#Grappling

World Combat Games Qualifiers: 12 Grappling Gi quotas confimed

By Vinay Siwach

TASHKENT, Uzbekistan (May 1) -- On the second day of the World Combat Games Qualifiers in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, 12 more quotas were awarded, following an entertaining day one.

Sixteen Grappling quotas were earned on Sunday, while Monday saw 12 Grappling Gi athletes book their tickets for the World Combat Games to be held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in October 2023.

The qualification process for the World Combat Games began in 2022 in Pontevedra, Spain, which also offered 40 quotas. The four highest-placed grapplers in each of the senior weight categories qualified for the World Combat Games in Saudi Arabia, scheduled for October 2023.

In Tashkent, the process is the same, and the first four highest-placed athletes in each weight category will qualify for one quota place for their national federation. However, if more than one athlete from the same country is ranked in the first four highest places in a weight category, only one quota will be allocated to the country. The remaining quota(s) will be reallocated in the same weight category to the national federation of the next best-ranked athlete who has not yet qualified.

With the deadline fast approaching, the national federations must confirm the usage of the quotas won by their grapplers to United World Wrestling at the earliest.

Men's Grappling Gi

71kg
Alessio SACCHETTI (ITA)
Feruzbek UROKOV (UZB)
Sandor LAKATOS (HUN)
Fierre AFAN (PHI)

100kg
Eldar RAFIGAEV (MDA)
Evgenii SLESARENKO (KGZ)
Azizbek SHARIPOV (UZB)
Guglielmo CECCA (ITA)

Women's Grappling Gi

53kg
Zhenishgul ABDYRAKHMAN KYZY (KGZ)

64kg
Zilolakhon MUHAMMADOVA (UZB)

71kg
Shynar UZBEKOVA (KAZ)
Bubusaira ABDILMANAP KYZY (KGZ)

#UWWAwards2022

Ozaki earns Women’s Wrestler of the Year honors

By United World Wrestling Press

CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (December 28) -- United World Wrestling has announced Nonoka OZAKI (JPN) as the Women’s Wrestler of the Year. 

At the mere age of 19 years, Ozaki joined a rare list of wrestlers with all four world titles.

This year was undoubtedly Ozaki’s year as she won U20, U23 and senior world golds this season.

Ozaki won a bronze medal at the 2021 World Championships but stormed back with a gold-medal-winning performance in 2022 in Belgrade. On her way to the gold, she defeated defending world champion Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ) and silver medalist Kayla MIRACLE (USA).

Domestically, Ozaki needed to defeat Olympic champion Yukako KAWAI (JPN) to make the world team. She did that in May 2022 and then remained undefeated on the season until suffering a season-ending loss by Sakura MOTOKI in the final at the All-Japan Championships on December 25.

In April, she won her first Asian Championships title by beating Tynybekova, added the U20 world title in August, and completed the set by winning the U23 world gold in October. She won the U17 world title in 2019 in Sofia.

The year-ending rankings were also a reflection of her dominance as she finished on the top at 62kg with 55000 ranking points, out-placing other veterans of the sport.