Asian Championships freestyle brackets breakdown

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

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).

#WrestleBuenosAires

Pan-Ams Preview: USA juggernaut the challenge for others

Wednesday, May 3, 2023 - 12:14 By Gaurav Bhatt

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (April 28) -- It’s Pan-American Championships time again, which means the best wrestlers in North, Central, and South America will square off for continental supremacy. This time, the Pan-Am showpiece will run from May 3 to 6 in Buenos Aires.

280 athletes from 19 nations are in the fray, but only one burning question: Can anybody stop the American juggernaut?

While they couldn’t replicate the 2021 Guatemala City heroics of capturing all ten freestyle gold medals, Team USA triumphed in 8 categories last year in Acapulco, topping the freestyle team charts for the eleventh straight year. And this year is shaping up to be more of the same.

The USA men’s freestyle team competes May 5-6 and comprises seven 2022 World Championships medalists. This star-studded line-up includes World champions Kyle DAKE (74 kg), Jordan BURROUGHS (79 kg), David TAYLOR (86 kg), Kyle SNYDER (97 kg), and world silver medalists Thomas GILMAN (57 kg), Yianni DIAKOMIHALIS (65 kg) and Zain RETHERFORD (70 kg).

Leading the charge will be Dake, the four-time world champion who is looking for a Pan Am title hat trick. Last September, the Tokyo Olympic bronze medalist joined John SMITH (USA) as the only Americans to accomplish a four-peat at the Worlds. Dake won his first two World championship titles at the non-Olympic 79kg weight class and the last at 74kg.

The 32-year-old is also a 2018 World Cup champion, winning U.S. Open titles in 2016 and 2018. Dake was a four-time NCAA champion for Cornell, winning titles in 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013. He was the first wrestler to win four NCAA Division I title in four different weight classes.

But his Twitter bio sums up Dake’s intentions best: “Made History! But I still have a few things I want to do.”

The Lansing, N.Y.-native will start as the favorite in Argentina in a bracket that has familiar names in Franklin GOMEZ (PUR), Franklin MAREN (CUB), and Cesar ALVAN (BRA). Those three grapplers rounded off the podium in Acapulco last year, and the 36-year-old Gomez — a former Pan Am champion and world silver medalist — would look to avenge his 10-1 defeat in last year’s final against Dake.

Burroughs, Taylor, and Snyder are the other three reigning world champions in action.

Jordan BURROUGHS (USA) is the defending Pan-Am champ at 74kg. (Photo: UWW)
Burroughs, with his three Pan American Games crowns, six world titles, and an Olympic gold medal, has little left to prove. Last year — after winning the 79kg world title in Belgrade to become his nation’s most decorated freestyle wrestler ever — the 34-year-old sat down with Team USA to disclose what’s fuelling him now.

“I wanted to win the tallest trophy when I was a kid. Then I wanted to have my name in the paper and get a varsity jacket. Then I wanted to get a scholarship, get my name up in the rafters at my college, and then it became, I wanted to gain followers and make money and establish myself. Then it became I wanted to be the best ever,” Burroughs said. “Now, honestly, I'm getting back to the essence of why I started this, and that's just because I love it.”

Of course, there’s Paris on the horizon as well.

“It's gold or bust for me, literally every single year. 2023 is an exciting time because it leads up to 2024 [Paris Olympic Games]. You want to get that ball rolling and start to gain momentum,” Burroughs added.

Snyder, the 27-year-old phenom, meanwhile, is looking for a Pan Am-threepeat of his own. The 2016 Olympic champion has won a World or Olympic medal for Team USA for eight straight years, a run that has fetched him a 2020 Olympic silver, three World gold, two silver, and a bronze medal.

The reigning Olympic and World champion Taylor will be gunning for his fourth gold at the event. The ‘Magic Man’ — who was named United World Wrestling Freestyle Wrestler of the Year in 2018 — has won the 86 kg Pan Am title thrice, including in Buenos Aires in 2019.

The Pan-American Championships, taking place prior to the USA World Team Trials in June, are often considered a warm-up for American wrestlers. The last time the US failed to bring home a gold medal was in 2001 when Cuba dominated the tournament. However, for the past two decades, the US has won at least one gold medal at the event, and they are poised to continue this trend with their decorated team.

Alejandro VALDES (CUB)

A few challengers, however, could thwart USA’s clean-sweep bid.

Among them is Alejandro VALDES (CUB) who is returning to the tournament after five years. The two-time world medalist, who won the Pan-Am title in 2013 and 2014, will look to challenge the likes of Diakomihalis.

Yurieski TORREBLANCA (CUB) has won the 86 kg gold at the Pan-American Championships thrice (2015, 2017, 2020) and has a silver (2018) to boot. That defeat in 2018, however, came against American Taylor with a tight 3-2 scoreline.

Queralta’s compatriot Reineris SALAS (CUB), meanwhile, will throw down the gauntlet in the 125 kg category. The three-time World medallist earned a bronze at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. With defending champion Amarveer DHESI (CAN) not entered, Salas will be the favorite to win the gold, his eighth.

Several of Puerto Rico’s silver linings from last year will take the mat with the hopes of upgrading their medals. These contenders include Darian CRUZ (57 kg), Joseph ANDRES SILVA (61 kg), Sebastian RIVERA (65 kg), and the aforementioned Gomez (74 kg).

Follow the Pan-American Championships live on uww.org or the official UWW App from May 3.

Asian Championships freestyle brackets breakdown

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Pan-Ams Preview: USA juggernaut the challenge for others