita a 5-4 lead with 19 seconds on the clock. Anshu continues the pressure and scores a takedown on the edge to claim a 6-5 lead and the win.

12:15: Kexin HONG (CHN) with a brutal lace over Anhelina LYSAK (POL) to finish the 57kg bout 10-0. 59kg world champion then scores an 11-1 win over Luisa VALVERDE (ECU) to advance to the semifinal.

12:10: Ali Abbas REZAEI (IRI) beats Turan BAYRAMOV (AZE) 5-0 in the 74kg quarterfinal. Bayramov was warned for passivity in the first period, he committed two defensive fouls in the second as Rezaei built a 3-0 lead. Bayramov tried getting some opening but Rezaei solid in defense and finished with a solid takedown.

12:00: Jiang ZHU (CHN) blanks VINESH (IND) 5-0. Two counter takedowns for Zhu and a point for Vinesh's inactivity were the points for Zhu. No openings for Vinesh in that bout.

11:55: Hassan YAZDANI (IRI) and Azamat DAULETBEKOV (KAZ) have set up a semifinal at 86kg. Yazdani with a high-scoring 12-2 win over Hayato ISHIGURO (JPN) while Dauletbekov with a controlled 3-0 win over Patrik PUESPOEKI (HUN).

11:50: Otgonjargal DOLGORJAV (MGL) needs to dig deep to keep Yu ZHANG (CHN) at bay. Zhang kept the pressure high even when trailing 4-3 but Dolgorjav hit a counter to win 6-3 at 50kg.

11:30: Zeynep YETGIL (TUR) pulls out of her bout against Jonna MALMGREN (SWE) at 53kg. Malmgren will now wrestle Lucia YEPEZ (ECU) in the semifinal.

11:25:  Razambek JAMALOV (UZB) is looking to grab the 74kg spot for the Paris Olympics for Uzbekistan over Bekzod ABDURAKHAMANOV (UZB) who qualified the weight. He begins that journey with a 5-0 win over Anthony MONTERO (VEN) in Budapest.   

11:15: Quick 10-0 win for ANTIM (IND) over Sakibjamal ESBOSYNOVA (UZB) at 53kg. She sets up a semifinal against Katarzyna KRAWCZYK (POL). 

11:10: VINESH (IND) begins her 50kg campaign in Budapest with a 10-0 technical superiority over Alisson CARDOZO (COL). She sets up a quarterfinal against Jian ZHU (CHN) which will prove to be a big test. 

11:00: No clutch comeback from Myles AMINE (SMR) this time. Azamat DAULETBEKOV (KAZ) holds on to a 3-1 lead and beat Amine with that scoreline at 86kg.

10:50: Hassan YAZDANI (IRI) was in danger position twice in the match against Ethan RAMOS (PUR) but bailed out both times to race to a 13-2 victory over Ramos who seems to have hurt his back. Once the wrestlers are off mat, Ramos is carried in a stretcher as he is unable to walk.

10:30: Ranking points up for grabs, Olympics opponents facing each other and some Paris 2024 line-ups to be finalized. Day two of the Ranking Series in Budapest has everything to offer.