#WrestleCoralville

All-World team ready for World Cup challenge

By Vinay Siwach

CORALVILLE, Iowa (December 6) -- A world champion, five multiple times world medalists and two medalists from the 2022 World Championships.

A 10-member All-World team will descend upon Coralville for the freestyle World Cup on December 10 and 11 at the Xtreme Arena and if all works out, will be a serious threat for the title.

The 2022 World Cup is the first time that an All-World team is going to participate in the tournament. It comprises the top finishers in each weight class from Belgrade who are not part of the five teams which qualified directly.

The USA, Iran, Japan, Mongolia, and Georgia were the top five teams at the World Championships and gained automatic qualification for the World Cup. But the All-World looks a formidable unit.

Led by world champion Zelimkhan ABAKAROV (UWW) at 57kg, it has two-time silver medalist Tajmuraz SALKAZANOV (UWW) at 74kg, another Slovakian and silver medalist in Batyrbek TSAKULOV (UWW) at 97kg, two young bronze medalists from Belgrade in Ernazar AKMATALIEV (UWW) at 70kg and Osman NURMAGOMEDOV (UWW) at 92kg.

Two-time world bronze medalist Iszmail MUSZUKAJEV (UWW) will be at 65kg with bronze medalists at 79kg Arsalan BUDAZHAPOV (UWW) and Azamat DAULETBEKOV (UWW) at 86kg adding more firepower to the squad. Tokyo Olympian Georgi VANGELOV (UWW) at 61kg and Oleksandr KHOTSIANIVSKYI (UWW) at 125kg complete the team.

The All-World team is placed in Group B with Iran and Japan and is likely that it will finish at the top of the standing and wrestle in the final.

Opening its campaign against Japan, the All-World team will be a heavy favorite. Japan is missing both its world champion, Rei HIGUCHI (JPN) and Taishi NARIKUNI (JPN), from the line-up and has sent a relatively young team.

But the All-World team will bank on Abakarov, Muszukajev, Akmataliev, Salkazanov and Nurmagomedov to give the team an outright win.

Japan is also unlikely to win against Iran making the All-World vs Iran match late on Saturday a virtual semifinal.

"Our preparation is very good," Akmataliev said. "We were supposed to hold a camp in America but it did not go through. So, we are preparing in Bishkek. Saturday will show on the mat."

Akmataliev is one of the most exciting wrestlers around the world with clutch performances, especially in come-from-behind wins. He will be expected to win all his bouts in Coralville. And he hopes the team will also be able to do the same.

"I was very happy when I received the invite for the world team," he said. "Our team is very strong, and we will show our potential. We can beat all the other teams.

"Our wrestlers are best in their weight classes and if we can come together as a team, we will be champions," he added.

Akmataliev hopes to wrestle the USA in the final but is aware of the threats Iran and Japan pose in the group stage.

"I cannot say that one team is weak or strong," he said. "Every opponent is strong, and I will treat every bout as the final and try to win"

If the USA and All-World team do meet in the final, expect a neck-to-neck battle with both teams equally good enough to win.

If Abakarov can give a winning start to the All-World team, it will be Vangelov up against Seth GROSS (US) at 61kg and a fan-favorite bout between Muszukajev and John DIAKOMIHALIS (USA) at 65kg. Akmataliev holds the upper hand against Tyler BERGER (USA) with Salkazanov and Jason NOLF (USA) at 74kg.

Salkazanov needs to win even if Budazhapov loses to Jordan BURROUGHS (USA) at 79kg. Dauletbekov up against Zahid VALENCIA (USA) at 86kg will be a crucial match-up for both teams as Numagomedov is expected to win against Nathan JACKSON (USA). Kyle SNYDER (USA) has the upper hand at 97kg against Tsakulov in the World Championships final rematch. The All-World team will need Khotsianivskyi to win at 125kg against Hayden ZILLMER (USA).

In all likelihood, it will end with five wins for both teams and the team with more classification points winning the World Cup.

#WrestleAmman

Asian Championships 2025 Entries

By United World Wrestling Press

AMMAN, Jordan (March 7) -- The Asian Championships will be held in Amman, Jordan from March 25 to 30 with 378 wrestlers expected to compete.

Olympic champion Akhmed TAZHUDINOV (BRN) is returning after his shoulder surgery and is one of the three Paris Olympic champions expected to compete.

There is also DPR Korea returning to the Asian Championships for the first time since 2019.

UWW+ and uww.org will have all the action, highlights and news live from Amman, Jordan.

Note: These are preliminary entries and subject to change. For final entries, refer to UWW Arena

57kg
Muqibullah NEZAMI (AFG)
Weiyu LI (CHN)
Zainal ABIDIN (INA)
CHIRAG (IND)
Milad VALIZADEH (IRI)
Husein ALBEHADILALBORS (IRQ)
Rin SAKAMOTO (JPN)
Merey BAZARBAYEV (KAZ)
Almaz SMANBEKOV (KGZ)
Sunggwon KIM (KOR)
Munkh BATKHUYAG (MGL)
Chong Song HAN (PRK)
Gayan EKANAYAKA (SRI)
Aiaal BELOLYUBSKII (TJK)
Gulomjon ABDULLAEV (UZB)

61kg
Wanhao ZOU (CHN)
UDIT (IND)
Ahmad JAVAN (IRI)
Suhib ALMARAFI (JOR)
Takara SUDA (JPN)
Meirambek KARTBAY (KAZ)
Bekbolot MYRZANAZAR UULU (KGZ)
Hyeonsik SONG (KOR)
Tuvshintulga TUMENBILEG (MGL)
Kum Chol RI (PRK)
Dzhamshed SHARIFOV (TJK)
Behruzbey TURANMURATOV (UZB)

65kg
Alibeg ALIBEGOV (BRN)
Baowen WEI (CHN)
Hamka HAMKA (INA)
SUJEET (IND)
Abbas EBRAHIMZADEH (IRI)
Kaisei TANABE (JPN)
Nursultan SADYK (KAZ)
Taiyrbek ZHUMASHBEK UULU (KGZ)
Junsik YUN (KOR)
Tsogbadrakh TSEVEENSUREN (MGL)
Abdullah ASSAF (PLE)
Kwang Jin KIM (PRK)
Yan LEE (SGP)
Divoshan CHARLES FERNANDO (SRI)
Gurbanmuhammet CHARYYEV (TKM)
Umidjon JALOLOV (UZB)

70kg
Tao WEI (CHN)
VISHAL (IND)
Sina KHALILI (IRI)
Mohammed KAREEM (IRQ)
Zaid MESLAH (JOR)
Yoshinosuke AOYAGI (JPN)
Nachyn KUULAR (KAZ)
Ernazar AKMATALIEV (KGZ)
Seonho YOO (KOR)
Tulga TUMUR OCHIR (MGL)
Viktor RASSADIN (TJK)
Shirmuhammet BEKIYEV (TKM)
Begijon KULDASHEV (UZB)

74kg
Zaid SALIHI (AFG)
Magomedrasul ASLUEV (BRN)
Tu Erxun AHEIYOU (CHN)
Gilang ILHAZA (INA)
JAIDEEP (IND)
Mohammad Reza SHAKERI (IRI)
Ali AL OBAIDI (IRQ)
Orts ISAKOV (JOR)
Hikaru TAKATA (JPN)
Nurkozha KAIPANOV (KAZ)
Orozobek TOKTOMAMBETOV (KGZ)
Daegil HAN (KOR)
Batbayar BATSUKH (MGL)
Ok Chol HAN (PRK)
Madushanka LAKMAL (SRI)
Mustafo AKHMEDOV (TJK)
Perman HOMMADOV (TKM)
Fazliddin NASRITDINOV (UZB)

79kg
Khidir SAIPUDINOV (BRN)
Feng LU (CHN)
CHANDERMOHAN (IND)
Mahdi YOUSEFI (IRI)
Erzo ISAKOV (JOR)
Ryunosuke KAMIYA (JPN)
Daulet YERGESH (KAZ)
Arsalan BUDAZHAPOV (KGZ)
Bumgue SEO (KOR)
Suldkhuu OLONBAYAR (MGL)
Magomet EVLOEV (TJK)
Asadbek KARIMOV (UZB)

86kg
Nan CAO (CHN)
FAHRIANSYAH (INA)
Mukul DAHIYA (IND)
Abolfazl RAHMANI (IRI)
Mustafa AL AZZAWI (IRQ)
Abdallah MAKOON (JOR)
Tatsuya SHIRAI (JPN)
Bolat SAKAYEV (KAZ)
Mukhammad ABDULLAEV (KGZ)
Gyeongyeon LEE (KOR)
Batbilguun NAADAMBAT (MGL)
Weng CHOW (SGP)
Salimzhoni KHALIMZODA (TJK)
Dovletgeldi MYRADOV (TKM)
Bobur ISLOMOV (UZB)

92kg
Magomed SHARIPOV (BRN)
Zushen LIN (CHN)
Deepak PUNIA (IND)
Amirhossein FIROUZPOUR (IRI)
Abdul ABUIDAIJ (JOR)
Takashi ISHIGURO (JPN)
Azamat DAULETBEKOV (KAZ)
Bekzat RAKHIMOV (KGZ)
Gwanuk KIM (KOR)
Bat Erdene BYAMBASUREN (MGL)
Soltan BEGENJOV (TKM)
Sherzod POYONOV (UZB)

97kg
Akhmed TAZHUDINOV (BRN)
Awusayiman HABILA (CHN)
Muhamad RUDIANSYAH (INA)
JOINTY (IND)
Mohammadmobin AZIMI (IRI)
Abdullah SAMEER (IRQ)
Arash YOSHIDA (JPN)
Rizabek AITMUKHAN (KAZ)
Kanybek ABDULKHAIROV (KGZ)
Jeongwoo PARK (KOR)
Gankhuyag GANBAATAR (MGL)
Shatlyk HEMELYAYEV (TKM)
Makhsud VEYSALOV (UZB)

125kg
Shamil SHARIPOV (BRN)
BUHEEERDUN (CHN)
DINESH (IND)
Amirreza MASOUMI (IRI)
Ahmed AL JAMIE (IRQ)
Taiki YAMAMOTO (JPN)
Nursultan AZOV (KAZ)
Gyeongmin KIM (KOR)
Lkhagvagerel MUNKHTUR (MGL)
Zyyamuhammet SAPAROV (TKM)
Sardorbek KHOLMATOV (UZB)

Jin ZHANG (CHN)Zhang twins -- Yu and Jin -- are competing at the Asian Championships. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

Women's Wrestling

50kg
Yu ZHANG (CHN)
ANKUSH (IND)
Remina YOSHIMOTO (JPN)
Svetlana ANKICHEVA (KAZ)
Miran CHEON (KOR)
Munkhnar BYAMBASUREN (MGL)
Jiah PINGOT (PHI)
Myonggyong WON (PRK)
Nipuni WASANA (SRI)
Gozel KURBANOVA (TKM)
Yi Hui LIN (TPE)
Aktenge KEUNIMJAEVA (UZB)
Thi Nga DUONG (VIE)

53kg
Jin ZHANG (CHN)
ANTIM (IND)
Noura TAAIBIN (JOR)
Moe KIYOOKA (JPN)
Zeinep BAYANOVA (KAZ)
Seoyoung PARK (KOR)
Otgontuya CHINBOLD (MGL)
Aliah GAVALEZ (PHI)
Hyo Gyong CHOE (PRK)
Meng Hsuan HSIEH (TPE)
Shokhida AKHMEDOVA (UZB)

55kg
Yuxuan LI (CHN)
NISHU (IND)
Layal SUKKAR (JOR)
Haruna MURAYAMA OKUNO (JPN)
Zulfiya YAKHYAROVA (KAZ)
Aruuke KADYRBEK KYZY (KGZ)
Hyerim LEE (KOR)
Otgontuya BAYANMUNKH (MGL)
Kyong Ryong OH (PRK)
Dilshoda MATNAZAROVA (UZB)
Thi My Trang NGUYEN (VIE)

57kg
Kexin HONG (CHN)
Neha SHARMA (IND)
Sara NATAMI (JPN)
Nilufar RAIMOVA (KAZ)
Sezim ZHUMANAZAROVA (KGZ)
Youngjin KWON (KOR)
Bolortuya KHURELKHUU (MGL)
Il Sim SON (PRK)
Danielle LIM (SGP)
Nethmi AHINSA (SRI)
Pei Ying LIAO (TPE)
Laylokhon SOBIROVA (UZB)
Thi Hien DANG (VIE)

59kg
Mengyu XIE (CHN)
MUSKAN (IND)
Sakura ONISHI (JPN)
Guldana BEKESH (KAZ)
Tancholpon KYBALBEKOVA (KGZ)
Hyeonju KWON (KOR)
Altjin TOGTOKH (MGL)
Arian CARPIO (PHI)
Pyol HONG (PRK)
Sarbinaz JIENBAEVA (UZB)

62kg
LILI (CHN)
MANISHA (IND)
Tala ABUKHEIT (JOR)
Nonoka OZAKI (JPN)
Tynys DUBEK (KAZ)
Kalmira BILIMBEKOVA (KGZ)
Hanbit LEE (KOR)
Tserenchimed SUKHEE (MGL)
Ok Ju KIM (PRK)
Miyasar KUSHMURATOVA (UZB)

65kg
Qi ZHANG (CHN)
MONIKA (IND)
Balqis TAAIBIN (JOR)
Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN)
Yelena SHALYGINA (KAZ)
Dilnaz SAZANOVA (KGZ)
Jeongae BARK (KOR)
Enkhjin TUVSHINJARGAL (MGL)
Aylah Mohammed MAYALI (PLE)
Maysa YUSUPJANOVA (TKM)
Shakhzoda ALLANIYAZOVA (UZB)
Dieu Thuong LAI (VIE)

68kg
Zelu LI (CHN)
Mansi LATHAR (IND)
Ami ISHII (JPN)
Irina KAZYULINA (KAZ)
Gulnura TASHTANBEKOVA (KGZ)
Miju KIM (KOR)
Delgermaa ENKHSAIKHAN (MGL)
Sol Gum PAK (PRK)
Sheng Fang CAI (TPE)
Nabira ESENBAEVA (UZB)

72kg
Yuqi LIU (CHN)
Jyoti BERWAL (IND)
Masako FURUICHI (JPN)
Zhamila BAKBERGENOVA (KAZ)
Nurzat NURTAEVA (KGZ)
Sehee KIM (KOR)
Bolortungalag ZORIGT (MGL)
Svetlana OKNAZAROVA (UZB)

76kg
YANGLA (CHN)
Reetika HOODA (IND)
Nodoka YAMAMOTO (JPN)
Elmira SYZDYKOVA (KAZ)
Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ)
Seoyeon JEONG (KOR)
Davaanasan ENKH AMAR (MGL)
Mi Hyang KIM (PRK)
Yan Ju JIANG (TPE)
Ozoda ZARIPBOEVA (UZB)

Saied ESMAEILI (IRI)Paris Olympic champion at 67kg Saied ESMAEILI (IRI) will be competing in Amman. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan) 

Greco-Roman

55kg
Yunlong HU (CHN)
NITIN (IND)
Poya DAD MARZ (IRI)
Sajjad ALBIDHAN (IRQ)
Mostafa ALQADE (JOR)
Kohei YAMAGIWA (JPN)
Yerbol KAMALIYEV (KAZ)
Ulan MURATBEK UULU (KGZ)
Junsik YU (KOR)
Sumiyabazar MUNKHZAYA (MGL)
Yu Chol RO (PRK)
Alexander CUEVAS (SGP)
Abduvali RAHIMBAYEV (TKM)
Ikhtiyor BOTIROV (UZB)

60kg
Ziyue XI (CHN)
SUMIT (IND)
Pouya NASERPOUR (IRI)
Ali ABUNASEER (JOR)
Kaito INABA (JPN)
Bakytzhan KABDYL (KAZ)
Akyl SULAIMANOV (KGZ)
Minwoo KIM (KOR)
Hassan ALHARTHI (KSA)
Se Ung RI (PRK)
Aslamjon AZIZOV (TJK)
Arslanbek ZAKIRBAYEV (TKM)
Alisher GANIEV (UZB)

63kg
Haodong TAN (CHN)
UMESH (IND)
Mohammad KESHTKAR (IRI)
Suhib ALHASANAT (JOR)
Godai MITANI (JPN)
Daulet ASHIRKHANOV (KAZ)
Doolotbek CHOIBEKOV (KGZ)
Hanjae CHUNG (KOR)
Faisal ALDOSSARY (KSA)
Ganbayar NAMSRAI (MGL)
Chan KIM (PRK)
Aref MOHAMMADI (QAT)
Azatjan ACHILOV (TKM)
AYTJAN KHALMAKHANOV (UZB)

67kg
Lei LI (CHN)
NEERAJ (IND)
Saeid ESMAEILI (IRI)
Ali ALBIDHAN (IRQ)
Katsuaki ENDO (JPN)
Meiirzhan SHERMAKHANBET (KAZ)
Razzak BEISHEKEEV (KGZ)
Minseong KWON (KOR)
Munthir JANDU (KSA)
Man Gwang SON (PRK)
Saoud ALMEFQAEY (QAT)
Mcclaren MARREN (SGP)
Sunat ABDULLOEV (TJK)
Nozimjon BOYKUZIEV (UZB)

72kg
Ji LENG (CHN)
KULDEEP (IND)
Danial SOHRABI (IRI)
Omar DARAGHMEH (JOR)
Issei HONNA (JPN)
Adilkhan SATAYEV (KAZ)
Yryskeldi KHAMZAEV (KGZ)
Yeonghun NOH (KOR)
Ahmed BARAHMAH (KSA)
Jason BAUCAS (PHI)
Loiqi AMIRKHONZODA (TJK)
Begmyrat NOBATOV (TKM)
Abdullo ALIEV (UZB)

77kg
Jixin YU (CHN)
SAGAR (IND)
Alireza ABDEVALI (IRI)
Amro SADEH (JOR)
Kodai SAKURABA (JPN)
Ibragim MAGOMADOV (KAZ)
Yryskeldi MAKSATBEK UULU (KGZ)
Dowon LEE (KOR)
Orgil NYAM ERDENE (MGL)
Saad AL SULAITI (QAT)
Aryan BIN AZMAN (SGP)
Muslihiddin UROQOV (TJK)
Hekim GURBANMYRADOV (TKM)
Lai Hsing YAO (TPE)
Aram VARDANYAN (UZB)

82kg
Likui SHI (CHN)
RAHUL (IND)
Mohammad NAGHOUSI (IRI)
Taizo YOSHIDA (JPN)
Omar SATAYEV (KAZ)
Bekzat ORUNKUL UULU (KGZ)
Boseong KANG (KOR)
Shahin BADAGHIMOFRAD (QAT)
Habibjon ZUHUROV (TJK)
Toyly ORAZOV (TKM)
Mukhammadkodir RASULOV (UZB)

87kg
Jiaxin HUANG (CHN)
Sunil KUMAR (IND)
Yasin YAZDI (IRI)
Soh SAKABE (JPN)
Adilkhan ALBAIULY (KAZ)
Asan ZHANYSHOV (KGZ)
Sanghyeok PARK (KOR)
Sukhrob ABDULKHAEV (TJK)
Jalgasbay BERDIMURATOV (UZB)

97kg
Youfang ZHANG (CHN)
NITESH (IND)
Mohammadhadi SARAVI (IRI)
Yuri NAKAZATO (JPN)
Ilyas GUCHIGOV (KAZ)
Melis AITBEKOV (KGZ)
Jewoo PARK (KOR)
Ibrahim FALLATAH (KSA)
Eduard BABENOSHEV (TJK)
Amanberdi AGAMAMMEDOV (TKM)
Bekhruz BARNOEV (UZB)

130kg
Wenhao JIANG (CHN)
PREM (IND)
Fardin HEDAYATI (IRI)
Ali AL SHARUEE (IRQ)
Almutasem KASASBAH (JOR)
Yuta NARA (JPN)
Alimkhan SYZDYKOV (KAZ)
Erlan MANATBEKOV (KGZ)
Minseok KIM (KOR)
Temurbek NASIMOV (UZB)