#WrestleAstana

Asian Championships Greco-Roman brackets

By Vinay Siwach

ASTANA, Kazakhstan (April 8) -- The nerves of competing are always preceded by the nerves of knowing the brackets. The Greco-Roman wrestlers at the Asian Championships are now aware of the opponents and expected path to the gold medal as the brackets for the Asian Championships were released Saturday.

Here's how the bouts will play out.

55kg
Top seed Amangali BEKBOLATOV (KAZ) will wait for his first opponent as he sits in the quarterfinals. RUPIN (IND) and Sardarbek KONUSHBAEV (KGZ) will wrestle in qualification to advance against Bekbolatov. 

Second seed Poya DAD MARZ (IRI) also sits in the quarterfinal and wait for the winner of Taiga ONISHI (JPN) and Mostafa ALQADE (JOR) to know his first opponent.

Ikhtiyor BOTIROV (UZB) is seeded third and has Abduvali RAHIMBAYEV (TKM) in the quarterfinals. A win will take him to the semifinals, most likely against Dad Marz.

Bekbolatov, if he wins his quarterfinals, will face the winner of Haifeng ZHANG (CHN) and fourth seed Hyeokjin JEON (KOR).

60kg
World champion and top seed Zholaman SHARSHENBEKOV (KGZ) is the favorite to win the weight class. He waits for his first opponent which will be the winner of Umit DURDYYEV (TKM) and U20 world bronze medalist SUMIT (IND). In the other quarterfinal, fourth seed Maito KAWANA (JPN) faces Akmal KHAMROEV (UZB).

On the lower side, second seed Liguo CAO (CHN) will face the winner of Hanjae CHUNG (KOR) and Aslamdzhon AZIZOV (TJK). Third seed and returning silver medalist Mehdi MOHSEN NEJAD (IRI) will also have to wait to see if Yernur FIDAKHMETOV (KAZ) or Jui Chi HUANG (TPE) reach the quarterfinals.

It sets up a potential mouth-watering semifinal between Moshen Nejad and Lao.

63kg
With nine wrestlers, only one qualification bout is scheduled with others sitting in the quarterfinals. That bout is between NEERAJ (IND) and Dastan KADYROV (KGZ). The winner will face top seed U23 world champion and top seed Iman Hossein Khoon MOHAMMADI (IRI) in the quarterfinal.

Second seed Mukhamedali MAMURBEK (KAZ) faces Haodong TAN (CHN) in the quarterfinal and a potential semifinal can be against third seed Shermukhammad SHARIBJANOV (UZB) who faces Chiezo MARUYAMA (JPN) in his quarterfinal.

If Khoon Mohammadi wins, he will get the winner of Jinseub SONG (KOR) and Siyovush ACHILOV (TJK) in the semifinal.

67kg
A weight class with some talented wrestlers will see top seed HUSIYUETU (CHN) face the winner of Kyotaro SOGABE (JPN) and Razzak BEISHEKEEV (KGZ) in the quarterfinal. His path to the final includes Begmyrat NOBATOV (TKM) and fourth seed Reza Mahdi ABBASI (IRI) as the two face each other in the second quarterfinal of the top half.

The lower side has second seed ASHU (IND) in the quarterfinals waiting for the winner of Almat KEBISPAYEV (KAZ) and Hong Yu CHEN (TPE). Third seed Hansu RYU (KOR) will have the winner of Firuz MIRZORADZHABOV (TJK) and Abror ATABAEV (UZB). If the seeds hold, Ryu and Ashu will wrestle for a spot in the final.

72kg
Ibragim MAGOMADOV (KAZ) will be the top seed at home in 72kg and will have Adilkhan NURLANBEKOV (KGZ) or Loiqi AMIRKHONZODA (TJK) in the quarterfinal.

On the same side is Zi LIM (SGP) facing Ali AL ABBOODAH (IRQ) and Taishi HORIE (JPN) facing fourth seed Jamol JUMABAEV (UBZ). The winner of those bouts will face each other in the quarterfinal.

The lower side will see second seed Jian TAN (CHN) will wrestle one of Hekim GURBANMYRADOV (TKM) and JASON BAUCAS (PHI). Fourth seed Sajjad IMENTALABFOUMANI (IRI) will see one of VIKAS (IND) and Jiyeon LEE (KOR).

77kg
World champion and top seed Akzhol MAKHMUDOV (KGZ) has his opening bout against Gadiel Raid MISSO (SGP) or Jeyhun OVEZDURDYYEV (TKM). The much-anticipated semifinal between Makhmudov and fourth seed Hyeonwoo KIM (KOR) can happen if Kim beats the winner of Kodai SAKURABA (JPN) and Lai Hsing YAO (TPE) who wrestle in the qualification round.

The second seed is held by Rui LIU (CHN) who may have a tough test when he faces one of SAJAN (IND) or Amin KAVIYANINEJAD (IR) in the quarterfinal. Aram VARDANYAN (UZB) is seeded third and will face the winner of Amro SADEH (JOR) and Demeu ZHADRAYEV (KAZ).

82kg
Dias KALEN (KAZ) would like to reach the semifinals in front of his home crowd. For that, he needs to beat one of Mukhammadkodir RASULOV (UZB) or Sukhrob ABDULKHAEV (TJK) who will wrestle in qualification. And if Kalen wins, he will face one of the fourth seed Sultan EID (JOR) or Yuya MAETA (JPN) who wrestle in the other quarterfinal.

The lower side of the bracket with Rohit DAHIYA (IND) taking on Aryan BIN AZMAN (SGP) and Halishan BAHEJIANG (CHN) facing Sejin YANG (KOR). The winner of the former bout will face third seed Akylbek TALANTBEKOV (KGZ) in the quarterfinals. The winner of the latter will have second seed Alireza MOHMADIPIANI (IRI).

87kg
Nasir ALIZADEH (IRI) will look to defend his Asian title as he is the top seed for the weight class. He begins in the quarterfinals with the winner of Masato SUMI (JPN) vs. Shyhazberdi OVELEKOV (TKM) set to advance.

The other quarterfinal will be between fourth seed Sunil KUMAR (IND) and Saidislomiddin ASLAMOV (TJK).

The second seed goes to Nursultan TURSYNOV (KAZ) and he will face the winner of Jalgasbay BERDIMURATOV (UZB) and Chengwu WANG (CHN). The other quarterfinal on the lower side will be between third seed A. AZISBEKOV (KGZ) and Byeongcheol SHIN (KOR).

97kg
Out of the 10 participants, Olzhas SYRLYBAY (KAZ) gets the top seed. Seyeol LEE (KOR) and U. DZHUZUPBEKOV (KGZ) will wrestle off to earn a place in the quarterfinal against Syrlybay.

Fourth seed Narinder CHEEMA (IND) faces Azizdzhon ZARIPOV (TJK) in the other quarterfinal.

Yiming LI (CHN) is seeded third and will get the winner of Amanberdi AGAMAMMEDOV (TKM) and Abrorbek NURMUKHAMMEDOV (UZB) as his quarterfinal opponent. If he wins, the semifinal will feature one of Mehdi BALIHAMZEHDEH (IRI) or Yuta NARA (JPN).

130kg
World silver medalist and favorite Amin MIRZAZADEH (IRI) is top-seeded in 130kg. He can reach the semifinal if he wins against Sota OKUMURA (JPN) or Roman KIM (KGZ). The two will wrestle in the qualification to reach the quarterfinal against Mirzazadeh. One of NAVEEN (IND) and fourth seed Temurbek NASIMOV (UZB) will try to stop Mirzazadeh in the semifinals.

Second seed Lingzhe MENG (CHN) wrestles Minseok KIM (KOR) or Timothy Yu LOH (SGP) in the quarterfinal. If he wins, he is likely to face third seed Alimkhan SYZDYKOV (KAZ) as the Kazakhstan wrestler has to beat the winner of Ali AL SHARUEE (IRQ) and Aybegshazada KURRAYEV (TKM).

#WrestleBucharest

European Championships GR 55kg, 63kg, 77kg, 87kg, 130kg semis set

By United World Wrestling Press

BUCHAREST, Romania (February 12) -- The European Championships begins in Bucharest, Romania with five Greco-Roman weight classes. Monday's action will see wrestlers from 55kg, 63kg, 77kg, 87kg and 130kg in action. Riza KAYAALP (TUR), a 12-time European champion, will be looking to win the 13th gold medal which will put him ahead of the legendary Aleksandar KARELIN as the most successful wrestler in European history. All five weight classes have the 2023 champions returning to defend their gold medals.

LIVE MATCH ORDER | WATCH LIVE

14:15: Here are the semifinals for the evening session.

55kg
SF 1: 
Nugzari TSURTSUMIA (GEO) vs. Rashad MAMMADOV (AZE)
SF 2: Manvel KHACHATRYAN (ARM) vs. Artium DELEANU (MDA)

63kg
SF 1: 
Edmond NAZARYAN (BUL) vs. Oleksandr HRUSHYN (UKR)
SF 2: Anvar ALLAKHIAROV (AIN) vs. Murad MAMMADOV (AZE)

77kg
SF 1: 
Antonio KAMENJASEVIC (CRO) vs. Yunus BASAR (TUR)
SF 2: Alexandrin GUTU (MDA) vs. Malkhas AMOYAN (ARM)

87kg
SF 1: 
Ali CENGIZ (TUR) vs. Kiryl MASKEVICH (AIN)
SF 2: Islam ABBASOV (AZE) vs. Aleksandr KOMAROV (SRB)

130kg
SF 1: 
Riza KAYAALP (TUR) vs. Beka KANDELAKI (AZE)
SF 2: Iakobi KAJAIA (GEO) vs. Sergei SEMENOV (AIN)

14:05: Edmond NAZARYAN (BUL) is up against world champion Leri ABULADZE (GEO) in the 63kg quarterfinals. Nazaryan with an arm spin but it's scored two points for Abuladze as he stopped Nazaryan. Bulgaria challenged the call and it's scored two points for Nazaryan. He adds an activity point to lead 3-0 at the break. No passivity calls in the second period as Nazaryan took out the defending champion Abuladze 3-0.

13:55: Aleksandar KOMAROV (SRB) with a turn from par terre and then stops Zhan BELENIUK (UKR) from scoring any points. Komarov wins 3-1 and will advance to the 87kg semifinals.

13:45: World champion Ali CENGIZ (TUR) wins via disqualification over Alex KESSIDIS (SWE). Kessidis was cautioned twice when Cengiz was attempting a turn from par terre. A second caution in attacks earns the attacking wrestler the win.

13:30: Antonio KAMENJASEVIC (CRO) could not have picked a better bout to win. He beats world silver medalist Sanan SULEYMANOV (AZE) 3-1 after getting a turn from par terre. He moves into the 77kg semifinals.

13:20: The 55kg weight class is the first to get its quarterfinals done. Defending champion Adem UZUN (TUR) falls 13-5 to Manvel KHACHATRYAN (ARM) and Nugzari TSURTSUMIA (GEO) wins 4-2 against Amaiak OSIPOV (AIN)

12:50: Edmond NAZARYAN (BUL) uses a front headlock to get a 9-1 win over Yaraslau KARDASH (AIN) at 63kg. Kardash challenged but no change in the result. In all likelihood, he will face defending and world champion Leri ABULADZE (GEO) next

12:40: Riza KAYAALP (TUR) with four rolls from par terre to start his campaign at 130kg with a 9-0 win over Oskar MARVIK (NOR).

12:30: Defending champion at 87kg, Istvan TAKACS (HUN) falls to Aleksandar KOMAROV (SRB) 1-1 at 87kg. Komarov got the second par terre advantage and the criteria lead.

12:20: At 87kg, Achiko BOLKVADZE (GEO) holds off Alan OSTAEV (AIN) 8-3. Well well-planned win for Bolkvadze as he built a 5-2 lead at the break. Ostaev got the par terre advantage but failed to score any points.

12:00: Defending champion at 77kg Malkhas AMOYAN (ARM) with a fall over Riccardo ABBRESCIA (ITA). He will face Adlet TIULIUBAEV (AIN) in the quarterfinals. 

11:40: World silver medalist Sanan SULEYMANOV (AZE) with a strong 10-0 win over Idris IBAEV (GER). In the same weight class, Alexandrin GUTU (MDA) also has a big win over Juan AAK (NOR). He moves into the quarterfinals with a 9-1 win

11:20: Edmond NAZARYAN (BUL), wrestling at 63kg, gets going with a big 9-0 win over Ivan LIZATOVIC (CRO). Two big throws from Nazaryan to finish the bout. At 87kg, Aleksandr KOMAROV (SRB) wins his opening bout against Martynas NEMSEVICIUS (LTU).

11:15: A no-show from Exauce MUKUBU (NOR) gives Gevorg TADEVOSYAN (ARM) a walkover win in the 87kg bout. Mukubu has pulled out injured.

10:55: Yunus BASAR (TUR) and world champion at 72kg Ibrahim GHANEM (FRA) face off in the qualification round in 77kg. Ghanem gets the first passivity advantage but fails to turn Basar for any points. Ghanem is put in par terre in the second and Basar gets a correct throw for two points. He holds the lead and wins 3-1

10:35: There could not have been a more stunning start to this championships. Juan AAK (NOR) with two arm throws to finish the opening bout at 77kg 8-0 and beat Ali ARSALAN (SRB). Huge upset!

10:00: Welcome to the first day of the European Championships from Bucharest. We begin in 30 minutes with five Greco-Roman weight classes.