African Championship Entries

Monday, January 27, 2020 - 18:22 By Eric Olanowski

ALGER, Algeria (January 27) ---The African Championships kick-off February 04-09 in Alger, Algeria, and 23 of last year’s 30 champions return to action looking to defend their crowns.

Second-ranked Odunayo ADEKUOROYE headlines a group of nine women’s wrestling returning champions.

Adama DIATTA (SEN), the man in search of African title number ten, highlights a list of freestyle stars that includes eight reigning gold-medal winners.

Egypt’s pair of top-five-ranked wrestlers Mohamed ELSAYED (EGY) and Abdellatif MOHAMED (EGY) are two of the six Greco-Roman wrestlers who are looking to win a second consecutive title.

The African Championships begin next Tuesday (February 4) at 10:30 local time and can be followed live on www.unitedworldwrestling.org.

Women's Wrestling

50kg
Ibtissem DOUDOU (ALG)
Nadine NDAYISHIMIYE (BDI)
Nde Caroline YAPI (CIV)
Nada Medani Ashour Abdalla MOHAMED (EGY)
Debora Valeria TURE (GBS)
Fatiha SAHMANI (MAR)
Miesinnei Mercy GENESIS (NGR)
Nahamie SAMBOU (SEN)
Sarra HAMDI (TUN)

53kg
Kheira Chaimaa YAHIAOUI (ALG)
Joseph Emilienne ESSOMBE TIAKO (CMR)
Kholod Ahmed Allam AHMED (EGY)
Elisa Emma Patricia RASOANANTENAINA NOMENJANAHARY (MAD)
Bose SAMUEL (NGR)
Chaima RAOUAFI (TUN)

55kg
Lamia CHEMLAL (ALG)
Faten Ramadan Shamndy AHMED (EGY)
Esther Omolayo KOLAWOLE (NGR)
Dorssaf GHARSSI (TUN)
Faten HAMMAMI (TUN)

57kg
Cheima CHEBILA (ALG)
Eman Essam Guda EBRAHIM (EGY)
Fatoumata Yarie CAMARA (GUI)
Odunayo Folasade ADEKUOROYE (NGR)
Siwar BOUSETTA (TUN)

59kg
Rayane HOUFAF (ALG)
Fatma Ramadan Gomaa Ahmed ELKELINY (EGY)
Bisola MAKANJUOLA (NGR)
Siwar LOUATI BEN ALI (TUN)
Khouloud EL OUNI (TUN)

62kg
Kenza ISMAIL (ALG)
Berthe Emilienne ETANE NGOLLE (CMR)
Amina Kamal Elsebaee IBRAHIM (EGY)
Winrose ALIVISA (KEN)
Aminat Oluwafunmilayo ADENIYI (NGR)
Marwa AMRI (TUN)

65kg
Amel HAMMICHE(ALG)
Donia Mohamed Abdelgawwad ABOUZEID(EGY)
Hannah Amuchechi RUEBEN(NGR)
Lilia MEJRI(TUN)

68kg
Drifa AREZKI (ALG)
Mona Reda Abdelkhalek AHMED (EGY)
Blessing OBORUDUDU (NGR)
Anta SAMBOU (SEN)
Rihem AYARI (TUN)

72kg
Melissa SALHI (ALG)
Ornella Terancia Oswaldie SEREBOUSSO (CAF)
Eman Hany Hefny MOHAMED (EGY)
Sunmisola Idowu BALOGUN (NGR)
Zaineb SGHAIER (TUN)

76kg
Tassadit AMER (ALG)
Yvette ZIE (BUR)
Amy YOUIN (CIV)
Samar Amer Ibrahim HAMZA (EGY)
Blessing Joy ONYEBUCHI (NGR)
Nour JELJELI (TUN)

Adama DIATTA (SEN) is looking to win his tenth African title since 2007. (Photo: Max Rose-Fyne)

Freestyle

57kg
Abdelhak KHERBACHE (ALG)
Jean-Claude NDAYIZEYE (BDI)
Gamal Abdelnaser Hanafy MOHAMED (EGY)
Diamantino IUNA FAFE (GBS)
Mohamed Ismaele CAMARA (GUI)
Soufiane KABIL (MAR)
Ebikewenimo WELSON (NGR)
Jakobo Tanki TAU (RSA)
Fathi Mohammed Yagoub Nasir NASIR (SUD)

61kg
Abdelghani BENATALLAH (ALG)
Oussama LARIBI (ALG)
Rosian Ronald NGUIGAZA (CAF)
Christ Emmanuel NDRI (CIV)
Yousef Mohamed Yousef EISSA (EGY)
Fisayo KOLAWOLE (NGR)
Hermanus Nicolaas VAN DEN BERG (RSA)
Habib Mohamed El Tegani AHMED (SUD)
Dhia Eddine BAALOUCHI (TUN)

65kg
Amar LAISSAOUI (ALG)
Maxime Anicet Nazaire SIALO MAKAKE (CAF)
Fathi Tarek Fathi Attia ISMAIL (EGY)
Mbunde CUMBA MBALI (GBS)
Faly Hery Sedra RANDRIANANTOANDRO (MAD)
Otmane EL BAHJA (MAR)
Amas DANIEL (NGR)
Reynhardt LOUW (RSA)
Adama DIATTA (SEN)
Fakhireldin Antar Obaid SORIEN (SUD)
Farouk JELASSI (TUN)

70kg
Ibrahim MOKHTARI (ALG)
Lionel Patrick NGBO BAMBOU ASSANA (CAF)
Ahmed Mohamed Elsayed ELMADBOH (EGY)
Abubakar ALHASSAN (GHA)
Sampson CLACKSON (NGR)
Haithem DAKHLAOUI (TUN)

74kg
Ishak BOUKHORS (ALG)
Baki TCHANI (BEN)
Djibrine Garba NGAMBONGO (CAF)
Mahamad Mansour IDRISS (CAF)
Amr Reda Ramadan HUSSEN (EGY)
Augusto MIDANA (GBS)
Mathayo Matonya MAHABILA (KEN)
Mohamed CHAKIR (MAR)
Ogbonna Emmanuel JOHN (NGR)
Jaundre VAN RIEL (RSA)
Jean Bernard Diadia DIATTA (SEN)
Mohamed SESAY (SLE)
Maher GHANMI (TUN)

79kg
Mohammed BOUDRAA (ALG)
Saifeldin Shokry Mohamed Mahmoud ELKOUMY (EGY)
Foday KARGBO (SLE)
Ali Abdelwahab Osman BAKHET (SUD)
Ayoub BARRAJ (TUN)

86kg
Fateh BENFERDJALLAH (ALG)
Amoussou Nicolas CAKPO (BEN)
Nziga We Dieu Beni ZOZO (CAF)
Ulrich Elyse MANOUAN (CIV)
Khaled Masoud Ismail ELMOATAMADAWI (EGY)
Bedopassa BUASSAT DJONDE (GBS)
Roman MANITRA RAHARISON (MAD)
Oussama REGANI (MAR)
Ekerekeme AGIOMOR (NGR)
Zander GERINGER (RSA)
Blaise DIATTA (SEN)
Guma Babiker Adam BASHIR (SUD)
Sabri MNASRIYA (TUN)

92kg
Mohammed FARDJ (ALG)
Mohamed Abdalla Abdelmoneim ABDALLA (EGY)
Rachid OURIBI (MAR)
Mohamed Saifeldoula Mohamed MOHAMEDAIN (SUD)
Imed KADDIDI (TUN)

97kg
Oualid BOUAZIZI (ALG)
Hosam Mohamed Mostafa MERGHANY (EGY)
Fahd NAJI (MAR)
Angula Matheus SHIKONGO (NAM)
Soso TAMARAU (NGR)
Martin ERASMUS (RSA)
Mohamed SAADAOUI (TUN)
Amir ALAWAD (UWW)

125kg
Djahid BERRAHAL (ALG)
Diaaeldin Kamal Gouda ABDELMOTTALEB (EGY)
Anas LAMKABBER (MAR)
Johannes Jacobus KRIEL (RSA)
Thiacka FAYE (SEN)
Abdelmoneim ADOULI (TUN)

Two-time U23 world champion Mohamed ELSAYED (EGY) is the headline Greco-Roman athlete entered in the African Championships. He's ranked No. 5 in the world at 67kg. (Photo: Sachiko Hotaka)

Greco-Roman

55kg
Abdelkarim FERGAT (ALG)
Youssef Mohamed Harbi THABET (EGY)
Romio Ricardo GOLIATH (NAM)
Dhia Eddine BAALOUCHI (TUN)

60kg
Abdennour LAOUNI (ALG)
Haithem Mahmoud Ahmed Fahmy MAHMOUD (EGY)
Abderrazak ROUINBI (MAR)
Ikechukwu Valentine ROBINSON (NGR)
Mehdi DHEKER (TUN)

63kg
Abdeldjebar DJEBBARI (ALG)
Mostafa Hassan Abdelaal MOHAMED (EGY)
Hamed Moustapha TCHOUFON (RSA)
Fakhireldin Antar Obaid SORIEN (SUD)

67kg
Ishak GHAIOU (ALG)
Abdelmalek MERABET (ALG)
Mohamed Ibrahim Elsayed Ibrahi ELSAYED (EGY)
Mouad LACHKAR (MAR)
Alfred Ebilade PARKISTAN (NGR)
Gert Cornelius Johannes COETZEE (RSA)
Radhwen TARHOUNI (TUN)

72kg
Tarek Aziz BENAISSA (ALG)
Abouhalima Mohamed Elsaid ABOUHALIMA (EGY)
Mohamed SESAY (SLE)
Lamjed MAAFI (TUN)

77kg
Abd Elkrim OUAKALI (ALG)
Wael Hamdy Mohamed ABDELRAHMAN (EGY)
Aziz BOUALEM (MAR)
Emmanuel Chinonso NWORIE (NGR)
Richard FERREIRA (RSA)
Foday KARGBO (SLE)
Ibrahim Mohamed Bashir AHMED (SUD)
Mohamed Aziz LANDOLSI (TUN)

82kg
Fadi ROUABAH (ALG)
Chawki DOULACHE (ALG)
Mohamed Mahmoud Elsayed Ahmed SELIM (EGY)
Ali Abdelwahab Osman BAKHET (SUD)
Ghaith HANNACHI (TUN)

87kg
Bachir SID AZARA (ALG)
Mohamed Moustafa Ahmed Abdall METWALLY (EGY)
Mohamed FAIQ (MAR)
Tochukwu Micheal OKEKE (NGR)
Edward Louwis LESSING (RSA)
Guma Babiker Adam BASHIR (SUD)
Mohamed Skander MISSAOUI (TUN)

97kg
Adem BOUDJEMLINE (ALG)
Noureldin Hany Mohamed Gomaa HASSAN (EGY)
Choucri ATAFI (MAR)
Mohamed Saifeldoula Mohamed MOHAMEDAIN (SUD)
Haikel ACHOURI (TUN)
Amir ALAWAD (UWW)

130kg
Hichem KOUCHIT (ALG)
Hemza HALOUI (ALG)
Abdellatif Mohamed Ahmed MOHAMED (EGY)
Soufiane RAMANI (MAR)
Amine GUENNICHI (TUN)

Please note that entries are subject to change and are not official until 24 hours before the start of competition.

#WrestleBelgrade

Photo Feature: Wrestling with emotions, luck and history

Tuesday, August 29, 2023 - 19:10 By Vinay Siwach

BELGRADE, Serbia (August 29) -- Come the Olympic qualifying World Championships and the world of wrestling sees surprises like no other. The 2023 World Championships in Belgrade will throw more such results in September but what happened four years ago at the 2019 World Championships in Astana, Kazakhstan?

In front of a packed Bayrs Arena, champions went down to youngsters, dreams were shattered, wrestlers high on emotions. While some dreams remained unfulfilled, many wrestlers managed to live theirs.

Here's a throwback to 10 memories captured in these photos from the 2019 edition, a championship that saw Kazakhstan finish fourth in Freestyle team rankings, Japan winning only three gold in Women's Wrestling and Riza KAYAALP (TUR) winning a gold medal at the pre-Olympic World Championships.

Letting it out: Haji ALIYEV (AZE). (Photo: UWW / Tony Rotundo)

It would have been a shame this was not the first photo from the 2019 World Championships. What happens when Haji ALIYEV (AZE), a three-time world champion and who has seen it all, suffers a loss after a thrilling bout in the opening round of a World Championships? Nothing good about that. Aliyev reacts towards the officials after his 4-2 loss to eventual champion Gadzhimurad RASHIDOV, before being escorted from the mat.

At the Tokyo Olympics, Aliyev would win a silver medal while Rashidov finished with a bronze after both were drawn on opposite side of the bracket.

Breakfree: J'den COX (USA). (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

J'den COX (USA) had beaten Alireza KARIMI (IRI) 5-2 in 2018. A year later, the two would meet in the final at 92kg. Cox would blank Karimi 4-0. Soon after the hand raise, Cox would let out a loud scream, holding the pose for the photographers. It was symbolic of Cox's dominance at the weight class as he became a two-time world champion.

Askhat DILMUKHADMEDOV (KAZ) Hometown hero: Askhat Dilmukhamedov (KAZ), red. (Photo: UWW / Tony Rotundo)

It was clearly Askhat Dilmukhamedov's world. The Bayrs Arena's loudest cheer over the nine days when the Kazakh Greco-Roman wrestler upset two-time Olympic champion Roman VLASOV in the 1/8 finals 3-0. He followed that up with a 4-3 win over returning world champion Viktor NEMES (SRB) to reach the semifinals. He would fall to the eventual world champion Tamas LORINCZ (HUN) in the semifinals, thus eliminating both Vlasov and Nemes. Incidentally, both Vlasov and Nemes failed to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics in later tournaments.

End of a drought: Mariya STADNIK (AZE). (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Mariya STADNIK (AZE) celebrates after pinning Yanan SUN (CHN) to reach the final at 50kg. 10 years after she won her first world title, Stadnik was a win away from her second. The then three-time Olympic medalist left Sun to fight for bronze, which she did not win. Stadnik's win did not just bring joy for her but for Yui SUSAKI (JPN) as well. Susaki got a second life, thanks to Stadnik. Susaki would go on to win the Olympic gold medal in Tokyo after beating Stadnik in semifinals and Sun in the final.

High Flying: Iszmail MUSZUKAJEV (HUN). (Photo: UWW / Tony Rotundo)

A photograph which aptly describes Iszmail MUSZUKAJEV (HUN). He is wrestling Cristian NICOLESCU (PLW) in his opening bout at 65kg. It seems Nicolescu has Muszukajev on the ropes with his attacks, forcing him to be airborne to defend. Come on! Wrestling fans knew Muszukajev but they got to really know him in 2019. Muszukajev would win the bout 14-4 not before letting Nicolescu score takedowns like he was chilling in a park. It was just the start of Muszukajev given jaw-dropping wrestling content.

The gold standard: Yong Mi PAK (PRK). (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Yong Mi PAK (PRK) looks at her coach while Mayu MUKAIDA (JPN) is in utter disbelief after Pak won the 53kg final via technical superiority. Pak became the first female world champion from DPR Korea. She won the best in Asia, winning two Asian Championships gold and the Asian Games gold in 2018. But to be a world champion made her the favorite for the gold in Tokyo. But soon a global pandemic would derail the world and DPR Korea would skip the Olympics in Tokyo. Mukaida went on to win the 53kg gold in Tokyo. Pak, perhaps, must have been similing if she watched the Olympics.

A win to remember: Sharif SHARIFOV (AZE). (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

A 30-year-old Sharif SHARIFOV (AZE) takes out Olympic champion Kyle SNYDER (USA) after a battle. In one of the biggest upsets of the World Championships, Sharifov beat Snyder 5-2 in the 97kg semifinals and celebrated like a relieved man. The 2012 Olympic champion used his experience to shutdown Snyder. He would go on to lose the final against Abdulrashid SADULAEV but the semifinal win denied fans in Astana the third part of the Snyder-Sadulaev rivalry which ultimately happened in Tokyo.

Breaking Barriers: Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ). (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ) has broken many barriers related to Women's Wrestling in Kyrgyzstan. She was the first Olympian, first to reach a medal bout and in 2019, in front of a supportive crowd, Tynybekova became Kyrgyzstan's first-ever world champion in wrestling. Beating Taybe YUSEIN (BUL) in the dying seconds, Tynybekova completed a redemption of sorts as she suffered a heartbreaking loss in the bronze medal bout in Rio 2016. At the Tokyo Olympics, Tynybekova would lose the 62kg final to Yukako KAWAI (JPN), a wrestler the Kyrgyz star pinned in Astana.

Beginning of a Rivalry: Artur ALEKSANYAN (ARM). (Photo: UWW / Tony Rotundo)

Artur ALEKSANYAN (ARM) has rarely been challenged on a wrestling mat. The Rio Olympic champion and then three-time world champion Aleksanyan was tested in the quarterfinals. Mohammadhadi SARAVI (IRI) was unbeaten in international competition and was a U20 world champion in 2018. Aleksanyan was closer to legendary status in Greco-Roman. Yet, Saravi would put Aleksanyan on the brink and the latter would win only 4-3 against the 21-year-old Iranian. While Saravi is still looking for his first win over Aleksanyan, the two met in the semifinals of the Tokyo Olympics with Aleksanyan winning before finishing with a silver medal.

Continuing the Trend: Riza KAYAALP (TUR). (Photo: UWW / Tony Rotundo).

2011. 2015. 2019. The Greco-Roman world champion at 130kg in those three editions has been Riza KAYAALP (TUR). Yes, the pre-Olympic year World Championships gold belongs to the Turkish giant.

African Championship Entries

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Photo Feature: Wrestling with emotions, luck and history