#Bishkek2018

China, Mongolia Put 3 Wrestlers Each into Asian Women's Finals

Friday, March 2, 2018 - 10:46 By Ken Marantz

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PEI Xingru (CHN)

Coming off a haul of four gold medals from the previous day in women's wrestling at the Asian Championships, China put three wrestlers into the five remaining finals---a number limited by the fact that that was all China had in action on day four.

Paris 2017 world bronze medalist HAN Yue (CHN) won both of her matches by fall to advance to the 72kg final against Nasanburmaa OCHIRBAT (MGL), one of three Mongolians to earn spots in the gold-medal matches at the Kozhomkul Sports Palace.

There will also be a China-Mongolian duel at 62kg, in which Paris 2017 world champion Orkhon PUREVDORJ (MGL) will take on LUO Xiaojuan (CHN), a 2015 Asian champion who ousted Rio 2016 Olympic bronze medalist Sakshi Malik in the qualification round.

PEI Xingru (CHN), a 2016 world champion, sees her path to gold blocked by Sara NATAMI (JPN), an unheralded high schooler who marked her debut in a senior international tournament by recording a fall and a technical fall.

China's entries at 53kg (PANG Qianyu) and 65kg (XU Rui) are both injured and withdrew from the tournament, according to the team's Bulgarian coach Siemon CHTEREV.

"I am content with this result," Chterev said. "I'm very happy with the Chinese team. For six months, they have been getting better. They believe in themselves. This is very important."

PICTURED: Navjot KAUR (IND)

Meanwhile, two-time Asian medalist Navjot KAUR (IND) will try to end India's hex in Asian women's finals---the country stands 0-13 dating back to 2001---when she takes on Miyu IMAI (JPN) in the 65kg final.

The Kaur-Imai showdown will be a rematch of a group stage match earlier in the day, which Imai won 4x-4 on criteria.

The possibility of a rematch came about because there were only six entries in both the 65kg and 72kg categories. The competitors were drawn into two groups of three. After a round robin, the top two in each group advanced to the semifinals.

PICTURED: Sumiya ERDENECHIMEG (MGL)

PAK Yongmi (PRK) will try to give North Korea its first gold of the tournament with a victory in the 53kg final against Sumiya ERDENECHIMEG (MGL), a 2013 world bronze medalist.

Pak advanced to the final with a nail-biting 4-3 victory over Yu MIYAHARA (JPN), who was coming off victories at the Dave Schultz Memorial and Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix tournaments.

"Our wrestlers who are on the level of being finalists didn't make it," said Japan women's coach Hideo SASAYAMA, also referring to four-time Asian medalist Yurika ITO (62kg) and New Delhi 2017 silver medalist Masako FURUICHI (72kg).

Asked about the performance of 17-year-old Natami, whose lone international experience was a silver medal in the cadet class at the 2016 Klippan Open, Sasayama reserved judgment.

"She had a good draw, and as a third-year high schooler, she still needs to go on the attack more," he said.

Women's Wrestling
53kg (10 entries)
Gold - PAK Yongmi (PRK) v Sumiya ERDENECHIMEG (MGL)

Bronze –  Thi Hang VU (VIE) v Yu Miyahara (JPN)
Bronze – Zhuldyz Eshimova (KAZ) v CHIU Hsin Ju (TPE)

Semifinal – PAK Yongmi (PRK) df. Yu Miyahara (JPN), 4-3
Semifinal – Sumiya ERDENECHIMEG (MGL) df. CHIU Hsin Ju (TPE) by Fall, 5:18 (4-1)

57kg (10 entries)
Gold - Sara NATAMI (JPN) v PEI Xingru (CHN)

Bronze –  KIM Yeseul (KOR) v Thi Huong DAO (VIE)
Bronze – Baltsetseg ALTANTSETSEG (MGL) v JONG In Sun (PRK)

Semifinal – Sara NATAMI (JPN) df. Thi Huong DAO (VIE) by TF, 10-0, 3:15
Semifinal – PEI Xingru (CHN) df. JONG In Sun (PRK) by Fall, 4:11 (2-2)

62kg (10 entries)
Gold - Orkhon PUREVDORJ (MGL) v LUO Xiaojuan (CHN)

Bronze –  Khalbazar NARBAEVA (UZB) vs Yurika ITO (JPN)
Bronze – Sakshi MALIK (IND) v Ayaulym KASSYMOVA (KAZ)

Semifinal – Orkhon PUREVDORJ (MGL) df. Yurika ITO (JPN), 9-1
Semifinal – LUO Xiaojuan (CHN) df . Ayaulym KASSYMOVA (KAZ), 5-1

65kg (6 entries)
Gold - Miya IMAI (JPN) v Kaur NAVJOT (IND)

Bronze –  LEE Hanbit (KOR) v Tsevegmed ENKHBAYAR (MGL)

Semifinal – Miya IMAI (JPN) df. LEE Hanbit (KOR), by TF, 10-0, 1:52
Semifinal – Kaur NAVJOT (IND) df. Tsevegmed ENKHBAYAR (MGL), 2-1

72kg (6 entries)
Gold - Nasanburmaa OCHIRBAT (MGL) v HAN Yue (CHN)

Bronze –  Zhamila BAKBERGENOVA (KAZ) v Masako FURUICHI (JPN)

Semifinal – Nasanburmaa OCHIRBAT (MGL) df. Zhamila BAKBERGENOVA (KAZ) by Fall, 2:11 (9-4)
Semifinal – HAN Yue (CHN) df. Masako FURUICHI (JPN) by TF, 10-0, 5:18

#WrestleZagreb

Chung puts Korea in World C'ships final

Saturday, September 20, 2025 - 16:49 By Vinay Siwach

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ZAGREB, Croatia (September 20) -- Hanjae CHUNG (KOR) has long been the training partner of former world champion Hansyu RYU (KOR) at national camps in Korea as both hail from Busan and wrestled at the Kyungsung University.

Eight years after Ryu became a world champion in Paris, Korea's last gold at World Championships, Chung would try to emulate his role model after he made the 63kg final at the World Championships in Zagreb on Saturday.

In his previous two trips to the World Championships, Chung finished eight and 25th but has now assured himself at least a silver medal in 2025. This is also Korea's first medal since Min Seok KIM (KOR) won bronze in 2018.

Chung opened his campaign with a 7-1 victory over Ivan LIZATOVIC (CRO) before picking up a fall over Manato NAKAMURA (JPN). Tokyo bronze medalist Sergey EMELIN (UWW) was next but Chung defended from par terre and posted a 1-1 criteria win.

In the semifinals, Chung had Asian silver medalist Mohammad KESHTKAR (IRI) but he stepped up. Keshtkar got the first par terre position but was not able to score any points, going to the break leading 1-0.

The second period saw Chung go for the reverse throw for two points and Keshtkar was docked two points for a leg foul, giving a 5-1 lead to Chung. Keshtkar tried making a comeback and got a takedown to cut the lead to 5-3 but that was all he had as Chung claimed the victory in the semifinals.

But to win his country's first gold since 2017, Chung will have to go through Aytjan KHALMAKHANOV (UZB) who looks unbeatable. A month after winning the gold medal at the U20 World Championships, the Uzbek star is now in the World Championships final with a dominant 8-0 win over Vitalie ERIOMENCO (MDA).

Khalmakhanov needed only 37 seconds to finish his semifinals against Erimenco as he used an over-under grip to slam him on the mat for two points. He continued the same sequence for two more points and lead 6-0. A trap arm gut was enough to get him two more points and the win.

Iran managed two more wrestlers in the final at the World Championships with Olympic champion Saeid ESMAEILI (IRI) and Olympic silver medalist Alireza MOHAMADI (IRI) a win away from winning their first world titles at 67kg and 87kg respectively.

Esmaeili particularly looked in the form of his life as he blanked his 36-0 in four bouts with none going the full distance of the six minutes. He began with a 9-0 win over 2022 world champion Sebastian NAD (SRB) before two 8-0 wins against Shermukhammad SHARIBJANOV (UZB) and Haavard JOERGENSEN (NOR), 8-0.

In the semifinals, he used a five-point throw to beat Daniial AGAEV (UWW). Using a bodylock, he scored his first takedown and then turned Agaev for a 4-0 lead. He then got the par terre position and reverse lifted Agaev and slammed him for five points.

For the gold medal, he will have to get past Olympic bronze medalist Hasrat JARAFOV (AZE), a returning silver medalist. Jafarov faced Razzak BEISHEKEEV (KGZ) in the semifinal and used a correct throw from par terre to beat the Kyrgyzstan wrestlers 3-1.

Mohamadi had a very contrasting semifinal against David LOSONCZI (HUN) at 87kg. He seemed to be sailing to victory with 5-1 lead and under a minute left but Losonczi locked his waist and threw him for a takedown for two points. Hungary challenged the call asking for four points but it was awarded only two on review and Hungary lost the challenge to give one more point to Mohamadi.

With a 6-3 win, Mohamadi, a silver medalist at 82kg from 2023, will now try to win the gold medal against former European champion Aleksandr KOMAROV (SRB).

Trusting his defense in the semifinal against Milad ALIRZAEV (UWW), Komarov held on to his 1-1 criteria lead to win the bout. Komarov was the beneficiary of the new Greco-Roman rule which states that the criteria will remain with the wrestler who got the first point in a 1-1 finish.

Irrespective of what happens in the final on Sunday, Iran has already won the Greco-Roman team title. This is the first time in the country's history that Iran has won both Freestyle and Greco-Roman team title at the same World Championships.

RESULTS

63kg
GOLD: Hanjae CHUNG (KOR) vs. Aytjan KHALMAKHANOV (UZB)

SF 1: Hanjae CHUNG (KOR) df. Mohammad KESHTKAR (IRI), 5-3
SF 2: Aytjan KHALMAKHANOV (UZB) df. Vitalie ERIOMENCO (MDA), 8-0

67kg
GOLD: Saeid ESMAEILI (IRI) vs. Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE)

SF 1: Saeid ESMAEILI (IRI) df. Daniial AGAEV (UWW), 10-0
SF 2: Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE) df. Razzak BEISHEKEEV (KGZ), 3-1

87kg
GOLD: Alireza MOHMADI (IRI) vs. Aleksandr KOMAROV (SRB)

SF 1: Alireza MOHMADI (IRI) df. David LOSONCZI (HUN), 6-3
SF 2: Aleksandr KOMAROV (SRB) df. Milad ALIRZAEV (UWW), 1-1