India wrestling, china, india, china wrestling, Women's Wrestling

China Finds Double Gold on First Day of Women's Wrestling, Japan Boxed Out

By Tim Foley

China Strikes Double Gold

China’s Yumei CHEN kicked off the women’s gold medal finals with a commanding 14-4 technical fall victory over Sonu SONU of India. The Chinese grappler ceded a four-point takedown early in the 44kg finals, but returned fire with a takedown of her own and three gut wrenches to make it a 10-4 match into the break.

Chen closed out the match early in the second period winning by technical fall, 14-4

At 59kg Jing JIANG made Chian’s second final appearance making quick work of Thi My Hanh NGUYEN (VIE). The stout Chinese competitor shot a head inside single, lifted and converted a takedown early in the first before finding four gut wrenches to win the match by technical fall, 12-1.

India and Kyrgyzstan Golden as Japanese Falter

Japan is the most dominant force in women’s wrestling, but with their top athletes competing at the Meiji Cup in Tokyo the team was not up to their usual golden ways.

Chisaki HORI did manage to find her way into the 51kg finals where she faced India’s Pooja GEHLOT (IND). The duo excited the crowd with a flurry of attacks and crafty defense, but it was all Gehlot as time expired with the Indian winning a narrow 6-5 victory.

In the 67kg finals Meerim ZHUMANAZAROVA (KGZ) took almost a dozen low leg singles but was continually thwarted by the trick knee of the ultra-flexible Bakhtigul BALTANIYAZOVA (UZB). Despite the tough defense Zhumanazarova found two takedowns in the first period before cracking the match wide open in the second with a powerful double leg and crotch lift made it 8-0. A final hi crotch gave the Uzbek a 10-0 technical fall victory and gold medal.

Iran Caps Team Title in Greco-Roman with Pair of Titles

They weren’t beautiful matches, but Poya Soulat DAD MARZ and Amirmohammad HAJIPOURGANJI (IRI) pushed and pulled their way to a pair of gold medals Thursday night in Taichung, Taiwan.

For his part, Poya Soulat DAD MARZ (IRI) took out Alpamys DASTANBEK (KAZ) in the 50kg with an anti-climactic 2-1 decision. Iranian big man Amirmohammad HAJIPOURGANJI (IRI) then followed with a chippy 6-3 decision against Satish SATISH (IND).

The final team scores for Greco-Roman were Iran 71, Kazakhstan 58 and India 55.

#WrestleZagreb

Zagreb Open 2026 Live Blog: Day 1, Freestyle

By Vinay Siwach

ZAGREB, Croatia (February 4) -- The Zagreb Open 2026 begins with six weight classes in Freestyle -- 57kg, 61kg, 65kg, 70kg, 74kg and 86kg. Stars like Zahid ZALENCIA (USA),  Yoshinosuke AOYAGI (JPN), AMAN (IND) are in action.

WATCH LIVE | LIVE MATCH ORDER | PREVIEW

Semifinals begin at 12:30 local time

So far, world champion Zahid VALENCIA (USA) has suffered a technical superiority loss at 86kg while Takara SUDA (JPN), moving up from 61kg to 65kg, dropped his match against Joseph MCKENNA (USA). At 61kg, Austin DESANTO (USA) has captured the gold medal after winning three bouts in a Nordic bracket

12:15: In what was a virtual final at 61kg, Austin DESANTO (USA) not only needed a victory over AMAN (IND), he also need to win via technical superiority or fall. He does exactly that by pinning Aman after taking an 8-0 lead and win the gold medal at 61kg. Aman finishes with a silver medal.

12:12: U23 world champion SUJEET (IND) finishes his quarterfinal at 65kg with a 10-0 victory over Khamzat ARSAMERZOUEV (FRA) and sets up a quarterfinal against Joseph MCKENNA (USA) who defeated Takara SUDA (JPN) 7-0 in the other quarterfinal.

12:08: Sina KHALILI (IRI) took a 9-1 lead over Ian PARKER (USA) but was gave a stepout with a minute remaining. However, he had little trouble holding on to his 9-3 lead and win his bout at 70kg.

12:00: Olympic silver medalist Spencer LEE (USA) hangs on for an easy 4-0 victory over European silver medalist Azamat TUSKAEV (SRB) at 57kg. He moves into the semifinals in which he will wrestle Fuga SASAKI (JPN)

11:55: Fuga SASAKI (JPN) hangs on for a 7-1 victory over ANKUSH (IND) in 57kg quarterfinals. Sasaki goes for three takedown and one stepout in his win over Ankush who failed to get any attacks going.

11:50: Akaki KEMERTELIDZE (GEO) shuts down Iszmail MUSZUKAJEV (HUN) at 70kg for a 3-0 win. Not much action in the match but Kemertelidze is happy with the win here.

11:45: Roman BRAVO-YOUNG (MEX) continues his excellent form and wins his quarterfinal against Anthony KNOX (USA), 12-2. He will wrestle in the semifinal at 57kg.

11:35: World champion Zahid VALENCIA (USA), who did not concede a single point at the World Championships, drops his quarterfinal against Vladimir GAMKRELIDZE (GEO), 11-0. Gut-wrench from par terre for Gamkrelidze

11:25: Former U20 world bronze medalist ANKUSH (IND) uses the Figure 4 turn to great effect to beat Ali YAHYAPOUR (IRI), 11-0, at 57kg. Ankush has long been seen as the biggest challenge to Olympic bronze medalist AMAN (IND) at the weight class

11:15: Zahid VALENCIA (USA) off to solid starts at 86kg as he takes out Sandeep MANN (IND) 11-0 in the opening bout at 86kg. Valencia is the world champion at 86kg, a title he won at the same Arena Zagreb in September last year

11:05: Yoshinosuke AOYAGI (JPN), world champion at 70kg, makes his 74kg debut with a controlled 6-1 victory over James GREEN (USA). Aoyagi scored a stepout to lead 2-1 before scoring two counter takedowns to finish the bout as the winner.

10:55: David CARR (USA) took his own time to get going but he manages a victory via fall over Aliakbar FAZLI (IRI) after building a 13-2 lead at 74kg.

10:45: World champion at 79kg Georgios KOUGIOUMTSIDIS (GRE) seemed in complete control of his first bout at 86kg against Abolfazl SHAMSIPOUR (IRI), leading 6-1 with a minute remaining. However, Shamsipour mounts a comeback, scoring six points in the final minute and beat the Greek world champion 7-6  

10:40: First period technical superiority, 10-0, win for AMAN (IND) against Giorgi GONIASHVILI (GEO) who is in action for the first time since winning a gold medal at the Ulaanbaatar Open in June last year.

10:30: Welcome to the Zagreb Open Ranking Series. Day one of the competition and we have six Freestyle weight classes in action. Multiple Olympic and world medalists in action today.