Japan Wrestling

Rin-se, Repeat: Unheralded Miyaji Downs Matsuyuki Twice for 68kg Title, Ticket to Worlds

By Ken Marantz

TOKYO (May 29) --- After coming up short at 62kg, Rin MIYAJI decided she needed to go back to the drawing board and restructure her training to up her game. She also moved all the way up to 68kg, and it paid off.

The unheralded Miyaji pulled off one of the surprises of the Meiji Cup All-Japan Invitational Championships on Saturday, defeating world junior champion Naruha MATSUYUKI for the women's 68kg title, then beating her again for a place on Japan's team to this year's World Championships.

"First of all, I'm relieved," the 20-year-old Miyaji said.  "It's the first time to make a final and win at an All-Japan, so I'm really happy."

In the gold-medal match, Miyaji trailed early in the second period before storming to an 8-2 victory over Matsuyuki. The two then returned to the mat about an hour later for a playoff for the world team spot, and Miyaji was never in danger as she handily won 7-2.

"In the final, no matter how matter points I gave up, I kept imagining my hand being raised in the end," Miyaji said. "And in the end I won, so it was alright."

Miyaji had finished third at 62kg in December at the Emperor's Cup All-Japan Championships, where Matsuyuki won the 68kg gold. That tournament and the Meiji Cup serve as domestic qualifiers for the World Championships to be held in October in Oslo, with a playoff to decide the entry in weight classes in which the titlists are different.

None of the 12 wrestlers who have qualified for the Tokyo Olympics, including Risako KAWAI and Kenichiro FUMITA, entered the tournament at Tokyo's Komazawa Gym, opening the door for others to fill the places in Oslo.

That was the case for Miyaji, who knew that changing weight classes for the Meiji Cup doubled the difficultly of the task facing her. But she had a plan and it entailed being as well prepared as possible by changing her training regimen.

"I'm not the dextrous type and my movement is not very accomplished, so for this tournament, I changed everything in the basics of my training, and today this was the result," Miyaji said.

Asked to be more specific, she replied, "My defense against tackles has always been a problem. To overcome that, I practiced defensive wrestling every day. Also, I am underweight, so I've been working on filling out my body. I believe that I have gotten stronger physically."

Chikara TANABE, the head coach at Nippon Sports Science University and a former Olympic medalist, said the loss at the Emperor's Cup spurred the change in direction. It also helped that one of the coaches at the university is four-time Olympic gold medalist Kaori ICHO.

"She's the type who always goes all out in practice," Tanabe said. "This time, she cut back on running and worked on building strength.

"She worked all the time with Icho, and under her she sharpened her style. Her best point is that she never stops moving. I think her style will be effective in facing the world, no matter who the opponent is."

Miyaji said working with Icho has really made a difference.

"On days off, Kaori or one of my friends will practice with me" Miyaji said. "That extra practice paid off, and it gave me confidence. I really appreciate it."

Miyaji had come into the tournament with a relatively thin international resume among Japanese women, who are the dominant force globally. An Asian cadet champion in 2017, she finished second at both the 2019 Asian juniors and the 2020 Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix, both at 68kg.

But the prospect of a first-ever appearance at a senior World Championships hardly intimidates her.

"I will be appearing in my first World Championships, but it's not enough just to take part," she said. "I will give again everything in practice starting today to be able to come home with the gold medal."

For a Japanese woman to move to a different weight class, particularly an Olympic one, also means encountering new but equally strong rivals. In Miyaji's case, that could mean eventually battling NSSU teammate Miwa MORIKAWA, who won the 65kg title here and will accompany her on the plane to Oslo.

"Having such a strong rival so close by really motivates me," Miyaji said. "For example, whether it's running or lifting weights, I don't want to lose. I will do what it takes to get to the Paris Olympics."

Ayana GEMPEI defeated Rin TERAMOTO in their opening-round meeting. (Photo: Japan Wrestling Federation)

Gempei returns from injury with 3rd-place finish
Miyaji's title run overshadowed the return from a lengthy injury absence of Ayana GEMPEI, a 2018 world bronze medalist at 65kg and a two-time world U-23 champion.

Gempei, wrestling pain-free for the first time in 2 1/2 years, saw her bid for a first Meiji Cup crown and possible return to the World Championships end with a dramatic loss to Matsuyuki in the semifinals.

Gempei took a 2-2 lead on criteria with a stepout late in the match, only to have Matsuyuki, a junior teammate during her days at Shigakkan University, hit a 4-point move in the closing seconds for a 6-2 win.

"I'm still far from my ideal wrestling," Gempei said. "I still need to make my movement sharper so I can take the gold the next time."

The sky seemed to be the limit when Gempei won her first Emperor's Cup title in 2017, then defeated longtime rival Ayaka ITO in a playoff for the 2018 World Championships in Budapest, where she took home a bronze medal after suffering a nail-biting 6-6 loss to Petra OLLI (FIN) in the semifinals.

A month later, she picked up her second world U-23 title in Bucharest. But two weeks before that year's Emperor's Cup in December, tragedy struck when she snapped three ligaments in her right knee during practice.

She opted to forego surgery, having been advised that with three ligaments the chances of recurrence were high, and made a long, slow recovery. She attempted a comeback at the 2019 Meiji Cup, as it was serving as an Olympic qualifier, but she was nowhere near her old self and lost in the first round. That would be her last match before Saturday.

"I entered the tournament even though the injury had not healed, and I lost bad," Gempei said. "I didn't qualify for the All-Japan, then with coronavirus, there were no tournaments. I finally got to appear here. Right now I'm back to normal."

Having finished graduate school at Shigakkan, Gempei, who will turn 25 on Tuesday, started a sponsorship deal in April with technology and energy company Aisin that allows her to train full-time.

"A big company took me in and I feel a great sense of responsibility," Gempei said. "And then I lost. They give me a lot of support and I feel I have to win for them."

In the other women's title decided Saturday, Tsugumi SAKURAI repeated her victory from the Emperor's Cup, this time beating 2018 world junior champion Umi IMAI 4-2 in the final by scoring a takedown in each period.

Sakurai, the 2020 Klippan Lady Open champion where she beat veteran Sofia MATTSON (SWE) in the final, has set her sites firmly on winning the gold in Oslo and bringing more glory to her young university.

Her victory at last December's Emperor's Cup made Sakurai the first-ever national champion from Ikuei University, which was founded in 2018 and is aiming to challenge the women's collegiate powerhouses of Shigakkan and NSSU.

Kaiki YAMAGUCHI took down Kei YONEZAWA, 6-2, to earn his spot in Oslo at 65kg. (Photo: Japan Wrestling Federation)

Junior champs Yamaguchi, Abe nab tickets to Oslo
In freestyle action, Kaiki YAMAGUCHI and Toshiya ABE, who won world junior gold medals together in 2019, both earned chances to repeat their success on the senior level.

Yamaguchi, the Emperor's Cup champion at 65kg, scored all of his points in the second period to defeat Kei YONEZAWA 6-2 in the final and clinch his ticket to Oslo.

"It got a little dicey in the beginning, but I managed to turn it around," Yamaguchi said. "At this point, I don't think I am competitive on a global level, so I need to improve both physically and technically."

Yamaguchi, who won the world junior title at 61kg in Tallin, will be making his second trip to the senior worlds. In 2019, he lost 3-2 in the qualification round to Tuvshintulga TUMENBILEG (MGL).

Moving up to the Olympic weight of 65kg, he knows he will have to contend with former world champion Takuto OTOGURO, one of the Olympic-bound wrestlers who skipped this tournament.

"For now, I plan to stay at 65kg," Yamaguchi said. "If I can't beat Takuto Otoguro, I can't win a world medal, so I will aim to beat him."

Abe captured the 57kg gold with a 3-1 victory in the final over Yudai FUJITA, a 2019 Asian bronze medalist at 61kg, to earn his first trip to the senior worlds in the absence of Emperor's Cup champion Yuki TAKAHASHI.

"This is the first time to make the podium at an All-Japan tournament, so everything is the first for me," said Abe, a student at Kokushikan University. "I had thought about the World Championships, but first I had to focus on winning each and every match."

Abe overcame a scare in the semifinals, when he needed a decisive stepout with :03 left to defeat Yuto TAKESHITA, a bronze medalist at this year's Asian Championships. An unsuccessful challenge gave Abe a 3-2 win.

Takahashi, a former world champion, did not enter the Meiji Cup after he secured an Olympic place for Japan at the final world qualifying tournament in April. He will instead by preparing for a playoff for the Olympic spot with Rio Olympic silver medalist Rei HIGUCHI, to be held June 12.

There was one other world team playoff on Saturday, and it was won by Emperor's Cup champion Ryuki YOSHIDA, who denied Yudai TAKAHASHI a second straight trip to the senior worlds with a dramatic 3-2 victory.

Yoshida's bid to win the world place outright went off the rails at the first stage, as he was dealt a stunning loss by fall in the quarterfinals by Yuta ABE. Yoshida had led 6-0, only to see Abe storm back with 10 straight points before ending the match with :29 left.

Takahashi, who was still a high schooler when he competed at the 2019 World Championships in Nur-Sultan, crushed Abe in the final with a 10-0 technical fall to set up the playoff with Yoshida, a first-round loser at this year's Asian Championships.

Takahashi scored with a stepout and an activity clock point in the first period, and the gap was closed to one when Yoshida gained an activity point in the second. With the clock ticking down, Yoshida scored a stepout off a single leg with :04 left to take the lead on criteria. An unsuccessful challenge added the final point.

Asian bronze medalist Ayata SUZUKI captured the Greco-Roman 60kg title, giving him the ticket to Oslo because world champion Fumita, who won the Emperor's Cup title, was not entered.

#wrestlebishkek

Yoshida Repeats as Asian Champ as Japan, India Grab 2 Golds

By Ken Marantz

BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan (April 11) – Arash YOSHIDA (JPN) brought further glory to a country with little prior success in the upper weights, while also standing out for his Iranian heritage.

And now he has company in that dynamic combination.

Yoshida successfully defended his 97kg title at the Asian Championships on Saturday, one of two golds captured by Japan on the first night of finals in Freestyle – both by wrestlers born and raised in Japan with Iranian fathers.

WATCH ARASH YOSHIDA (JPN) vs AMIRALI AZARPIRA (IRI) FINAL: CLICK HERE

Yoshida outlasted Amirali AZARPIRA (IRI) in a battle of world medalists, notching a second-period takedown for the key score in a 4-0 victory.

“I'm glad I was able to beat an opponent I had been aiming to defeat, and to win the Asian championship,” said Yoshida, who also won the Asian gold at 92kg in 2023.

His victory came a short time after unheralded compatriot Keyvan GHAREHDAGHI (JPN) – who also has an Iranian father and Japanese mother – won the 79kg gold in his first major senior tournament.

It was also a big night for India, which claimed golds from SUJEET (IND) at 65kg and ABHIMANYOU (IND) at 70kg, while Milad VALIZADEH (IRI) won the other title at stake with a somewhat distasteful triumph at 57kg.

Arash YOSHIDA (JPN)Arash YOSHIDA (JPN), blue, and Amirali AZARPIRA (IRI) battle it out in the 97kg final at the Asian Championships. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

For Yoshida, his facing – and beating – an Iranian in a major international tournament final had long been the dream of his father, who runs the kids wrestling club outside of Tokyo where Arash and his siblings started the sport.

“It's a bit [special],” Yoshida said of beating Azarpira. “It's not so good that my father is so happy about it, but at the same time, I'm glad. I am my own self, and I came here as a Japanese to represent Japan.”

In the final at Bishkek’s Zhastyk Arena, neither wrestler could make inroads early on as Yoshida received an activity point for the lone score of the first period.

In the second period, Azarpira launched an attack, but Yoshida sprawled and started to work his way behind. When Azarpira tried to get to his feet, Yoshida deftly lunged for an ankle and sent the Iranian to the mat for a takedown and a 3-0 lead. A penalty for hands to the face accounted for Yoshida’s final point.

“I wasn’t able to attack much, so I ended up focusing solely on finding a way to win,” Yoshida said. “The match itself wasn’t very interesting. The Iranian was strong, and I thought it would come down to a battle of power. I thought it was good that I kept the pressure on when we tied up.”

As for achieving a golden repeat, Yoshida said, “That wasn't really an issue for me. It’s more to just do each and everything I needed to do as it comes up. When it comes to repeating, it’s like I’m thankful because it’s something that becomes mine.”

At last year’s World Championships in Zagreb, Yoshida took a bronze medal after losing in the semifinals to Kyle SNYDER (USA), who then beat Paris Olympic bronze medalist Azarpira for the gold.

Yoshida can secure a trip to this year’s World Championships with a victory at next month’s Meiji Cup All-Japan Invitational Championships, or in a playoff in the unlikely event that he loses. The winner will also earn a ticket to the Asian Games that Japan will host in October.

“The top wrestlers will come up with a strategy against me, so I think the world is going to get tougher for me,” Yoshida said. “I will have to put my whole heart into training.”

Keyvan GHAREHDAGHI (JPN)Keyvan GHAREHDAGHI (JPN) celebrates after winning the 79kg gold medal at the Asian Championships. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

As Yoshida continue to establish himself among the world elite, collegian Gharehdaghi took a big first step when he forged out a 2-1 victory over Sandeep MANN (IND) for the 79kg, with activity points accounting for all of the scoring.

Gharehdaghi, a 20-year-old third-year student at Tokyo’s Waseda University, spent the match trying to break through Mann’s defensive shell, while his opponent would not launch a legitimate attack until the final seconds.

It was a far cry from the Gharehdaghi’s action-packed semifinal win over Olympic bronze medalist Razambek JAMALOV (UZB) that suddenly cast him into the spotlight.

“I wanted to be aggressive and do my style of wrestling,” Gharehdaghi said. “But it was a final. The feeling of not wanting to make a mistake comes to the forefront, and there were times I couldn't do the wrestling that I wanted to.

“I''m happy that I won the title, but above that, I wanted it to be more my type of wrestling.”

WATCH: KEYVAN GHREHDAGHI (JPN) BEATS OLYMPIC CHAMPION RAZAMBEK JAMALOV (UZB)

Gharehdaghi’s win ended a run of victories by India in the two previous finals.

“The Indians were really on a roll, starting from 65kg,” Gharehdaghi said. “I wasn't trying to stop the streak. I was just thinking about myself.”

Gharehdaghi said he will eventually move down to 74kg when the Olympic qualifying process begins, and remains unsure at this time what weight class he will enter at the Meiji Cup.

For now, he can bask in the glory of a well-earned triumph without letting it go to his head.

“It gives me confidence, but I am telling myself to not be satisfied with this and to work to get to a higher level,” he said.

SUJEET (IND)SUJEET (IND) claimed the 65kg gold medal in Bishkek after an 8-1 victory over Umidjon JALOLOV (UZB). (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

India’s mini gold rush began with Sujeet’s 8-1 win over world bronze medalist Umidjon JALOLOV (UZB) at 65kg, which he secured with three second-period takedowns.

Sujeet, the 2025 world u23 champion and winner of two Ranking Series events this year, gained an activity point and stepout to go ahead in the first period. In the second, the run of takedowns started, disturbed only by a stepout by Jalolov and ending with a nice duck under.

“He is a very good competitor,” Sujeet said of Jalolov, “but I want to give my best. I don’t want to consider any opponent weak or strong.”

It was Sujeet’s fourth win in four meetings with Jalalov, most recently in the final at the last year’s World U23 Championships.

Sujeet still has an axe to grind about his disappointing showing at last year’s senior worlds, where he fell in the quarterfinals, then was eliminated in the repechage to finish out of the medals.

“Last year, there were a lot of shortcomings at the World Championships,” Sujeet said. “I was under a lot of pressure. But this year, I have started to improve. There is a difference between this year and last. I am improving day by day.”

ABHIMANYOU (IND)ABHIMANYOU (IND) scores a takedown on Tulga TUMUR OCHIR (MGL) in the 70kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

Abhimanyou, a bronze medalist in 2024, followed Sujeet’s victory by rallying for a 5-3 victory in the 70kg final over world silver medalist Tulga TUMUR OCHIR (MGL).

“I just wanted to give 100 percent in the final,” said Abhimanyou, who became the first Indian to win an Asian gold in a weight class above 66kg since 2010.

“I focused on a few things in the final. The Mongolian wrestler has a great underhook on his right side. And my defense on my left side is very good so I could cancel him.”

Tumur Ochir scored first when he spun out of a near takedown for a stepout, then received an activity point to take a 2-0 lead at the break.

Abhimanyou started the second period with a double-leg takedown, with an unsuccessful challenge giving the Indian a 4-2 lead. After limiting Tumur Ochir to a stepout despite getting in deep on a single, Abhimanyou gained a stepout with :54 left to cap the scoring.

“I was not worried even when he scored the first two points,” Abhimanyou said. “I could feel that I will catch him for a takedown whenever I want.”

Milad VALIZADEH (IRI)Milad VALIZADEH (IRI) won the 57kg gold, the only champion for Iran on Saturday. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

At 57kg, what started as an exciting match between two dynamos ended with returning silver medalist Valizadeh being booed after completing an easy victory over an injured Munkh Erdene BATKHUYAG (MGL).

Batkhuyag suffered an apparent rib injury while scoring a stepout midway through the first period that cut Valizadeh’s lead to 4-3. After the restart, Valizadeh shot in for a takedown, at which time Batkhuyag seemed to have was stopped fighting.

But Valizadeh didn’t, and flip-flopped the lifeless Batkhuyag back and forth until he piled up enough points for a 14-3 victory that ended the match at 1:47.

To be fair, the referee never blew the whistle, and Valizadeh was under no obligation to stop. And after the initial boos, the crowd actually applauded when he celebrated his victory with a gymnastics back flip.

Akhmed TAZHUDINOV (BRN)Akhmed TAZHUDINOV (BRN) returned with a bronze medal at 97kg. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

Tazhudinov takes home 97kg bronze

In the bronze-medal matches, Olympic champion Akhmed TAZHUDINOV (BRN) assured he would not leave Bishkek empty-handed, emphatically beating Bekzat URKIMBAY (KAZ) 14-0 at 97kg.

Tazhudinov, a two-time former gold medalist, jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the first period, then poured it on after tackling Urkimbay, turning him over again and again to end the match in 3:53.

In the other 97kg match, Sherzod POYONOV (UZB) scored a defensive takedown and gut wrench combination in the second period that made the difference in a 7-5 win over VICKY (IND) in a match that was otherwise filled mainly with stepouts.

Poyonov, the world U20 champion at 92kg, added the bronze to the silver he won at 92kg in 2024.

At 70kg, local star Ernazar AKMATALIEV (KGZ) completed his collection of Asian medals with a vintage performance of his counter wrestling as he won one of three bronze medals claimed by the host nation.

Akmataliev, rebounding from a devastating loss in the semifinals when he was unaware of the score, rode his counters to a 14-7 win over Shuang CHEN (CHN).

The three-time world medalist, pulled away in the second period with a pair of takedowns off counters, adding a counter lift for his final points for good measure to add to the gold he won last year and a silver from 2022.

Even when Chen scored four earlier by somersaulting forward with Akmataliev on his back, Akmataliev managed to fenagle a 2-point exposure.

In the other 70kg match, Sina KHALILI (IRI) took home his second straight bronze with a one-sided 11-0 win over Shakhzodbek YARASHEV (UZB) that included a 4-point takedown in the second period.

Zhakshylyk BAITASHOV (KGZ) followed Akmataliev by taking a bronze at 79kg with a 6-0 win over Somonjon IKROMOV (TJK) for his first major medal.

After opening with a stepout and activity point in the first period, Baitashov padded the lead with a takedown in the second period, then scored another blocking a desperate throw attempt by Ikromov.

Suldkhuu OLONBAYAR (MGL) received his second straight Asian bronze and third overall when Jamalov forfeited their match.

At 57kg, Abdymalik KARACHOV (KGZ) also won a bronze without a fight after Sunggwon KIM (KOR) defaulted due to injury. It is the first senior medal for Karachov, the 2024 world U23 silver medalist and Asian U23 champion.

In the other 57kg match, Asian U20 champion ANKUSH (IND) earned his first senior Asian medal when he hit a 4-point hip throw in the second period, leading to an 8-2 victory over Fuga SASAKI (JPN).

Sasaki had gone ahead 2-1 with a takedown to open the second period when Ankush slammed him to the mat. An unsuccessful challenge and a late takedown sewed up the victory for the Indian.

At 65kg, Russian-born Abdulmazhid KUDIEV (TJK) survived a wild battle with Asian U23 bronze medalist Rustamzhan KAKHAROV (KGZ), gaining an early 4-point takedown and getting 4 during a second period scramble to prevail 10-7.

Kudiev, the 2024 world bronze medalist at 70kg, led 5-2 in the second period when Kakharov tried to secure a cradle as he tried to take Kudiev to the mat. In the ensuing chaos, Kakharov got 2, only for Kudiev to reverse for 2 then add a 2-point exposure.

A late 2-point throw and unsuccessful challenge pulled Kakharov to within two points, but Kudiev sewed up the win with a stepout.

In the other 65kg match, Alibeg ALIBEGOV (BRN) was leading 1-1 on criteria when he secured a second-period takedown for a 3-1 victory over Zeneemeder BYAMBASUREN (MGL).

Photo

Day 6 Results

Freestyle

57kg (11 entries)
GOLD: Milad VALIZADEH (IRI) df. Munkh Erdene BATKHUYAG (MGL) by TS, 14-3, 1:47

BRONZE: Abdymalik KARACHOV (KGZ) df. Sunggwon KIM (KOR) by Inj. Def.
BRONZE: ANKUSH (IND) df. Fuga SASAKI (JPN), 8-2

61kg (11 entries)
SF 1: AMAN (IND) df. Ahmad JAVAN (IRI), 11-9
SF 2: Kwang Myong KIM (PRK) df. Gulomjon ABDULLAEV (UZB) by Fall, 2:30 (3-0)

65kg (12 entries)
GOLD: SUJEET (IND) df. Umidjon JALOLOV (UZB), 8-1

BRONZE: Abdulmazhid KUDIEV (TJK) df. Rustamzhan KAKHAROV (KGZ), 10-7
BRONZE: Alibeg ALIBEGOV (BRN) df. Zeneemeder BYAMBASUREN (MGL), 3-1

70kg (10 entries)
GOLD: ABHIMANYOU (IND) df. Tulga TUMUR OCHIR (MGL), 5-3

BRONZE: Ernazar AKMATALIEV (KGZ) df. Shuang CHEN (CHN), 14-7
BRONZE: Sina KHALILI (IRI) df. Shakhzodbek YARASHEV (UZB) by TS, 11-0, 5:06

74kg (14 entries)
SF 1: Magomedrasul ASLUEV (BRN) df. Begijon KULDASHEV (UZB), 4-3
SF 2: Yoshinosuke AOYAGI (JPN) df. Orozobek TOKTOMAMBETOV (KGZ) by TS, 10-0, 3:36

79kg (12 entries)
GOLD: Keyvan GHAREHDAGHI (JPN) df. Sandeep Singh MANN (IND), 2-1

BRONZE: Suldkhuu OLONBAYAR (MGL) df. Razambek JAMALOV (UZB) by Forf.
BRONZE: Zhakshylyk BAITASHOV (KGZ) df. Somonjon IKROMOV (TJK), 6-0

86kg (15 entries)
SF 1: Kamran GHASEMPOUR (IRI) df. Alp Arslan BEGENJOV (TKM) by TS, 11-0, 3:30
SF 2: Mukul DAHIYA (IND) df. Bolat SAKAYEV (KAZ), 12-6

92kg (12 entries)
SF 1: Magomed SHARIPOV (BRN) df. Iakov CHAPLIN (KGZ), 8-0
SF 2: Mobin AZIMI (IRI) df. Azamat DAULETBEKOV (KAZ), 6-0

97kg (13 entries)
GOLD: Arash YOSHIDA (JPN) df. Amirali AZARPIRA (IRI), 4-0

BRONZE: Sherzod POYONOV (UZB) df. VICKY (IND), 7-5
BRONZE: Akhmed TAZHUDINOV (BRN) df. Bekzat URKIMBAY (KAZ) by TS, 12-0, 3:53

125kg (11 entries)

SF 1: Amir Hossein ZARE (IRI) df. BUHEEERDUN (CHN), 5-0
SF 2: Shamil SHARIPOV (BRN) df. DINESH (IND) by Fall, :41 (2-0)