ANOC World Beach Games

Inam Takes out Olympic Bronze Medalist Marsagishvili in ANOC World Beach Games Finals

By United World Wrestling Press

DOHA, Qatar (October 15) -- Muhammad INAM (PAK) avenged his loss from the Rio De Janeiro stop of the Beach Wrestling World Series by scoring a stunning 5-2 win over London Olympic bronze medalist Dato MARSAGISHVILI (GEO). Inam's win came in the 90kg gold-medal match at the ANOC World Beach Games. 

Coming into the ANOC World Beach Games, Marsagishvili was unquestionably the favorite to win a World Beach Games gold medal. This season, the Georgian wrestler was undefeated with Beach Wrestling World Series titles in Chaves and Rio de Janeiro, along with a gold medal at September’s UWW Beach Wrestling World Championships in Zagreb, Croatia. 

Inam, the Beach Wrestling World Series runner-up in Rio De Janeiro, won his first beach wrestling gold medal with the three-point advantage over Marsagishvili in the 90kg finals. 

The second men's gold-medal winner on the opening day of men’s beach wrestling in Qatar was Levan KELEKHSASHVILI (GEO). The Georgian came out atop of the 70kg bracket with a 1-0 win against Panah ILYASLI (AZE). 

In women’s beach wrestling, Kamila BARBOSA (BRA) and Tatiana RENTERIA (COL) collected 3-2 wins in the finals and were named the 50kg and 70kg champions, respectively. 

Barbosa edged Miesinnei GENESIS (NGR), who was the 18th-place finisher at the 2019 Nur-Sultan World Championships, 3-2, in the 50kg finals, and Renteria snuck past Alina BEREZHNA (UKR), 3-2, in the 70kg gold-medal match. 

RESULTS

Men’s Beach Wrestling 
70kg - Levan KELEKHSASHVILI (GEO) df. Panah ILYASLI (AZE), 1-0  
90kg - Muhammad INAM (PAK) df. Dato MARSAGISHVILI (GEO), 5-2

Women’s Beach Wrestling 
50kg - Kamila BARBOSA (BRA) df. Miesinnei GENESIS (NGR), 3-2 
70kg - Tatiana RENTERIA (COL) df. Alina BEREZHNA (UKR), 3-2 

Olympic silver medalist Oborududu announces retirement

By Vinay Siwach

NIGERIA (June 6) -- Tokyo Olympic silver medalist Blessing OBORUDUDU (NGR) announced her retirement last week, ending a memorable career in wrestling.

The 36-year-old called it quits at the National Sports Festival in Abeokuta, a tournament she made her first appearance as a young wrestler in 2006.

In a career spanning 19 years, Oborududu won the African Championships 13 times, became the first African wrestler to win Olympic silver medal in Women's Wrestling and finished fifth at the Paris Olympics.

Oborududu participated won her first gold at the African Championships in 2010 and maintained her winning streak at the tournament for 15 years. 

“I want to thank everyone who has been part of my journey: the Nigeria Wrestling Federation led by Daniel IGALI, the board members, my teammates, and my family,” Oborududu was quoted as saying by the Nigeria media. "I created a lot of memories, but my most memorable one was the Tokyo Olympics, which ignited hope across Africa. It was the first-ever medal by an African woman in wrestling at the Olympics, and I hope more will come for future wrestlers."

At the sports festival, Oborududu helped Team Bayelsa clinch gold medal in her final bout at the ongoing 22nd National Sports Festival. He later received a farewell from teammates, officials and fans.