#WrestleTunis

Zouhaier Sghaier Ranking Series preview

By Vinay Siwach

TUNIS, Tunisia (July 11) -- The final stop of the Ranking Series moves to the Tunisian capital -- Tunis. After wrestlers grabbed ranking points at the continental championships and the three Ranking Series events, the Zouhaier Sghaier is the final event from which wrestlers can earn those all-important points.

The World Championships in September will see the top eight wrestlers from each weight class receive a seed. While some of the seeds have been locked up, a few wrestlers can still move around and change their numbers.

A top-seeded wrestler and defending world champion who will be in Tunisia is Thomas GILMAN (USA). He will be in action for the first time since winning his maiden Pan-Am title in May.

Gilman, who defeated Alireza SARLAK (IRI), in the final in Oslo last year, is likely to face the same opponent in Tunis. Not only Sarlak, but Gilman's semifinal opponent Horst LEHR (GER) will also be eyeing to avenge his loss from last year.

For Sarlak, beating Gilman in Tunis will not be as important as getting past Amhad MOHAMMADNEZHAD (IRI). The two are battling for a spot on the Iran national team.

Sarlak, the silver medalist at World Championships, lost to Mohammadnezhad at the Takhti Cup last month which resulted in the Iran federation going for another selection in Tunisia. Mohammadnezhad will fancy his chances against Sarlak and then pick up other wins over international wrestlers.

Winner of Ranking Series in Almaty, Aman SEHRAWAT (IND) will be hoping to continue his medal run with a third straight Ranking Series medal at 57kg.

Ali SAVADKOUHIAli SAVADKOUHI (IRI) is wrestling at 79kg for a spot on Iran's World Championships team. (Photo: UWW / Bayrem Ben Mrad)

That is not the only weight class in which Iran is trying to finalize its team for Belgrade. At 79kg, a huge battle awaits as World Championships silver medalist Mohammad NOKHODI (IRI) and Asian champion Ali SAVADKOUHI (IRI) are wrestling for the spot.

While the winner among the two will get the spot, if they do not face each other, the higher positioned wrestler may get a look in. But both will have their task cut out against European champion Georgios KOUGIOUMTSIDIS (GRE), Asian silver medalist Gourav BALIYAN (IND) who fell agonizingly to Savadkouhi in the Asian final.

Chandler MARSTELLER (USA) has been the second-best for the USA after world champ Jordan BURROUGHS (USA) and gold in Tunis can further cement his name as one of the top stars of the weight class.

Iran also has Yones EMAMI(IRI) at 74kg but he has already confirmed his spot on the team along with Asian champion Rahman AMOUZADKHALILI (IRI) at 65kg. For all other weight classes, Iran held a selection trial Sunday in Tehran with defending world champion Hassan YAZDANI (IRI), Kamran GHASEMPOUR (IRI) and Amir ZARE (IRI) all set to defend their titles.

None of the three are taking the trip to Tunisia but still, there are some big stars in action at the four-day tournament.

Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO)Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO) is eyeing his second straight Ranking Series gold medal. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO) will be the favorite to win the gold at 125kg. Kazakhstan is sending Yusup BATIRMURZAEV (KAZ) and Alisher YERGALI (KAZ) with the hope to finalize one name for the World Championships.

Hayden ZILLMER (USA) will also be tested for the first time after making the USA world team over Nicholas Gwiazdowski (USA).

The USA is sending a strong team to the Ranking Series event and Kyle SNYDER (USA) will be their leader as Burroughs and Kyle DAKE (USA) decided to skip the event.

Snyder will have a trio of Turkey wrestlers in Oktay CIFTCI (TUR), Polat POLATCI (TUR) and Burak SAHIN (TUR) on his path to gold. Others entered in the weight class include U20 world bronze medalist Deepak NEHRA (IND), Serik BAKYTKHANOV (KAZ) and Mamed IBRAGIMOV (KAZ).

At 65kg, Kazakhstan is hoping that Adlan ASKAROV (KAZ) can cement his place with a good showing in Tunis. But he will have Tokyo Olympian Agustin DESTRIBATS (ARG), U23 Asian champion SUJEET (IND) and former U17 world champion John DIAKOMIHALIS (USA).

Sarah HILDEBRANDT (USA)Sarah HILDEBRANDT (USA) is entered at 50kg for the USA. (Photo: UWW / Tony Rotundo)

Even in women's wrestling, the USA is sending a full-strength squad with Olympic champion Taymra MENSAH STOCK (USA) and bronze medalists Sarah HILDEBRANDT (USA) and Helen MAROULIS (USA) leading the charge.

Hildebrandt, who has already locked up the top seed, will have compatriot Emily SHILSON (USA) at 50kg along with European champion Zehra DEMIRHAN (TUR) and U23 European champion Emma LUTTENAUER (FRA).

Other world team members of the USA will be in action as well. Dominique PARRISH (USA) will have two Canadians at 53kg in Karla GODINEZ (CAN) and Diana WEICKER (CAN). Luisa VALVERDE (ECU) is also taking the trip to Tunisia to grab some points before the seeds are finalized.

African champion Sarra HAMDI (TUN), who is currently ranked 11 and ninth in seedings, will like to break into the top 10 and hope that she will get the seed for the World Championships.

Maroulis at 57kg will the favorite to win the gold and certain her top seed with a gold medal-winning performance. Trying to stop her will be Elvira KAMALOGLU (TUR), Giullia RODRIGUES (BRA), Sandra PARUSZEWSKI (GER) and Mansi AHLAWAT (IND) among others.

Rodrigues will receive a seed at Worlds if she enters the competition but Paruszewski, currently ranked 16th, needs to break into the top-12 to be certain that she will receive a seed at the World Championships.

Koumba LARROQUE (FRA)Koumba LARROQUE (FRA), red, is returning to competition after nine months. (Photo: UWW / Martin Gabor)

Tamyra MENSAH STOCK (USA) will be wrestling for the first time since winning the bronze medal at the Oslo World Championships. She lost her top seed to world champion Meerim ZHUMANAZAROVA (KGZ) and can now only move up to second.

But her path to gold will not be easy as U23 world champion Koumba LARROQUE (FRA), Pauline LECARPENTIER (FRA) and even Forrest MOLINARI (USA) are wrestling at 68kg.

Larroque has been out of action for more than nine months nursing her knee injury. But she will be hoping to return to full form as she battles with Lecarpentier for a spot on France's team for Belgrade.

Two other weight classes in which the USA is hoping to do well are 72kg and 76kg. Pan-Am champion and winner of the Rome Ranking Series event Skylar GROTE (USA) will once again try to win the gold, her second in as many Ranking Series events.

But U17 and U20 world champion Amit ELOR (USA) will have other ideas. Elor blanked Grote at the World Team Trials in June and a closer battle is expected between the two if they clash in Tunisia.

Despite the two accomplished stars, Buse TOSUN (TUN) will be the favorite to win the gold at 72kg. Ranked fourth in the world, Tosun missed out on a medal in Istanbul and but the world bronze medalist won a silver medal at the European Championships in March.

A medal in Tunis can take her to third in the world, a spot better than world champion Masako FURUICHI (JPN).

Yelena MAKOYED (USA)Yelena MAKOYED (USA) dominated the competition to win the 76kg gold in Rome. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

The 76kg weight class offers even tougher competition. Canadian veteran Justina DI STASIO (CAN), world bronze medalist Samar HAMZA (EGY), U20 World silver medalist BIPASHA (IND), the USA world team member Precious BELL (USA), Dymond GUILFORD (USA) and star of Matteo Pellicone Ranking Series Yelena MAKOYED (USA) are entered.

Makoyed stunning a top-class field in Rome, winning the gold medal with victories over Martina KUENZ (AUT), world silver medalist Epp MAE (EST), Francy RAEDELT (GER), Catalina AXENTE (ROU) and U23 world champion Anastasiya ALPYEYEVA (UKR).

Once again she will be expected to perform on a similar level but Bell and Guilford will provide more resistance, having wrestled Makoyed domestically.

Top-ranked wrestler in the world at 59kg Sarita MOR (IND) will be wrestling for her second straight Ranking Series gold medal. She is clubbed against Elena BRUGGER (GER) and Siwar BOUSETA (TUN).

Rio Olympic bronze medalists Sakshi MALIK (IND) and Marwa AMRI (TUN) are both entered at 62kg. While Malik won the gold in Almaty, Amri is coming off a golden performance at the African Championships and Mediterranean Games. Both will fancy their chances to win the gold in Tunis with Amri holding the home advantage.

Lais NUNES and Ameline DOUARRE (FRA) are the other contenders for gold at 62kg.

Sunil KUMAR (IND)Sunil KUMAR (IND) is the favorite to win the 87kg gold in Tunis. (Photo: UWW / Assem Shalgumbayeva)

The Greco-Roman field is highlighted by wrestlers from Turkey, India and a few from Africa. Abdelkarim FERGAT (ALG) is entered at 60kg with Salim HAMDI (TUN) and Ayhan KARAKUS (TUR) also in the field.

India has entered two wrestlers at 67kg in NEERAJ (IND) and Sachin SAHRAWAT (IND). The battle for gold will be played out between the two and Koussay MELKI (TUN) and Volkan CAKIL (TUR).

Aik MNATSAKANIAN (BUL) will be the favorite to win the 77kg weight class. But for that, he will have to wrestle past Joilson DE BRITO (BRA) and Furkan BAYRAK (TUR).

Home star Lamjed MAAFI (TUN) will hope to win the 82kg weight category in front of his home crowd. Trying to stop him will be Harpreet SINGH (IND), Sajan BHANWALA (IND) and Emrah KUS (TUR).

Former Asian champion at 87kg Sunil KUMAR (IND) has his eyes on gold and for that, he has to only beat Mohamed MISSAOUI (TUN).

At 97kg, Adem BOUDJEMLINE (ALG), Igor DE QUEIROZ (BRA), DEEPANSHU (IND), Mohamed JABRI (TUN) and Muhittin SARICICEK (TUR) will be in the Nordic bracket hoping to clinch the top medal.

A similar process will be followed at 130kg as NAVEEN (IND), Amine GUENNICHI (TUN) and Muhammet BAKIR (TUR) hope to claim the gold.

The action begins July 14 with Greco-Roman action and women's wrestling beginning the next day. Freestyle will be on July 16 and 17. All the live-action and highlights will be available on uww.org.

#WrestleUlaanbaatar

Kamal survives scare in Ulaanbaatar amid Turkiye gold rush

By Vinay Siwach

ULAANBAATAR, Mongolia (May 30) -- Turkiye captured all three Greco-Roman gold medals on offer on Friday with European champion Kerem KAMAL (TUR) surviving a tough final to win at 63kg, and Paris Olympians Enes BASAR (TUR) and Hamza BAKIR (TUR) winning at 60kg and 130kg respectively.

Kamal, who won European Championships gold in dominant fashion, could not replicate that performance from April but still managed to win gold. In the final, he survived a scare against Asian Championships bronze medalist Hanjae CHUNG (KOR), winning 6-6 on criteria, thanks to a foul from Chung.

Both had wrestled in the group stages as well as this weight category only had seven wrestlers and were divided into two groups. Kamal came out on top 6-3 in that match.

But the final began with Chung scoring a takedown in the first minute and then adding another point when he was given the par terre advantage. However, he failed to score from that position.

In the second period, Kamal scored a push from par terre and had Chung's back on the mat for two points. He then lifted Chung upside down and completed a throw during which Chung committed a defensive leg foul.

Korea challenged the call but lost which gave Kamal a 6-4 lead. Chung tried to score and during the final 10 seconds, he pushed Kamal to the zone and the Turkish wrestler lost his balance, giving up a takedown.

Chung tied it 6-6 but Kamal led on criteria as Chung had committed the leg foul earlier. Chung realized it later that he was losing the final.

"I think it was a bit of a misjudgment because I thought I was winning and I didn't try hard for last 7 seconds at the end," Chung said. "I'm training hard with [former world champion] Hansu RYU (KOR) as my role model, and I'm trying to copy his style a lot."

For Kamal, the tournament was an eye-opener, especially for his performance against the Asian wrestlers.

"It was a very difficult tournament," Kamal said. "From the first round to the final match, I had very strong and very tough opponents. It was one of the hardest matches I've had this year. Winning is important, but in this tournament I realized that I have many mistakes. I'm thinking that I'm going to watch all my matches over and over again and analyze them and try to wrestle in a way that is more error-free and less pointless."

As he gears up to win his first senior world title in Zagreb later this September, Kamal is now wary of his opponents from Asia and wants to tackle them with more conviction.

"All my opponents are Asian," he said. "Kyrgyz, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Iranian. These are my strongest opponents. When you look at it, most of my opponents are from Asia, so I try to wrestle like Asians. I try to train like them, because they are very difficult to keep up with, they are very active. But as I said, as much as I can stop them, as much as I can do, as long as I can, I will continue to wrestle with them and wrestle like him."

Despite his close matches against Chung, Kamal looked in supreme form, especially while defending on par terre, as he captured his second Ranking Series gold medal of the year. His first gold was in Tirana, Albania.

"I don't think about it there [on the mat], to be honest, because I'm in a completely negative position," he said. "I'm trying to get out of it by doing all the weird things I can. The important thing is that I don't get scored there. It doesn't matter how I do it, what I do, the important thing is not to give points to my opponent and to continue in that way. So I'm very happy that I was able to do that."

Enes BASAR (TUR)Enes BASAR (TUR), blue, won gold medal at 60kg. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

Basar, who was at the Paris Olympics at 60kg, won four bouts in the day to claim the gold medal. He began with an 8-3 win over Kurmanbek ZHAPAROV (KGZ) but his second against Akyl SULAIMANOV (KGZ) tested him to the limits. He made two comebacks to win 16-5, using a strong gut-wrench.

He followed that win by beating SURAJ (IND), 8-0, in a minute and 13 seconds before finishing his campaign with a 10-2 win over Ganbayar NAMSRAI (MGL).

Hamza BAKIR (TUR)Hamza BAKIR (TUR) claimed the 130kg gold medal in Ulaanbaatar. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

The most dominant run of the day came from Hamza BAKIR (TUR) at 130kg, as he won all his four bouts via technical superiority.

In his first bout, he gave up a point for passivity but still managed to win 9-1 against Erlan MANATBEKOV (KGZ). That was the only point he gave in the competition, winning his next three bouts via technical superiority.

He defeated Turbat BATBAYAR (MGL), 8-0, in Round 2, PREM (IND) with identical scoreline in Round 3 and in Round 5, he won against Nambardagva BATBAYAR (MGL), 8-0.

RESULTS

60kg
GOLD: Enes BASAR (TUR)
SILVER: SURAJ (IND)
BRONZE: Akyl SULAIMANOV (KGZ)

63kg
GOLD: Kerem KAMAL (TUR) df. Hanjae CHUNG (KOR), 6-6

BRONZE: Aref MOHAMMADI (QAT) df. Mohammad KESHTKAR (IRI),

130kg
GOLD: Hamza BAKIR (TUR)
SILVER: Nambardagva BATBAYAR (MGL)
BRONZE: Erlan MANATBEKOV (KGZ)