#Grappling

Kazakhstan wins all four team titles at Asian Grappling Championships

By Vinay Siwach

ASTANA, Kazakhstan (June 25) -- Continuing their success from the age-group categories, Kazakhstan dominated the Asian Grappling Championships, winning men's and women's Grappling and Grappling Gi titles.

The team in Grappling Gi won eight out of our eight gold medals winning the team title with 200 points. Iran finished second with 82 points while India was third with 45 points.

In the women's Grappling Gi, Kazakhstan finished with 120 points and emerged as the top team. Out of the five gold medals, four were won by Kazakhstan. The only other country to win gold was the Philippines.

Grappling also saw Kazakhstan win seven gold medals. Iran denied the clean sweep of the medals and won the gold at 130kg. But it did not stop Kazakhstan from winning the team title. It finished first with 190 points. Iran was second with 87 points while Kyrgyzstan was third with 42 points.

Kazakhstan and the Philippines were the top teams in women's Grappling with the former winning four gold medals. The Philippines won one gold medal at 53kg.

Grappling

RESULTS

Men's Grappling Gi

62kg
GOLD: Zhassulan ZHETPISBAY (KAZ)
SILVER: Armat KABDOLOV (KAZ)
BRONZE: Nathanielle ORTIZ (PHI)

66kg
GOLD: Aibar ORAZALY (KAZ)
SILVER: Daulet ZHUMADULLAYEV (KAZ)

71kg
GOLD: Sarsen ZHETIBAYEV (KAZ)
SILVER: Fierre AFAN (PHI)
BRONZE: Raghav JAMWAL (IND)

77kg
GOLD: Nurbek TALBUDIN (KAZ)
SILVER: Radheshyam YADAV (IND)
BRONZE: Sadegh ZARE (IRI)

84kg
GOLD: Temirzhan TULEBAYEV (KAZ)
SILVER: Amirhossein JINOUR (IRI)
BRONZE: Azamat SARBASSOV (KAZ)

92kg
GOLD: Ravshan URAZOV (KAZ)
SILVER: Kambar KOKOMBAY (KAZ)
BRONZE: Azizbek SHARIPOV (UZB)

100kg
GOLD: Bakdaulet ABYZOV (KAZ)
SILVER: Arbi UMAROV (KAZ)
BRONZE: Arman ATAEITOSANLOU (IRI)

130kg
GOLD: Saulet ABUSSALIKHOV (KAZ)
SILVER: Ali Reza SHAHRIARIYANEHSARI (IRI)
BRONZE: Rustam SARTBAEV (KAZ)

Women's Grappling Gi

53kg
GOLD: Maria RATCLIFF (PHI)
SILVER: Ulbolgan ZHAKSYLYKOVA (KAZ)
BRONZE: Alina KASKINOVA (KAZ)

58kg
GOLD: Botakoz YELDOSKYZY (KAZ)
SILVER: Nuraiym MUNAITBAS (KAZ)

64kg
GOLD: Fariza KULYNTAY (KAZ)
SILVER: Zamira BOLATOVA (KAZ)

71kg
GOLD: Meruyert SATYBALDIYEVA (KAZ)
SILVER: Shynar UZBEKOVA (KAZ)

90kg
GOLD: Assel KABDYGALYMOVA (KAZ)
SILVER: Aikorkem IKHSANOVA (KAZ)

Men's Grappling

62kg
GOLD: Arulan KURMANALIYEV (KAZ)
SILVER: Arystanbek GIZZATOV (KAZ)
BRONZE: Michael TABAMO (PHI)

66kg
GOLD: Bekzat KAPASHOV (KAZ)
SILVER: Saveliy KAZAKOV (KAZ)
BRONZE: Syimyk MAKHMEDOV (KGZ)

71kg
GOLD: Sarsen ZHETIBAYEV (KAZ)
SILVER: Fierre AFAN (PHI)
BRONZE: Raghav JAMWAL (IND)

77kg
GOLD: Adlan MADAYEV (KAZ)
SILVER: Nurbek TALBUDIN (KAZ)
BRONZE: Adilet KHUPTUEV (KGZ)

84kg
GOLD: Azamat SARBASSOV (KAZ)
SILVER: Temirzhan TULEBAYEV (KAZ)
BRONZE: Amirhossein JINOUR (IRI)

92kg
GOLD: Azizbek SHARIPOV (UZB)
SILVER: Ramazan KUSSAINOV (KAZ)
BRONZE: Rakhmatulla ABDUZHALILOV (KAZ)

100kg
GOLD: Arbi UMAROV (KAZ)
SILVER: Ramazan ABDRAKHIMOV (KAZ)
BRONZE: Mohammad JAFARITIRTASHI (IRI)

130kg
GOLD: Amir FARHADPOR (IRI)
SILVER: Rustam SARTBAEV (KAZ)
BRONZE: Vadim SIMACHENKO (KAZ)

Women's Grappling

54kg
GOLD: Maria RATCLIFF (PHI)
SILVER: Gulnaz ABDRAKHMANOVA (KAZ)
BRONZE: Alina KASKINOVA (KAZ)

58kg
GOLD: Nuraiym MUNAITBAS (KAZ)
SILVER: Aizhan ISMAGULOVA (KAZ)

64kg
GOLD: Fariza KULYNTAY (KAZ)
SILVER: Zamira BOLATOVA (KAZ)

71kg
GOLD: Shynar UZBEKOVA (KAZ)
SILVER: Meruyert SATYBALDIYEVA (KAZ)

90kg
GOLD: Assel KABDYGALYMOVA (KAZ)
SILVER: Aikorkem IKHSANOVA (KAZ)

#WrestleIstanbul

Valiev gets 74kg Paris 2024 spot; USA completes Olympic line-up

By United World Wrestling Press

ISTANBUL, Turkiye (May 12) -- A day after he was dealt with a heartbreaking loss, Cherman VALIEV (ALB) pulled off a stunning last-second win over Soner DEMIRTAS (TUR) to qualify for the Paris Olympics.

At the World Olympic Qualifier, the last chance to qualify for the Paris Olympics, Valiev lost to Viktor RASSADIN (TJK) in the 74kg semifinal on Saturday after he was docked for a singlet-pull. But 24 hours later, Valiev turned it around. Trailing 2-1 in the Olympic playoff between the two bronze medal winners, Valiev got a par terre position over Demirtas and turned him for two points with just a second left.

Demirtas challenged, asking for a block and two points as he stopped Valiev mid-turn, but blocking was not confirmed on review, giving Valiev another point for a lost challenge and a 4-2 win.

Apart from Valiev's dramatic win to earn Albania's third Freestyle quota for Paris, 70kg world champion Zain RETHERFORD (USA) won the 65kg spot for the United States to complete the line-up for Paris with all six spots. Spencer LEE (USA) won the 57kg spot on Saturday.

China earned two spots for Paris while Georgia and Hungary won a spot each. China won the spots at 57kg and 97kg, Georgia 86kg and Hungary will be represented in 125kg.

Retherford, who lost to Tulga TUMUR OCHIR (MGL) at 65kg, wrestled four bouts on Sunday with his bronze-medal bout against SUJEET (IND) being the closest. Sujeet scored a counter takedown in the first period and tried holding on to that lead in the second. But as he was pushing Retherford towards the zone, the American circled back and took Sujeet down and take a 2-2 lead which he held till the end.

In the Olympic playoff, Retherford got the better of Niurgun SKRIABIN (AIN), 7-0, and earned a sixth Paris 2024 spot for the U.S. Since Retherford won the trials before coming to Istanbul, he will be now going to Paris.

Wanhao ZOU (CHN) and Awusayiman HABILA (CHN) earned the two quotas for China. Zou was up against  Andrii YATSENKO (UKR) and had little trouble beating Yatsenko in the playoff.

Habila wrestled 38-year-old Magomed IBRAGIMOV (UZB) in the playoff at 125kg and came out on top 2-1. Ibragimov got a 1-0 lead after Habila was out on the activity clock but he failed to score. Ibragimov was put on the clock in the second period but he also failed to score giving Habila a 1-1 criteria lead. Ibragimov made a few attempts in the final seconds but failed to get any points.

Ibragimov challenged asking for fleeing but it was not confirmed on review. The Rio bronze medalist later left his shoes on the mat, symbolizing his retirement from the sport.

Vladimeri GAMKRELIDZE (GEO), who lost after giving up a late takedown, left nothing to luck on Sunday and defeated Vasyl MYKHAILOV (UKR), 8-2, giving Georgia its fourth qualification in Freestyle.

Hungary got its second Paris 2024 spot after Daniel LIGETI (HUN) pinned Jose DIAZ (VEN) in the playoff after building a 5-0 lead.

Paris 2024 Qualification Results

57kg
Wanhao ZOU (CHN) df. Andrii YATSENKO (UKR), 5-1

65kg
Zain RETHERFORD (USA) df. Niurgun SKRIABIN (AIN), 7-0

74kg
Chermen VALIEV (ALB) df. Soner DEMIRTAS (TUR), 4-2

86kg
Vladimeri GAMKRELIDZE (GEO) df. Vasyl MYKHAILOV (UKR), 8-2

97kg
Awusayiman HABILA (CHN) df. Magomed IBRAGIMOV (UZB), 2-1

125kg
Daniel LIGETI (HUN) df. Jose DIAZ (VEN), via fall...