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Asian Championships freestyle brackets breakdown

Wednesday, April 12, 2023 - 13:29 By Vinay Siwach

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ASTANA, Kazakhstan (April 12) -- If freestyle is exciting on the mat, the draws paint an even better picture. The freestyle draws for the Asian Championships concluded Wednesday with wrestlers from 10 weight classes receiving them. Freestyle begins Thursday with 57kg, 65kg, 70kg, 79kg and 97kg wrestlers going on the mat and the wrestlers from the remaining five on Friday.

Wrestling will begin at 11:00 am on Thursday and Friday instead of the regular 11:00 am. The timing for the medal bouts remains the same -- 18:00 hours.

57kg
Wanhao ZOU (CHN) gets the number seed and he will be waiting for the winner of Nodirjon SAFAROV (UZB) and Sunggwon KIM (KOR) to meet in the quarterfinal. If he wins, he will reach the semifinals which will be a tough battle.

The top half has Alireza SARLAK (IRI) wrestling Rikuto ARAI (JPN) in the qualification and the winner will take on AMAN (IND) in the quarterfinal as he is the fourth seed.

The bottom half of this bracket has Zanabazar ZANDANBUD (MGL) as the second seed and he faces the winner of Gayan KATHURANGANA (SRI) and Sunatullo BOBOEV (TJK).

Rakhat KALZHAN (KAZ) is seeded third and already in the quarterfinals. He has to wait for the winner of Almaz SMANBEKOV (KGZ) and Muhammad BILAL (PAK) to know his opponent.

61kg
PANKAJ (IND) gets the top seed in this weight class and a direct quarterfinal spot. He will face the winner of Sardor RUZIMOV (UZB) and Ibrahim GUZAN (YEM).

Two qualification bouts will be held to know the other quarterfinalists in the top half. Muhamad IKROMOV (TJK) will take on Tokyo Olympian Minghu LIU (CHN) in the first bout and Nurbolat ABDUALIYEV (KAZ) will face  Tuvshintulga TUMENBILEG (MGL) to decide the quarterfinalists.

In the bottom half, U23 world champion Taiyrbek ZHUMASHBEK UULU (KGZ) gets the winner of Kodai OGAWA (JPN) and Myrat HOJANEPESOV (TKM). Third seed Yasin REZAEI (IRI) will wait for the winner of Hyeonsik SONG (KOR) and Eddy BIN KHIDZER (SGP) in the quarterfinal.

65kg
World champion Rahman AMOUZAD (IRI) will be hoping to defend his Asian title as he is the top seed for the competition. He sits in the quarterfinal with Sanzhar MUKHTAR (KAZ) and Mohammed KAREEM (IRQ) trying to earn the spot to wrestle him.

Others will go through qualification to fill the quarterfinal spot. Changsu KIM (KOR) will wrestle Gurbanmuhammet CHARYYEV (TKM) for a spot in the last eight. Abdulmazhid KUDIEV (TJK) has fourth seed Ryoma ANRAKU (JPN) in the other bout.

The lower side of the bracket has second seed Tulga TUMUR OCHIR (MGL) in the quarterfinal with the winner of Ulukbek ZHOLDOSHBEKOV (KGZ) and Chlovelle ADOLFO (PHI) wrestling him.

U20 world champion Umidjon JALOLOV (UZB) will be wrestling Charles FERNANDO (SRI) for a spot in the quarterfinal while Shaohua YUAN (CHN) has Anuj KUMAR (IND).

70kg
Orozobek TOKTOMAMBETOV (KGZ) will be the top seed for the weight class and as the weight class has 16 wrestlers, it will kick off with the 1/16 finals.

Toktomambetov wrestles Perman HOMMADOV (TKM) in the first bout while the second one sees Sanzhar DOSZHANOV (KAZ) take on Suhyeon PARK (KOR). 

Mohamed BIN ABDULLAH (SGP) will be up against Mustafo AKHMEDOV (TJK) for a spot in the quarterfinal while Inayat ULLAH (PAK) has Morteza GHIASI CHEKA (IR) in the other 1/16 final.

The bottom half will have second seed AGUDAMU (CHN) take on Anil PELI GEDARA (SRI). Ali AL OBAIDI (IRQ) faces Orts ISAKOV (JOR) for a spot in the quarterfinals.

Yoshinosuke AOYAGI (JPN) gets Khanburged GANKHUYAG (MGL) and U20 bronze medalist Mulaym YADAV (IND) will be up against third seed Zafarbek OTAKHONOV (UZB).

74kg
While the big names are missing, 74kg will not be short of action. The top seed will be Suldkhuu OLONBAYAR (MGL) and he will face Abdullrahman IBRAHIM (QAT) in his 1/16 final. Magomet EVLOEV (TJK) and Jumadurdy MAMISHOV (TKM) will be the second face-off before former Asian champion Byungmin GONG (KOR) faces Udayantha FERNANDO (SRI). Fourth seed Kirin KINOSHITA (JPN) has YASH (IND) in his 1/16 finals.

In the bottom half, Darkhan YESSENGALI (KAZ) will face  HONG YEOW LOU (SGP) and Jafar CHULIBOYEV (UZB) gets to take on Adilet ZHAPARKULOV (KGZ). Hossein ABOUZARIPASHKOLAEI (IRI) will be up against Erzo ISAKOV (JOR). Third seed Shengsong XIA (CHN) will be facing Magomedrasul ASLUEV (BRN).

79kg
Veteran Bekzod ABDURAKHMONOV (UZB) will be the top seed for this weight class and will be in the quarterfinals. The winner of Gunwoo LEE (KOR) and Shuhrat BOZOROV (TJK) will be his first opponent.

Peilong LI (CHN) and Byambadorj BAT ERDENE (MGL) will be wrestling for a spot in the quarterfinal against DEEPAK (IND) who will be the fourth seed.

Second seed Amirhossein KAVOUSI (IRI) will be in the quarterfinal as well with one of Adilet MARATBAEV (KGZ) or Khidir SAIPUDINOV (BRN) to be his opponent.

Yajuro YAMASAKI (JPN) will face Vepa HEMENEKOV (TKM) and the winner earning a spot in the quarterfinal against Bolat SAKAYEV (KAZ) who is the third seed.

86kg
Defending champion Azamat DAULETBEKOV (KAZ) will be the top seed for the competition and he is placed in the quarterfinal. He will face the winner of Noman ZAKA (PAK) and Weng CHOW (SGP).

The second quarterfinal will be between the winner of Jointy KUMAR (IND) and Nurtilek KARYPBAEV (KGZ). Though he is the fourth seed Bobur ISLOMOV (UZB) will have to wrestle Dovletmyrat ORAZGYLYJOV (TKM) for a place in the quarterfinal against the previous winner.

Second seed Zushen LIN (CHN) will be in the quarterfinal and his opponent will be decided by a bout between Gwanuk KIM (KOR) and Alireza KARIMI (IRI). In the other quarterfinal of the bottom half, third seed Hayato ISHIGURO (JPN) will wait for Mustafa AL OBAIDI (IRQ) or Bat Erdene BYAMBASUREN (MGL).

92kg
The top seed and a quarterfinal spot at 92kg go Gankhuyag GANBAATAR (MGL). He will face the winner of Arashk MOHEBI (IRI) and Arash YOSHIDA (JPN). In the other quarterfinal, fourth seed Abdul ABUIDAIJ (JOR) will wait for the winner of Ajiniyaz SAPARNIYAZOV (UZB) and Woomin JANG (KOR).

In the bottom half, Rizabek AITMUKHAN (KAZ) is the second seed and will face one of Mirlan CHYNYBEKOV (KGZ) or Issa AL OBAIDI (IRQ). The third seed Magomed SHARIPOV (BRN) will have a test against Xiao SUN (CHN) or Deepak PUNIA (IND).

97kg
Awusayiman HABILA (CHN) is the top seed and will have a spot in the quarterfinal. He will face the winner of DEEPAK (IND) and Arslanbek TURDUBEKOV (KGZ). The second quarterfinal of the top half will see fourth seed Makhsud VEYSALOV (UZB) take on Juhwan SEO (KOR).

Going to the bottom half, Takashi ISHIGURO (JPN) is seeded second and will face the winner of Ulziisaikhan BAASANTSOGT (MGL) and Mojtaba GOLEIJ (IRI).

Akhmed TAZHUDINOV (BRN) enjoys the third seed and will be in the quarterfinals. He will wait for the winner of Bekzat URKIMBAY (KAZ) and Shatlyk HEMELYAYEV (TKM).

125kg
World silver medalist Lkhagvagerel MUNKHTUR (MGL) will be the top seed for the weight class and will face one of BUHEEERDUN (CHN) and Ahmed AL JAMIE (IRQ). U23 world champion Amirreza MASOUMI (IRI) will be in the quarterfinal against fourth seed Zyyamuhammet SAPAROV (TKM).

The bottom half has second seed Yusup BATIRMURZAEV (KAZ) in the quarterfinal. He has to wrestle the winner of Taiki YAMAMOTO (JPN) and Anirudh KUMAR (IND).

Sardorbek KHOLMATOV (UZB) is third seed and will be facing the winner of Muzafar ZHAPPUEV (KGZ) and Yeihyun JUNG (KOR).

Islamic Solidarity Games 2025 Day 1 Highlights

Tuesday, November 18, 2025 - 06:57 By Vinay Siwach

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RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (November 18) -- The Islamic Solidarity Games 2025 are the sixth edition of the Games and are being held in Riyadh. The first day of wrestling saw four Greco-Roman weight class -- 60kg, 67kg, 77kg and 87kg.

Olympic and world champion Saeid ESMAEILI (IRI) needed an insane comeback to beat Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE) in the 67kg final while Alisher GANIEV (UZB), Akzhol MAKHMUDOV (KGZ) and Gholamreza FAROKHI (IRI) won golds at 60kg, 77kg and 87kg with rather ease.

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12:35: Gholamreza FAROKHI (IRI) finds a way to score a takedown with a 30 seconds remaining and beat Asan ZHANYSHOV (KGZ), 7-6, in the 87kg semifinal. Zhanyshov was leading 6-5 at the break. Farokhi, struggling slightly with his conditioning, wrapped his arm around Zhanyshov's waist before slamming him on the mat for two points.

12:30: Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE) takes out Hassan ABDELREHIM (EGY) in the 67kg semifinals and sets up a mouth-watering final against Olympic champion Saeid ESMAEILI (IRI)

12:25: Akzhol MAKHMUDOV (KGZ) bounces back from 2-0 down to beat Shahin BADAGHIMOFRAD (QAT) 5-3 in the 87kg semifinal and reach final.

12:20: Olympic champion Saied ESMAEILI (IRI) lifts Aytjan KHALMAKHANOV (UZB) against gravity and completes the suplex for four points. He once again hits the four-pointers and wins his 67kg semifinal 9-0.

12:10: Alisher GANIEV (AZE) makes it to the final at 60kg after an 8-0 win over Ali AHMADI VAFA (IRI). Big four-pointer in that match from Ganiev. He will face Ekrem OZTURK (TUR) for the gold medal.

11:51: Former world U20 champion Islam YEVLOYEV (KAZ) starts off with a Sukhrob ABDULKHAEV (TJK) and moves into the semifinals at 87kg. Too easy for him.

11:50: World 82kg champion Gholamreza FAROKHISENJANI     (IRI), who moved up to 87kg and won U23 World Championships gold as well, begins with a 3-0 win over Islam ABBASOV (AZE) at 87kg in Riyadh

11:45: Olympic champion Saied ESMAEILI (IRI), placed directly in the quarterfinals, starts with a big 8-0 win over Aref MOHAMMADI (QAT) at 67kg. He is expected to face Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE) in the final, a rematch of the final at World Championships.

11:24: World 63kg champion Aytjan KHALMAKHANOV (UZB), who had move up to 67kg for the Games, beats Mustafa YILDIRIM (TUR), 5-2, and moves into the semifinals

11:10: Quarterfinal at 67kg between Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE) and Razzak BEISHEKEEV (KGZ). The first par terre advantage goes to Beishekeev who scores two points using a front headlock. Jafarov gets the par terre in second period and scores two turns and leads 5-3, which will be his winning score as well.

10:52: World bronze medalist Asan ZHANYSHOV (KGZ) hangs on for 1-1 Jalgasbay BERDIMURATOV (UZB) victory having got the first criteria.

10:45: Big match at 60kg as Nihat MAMMADLI (AZE) faces U23 world champion Alisher GANIEV (UZB). Ganiev with a over-under control and hits a throw for two points to lead 2-0. Mammadli tries to find some attacks going but fails to get Ganiev down. Ganiev goes into the break leading 2-0. Mammadli is put in par terre in the second period, giving Ganiev 3-0 lead. Mammadli goes down in the quarterfinals as Ganiev defends his 3-0 lead and wins at 60kg.

10:30: Olympic bronze medalist and world silver medalist Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE) gets going with a 9-0 victory over Ashraf ASLAM ZADA (AFG) at 67kg.

10:25: Amir ABDI (IRI) hits a front headlock throw for four and then a turn for two to win 8-0 against 72kg world champion Ulvi GANIZADE (AZE) in their 77kg bout. Just one minute and 35 seconds needed for him to win 9-0.

10:21: World champion and Olympic bronze medalist Akzhol MAKHMUDOV (KGZ), who has not wrestled in international competition since the Paris 2024, returns to mat in Riyadh. In his first bout at 77kg, he warms up with an 9-0 technical superiority over Sami SLAMA (TUN).

10:10: European champion Nihat MAMMADLI (AZE) gets the first par terre position and then scores the four gut-wrenches to win 9-0 against Latuf MADI (COM) in the first bout at 60kg.

10:00: Hello from Riyadh! The first day of wrestling at the Islamic Solidarity Games 2025 and there will four Greco-Roman weight classes in action.