#WrestleAlmaty

Asian C'ship Rivalry-to-Watch: Otoguro and Punia

Sunday, April 11, 2021 - 00:04 By Eric Olanowski

Share this article

ALMATY, Kazakhstan (April 12) --- Since the ’18 World Championships, 65kg has been one of wrestling’s premier weight classes, and that’s thanks in part to offensive juggernauts Takuto OTOGURO (JPN) and Bajrang PUNIA (IND).

The pair of attack-minded superstars are both entered at 65kg at the upcoming Asian Championships (April 13-18) and are looking to add another continental title to their resumes. But to do so, they’ll likely have to go through each other, which could set up a colossal third meeting between the pair who own a combined four world medals.

Otoguro commands a comfortable 2-0 lead over Punia heading into Almaty. He overcame his Indian rival at the ’18 World Championships and the ’20 Asian Championships and claimed gold both at both events.

Otoguro’s first win over Punia came in history-making fashion. In Budapest, the then-19-year-old defeated Punia in a barn-burning 25-point shootout and became Japan’s youngest-ever male world champion. Later that year, the high-octane match was voted as United World Wrestling’s Freestyle Match of the Year.

In their second meeting, Otoguro changed his approach and used low-level attacks to negate Punia’s world-famous pace. He secured four takedowns from below-the-knee attacks, denied Punia a second consecutive Asian title and reach the top of the continental podium for the first time in his young career.

But since that win in New Delhi, and due to the COVID pandemic, Otoguro has been sidelined from international competition and is set to return to the mat for the first time in 14 months.

Meanwhile, Punia stayed active during the pandemic. He trained in the United States for two months and wrestled in multiple exhibition matches on Flo Wrestling cards. Then, he kick-started the Olympic year with a gold-medal run at the Matteo Pellicone Ranking Series event. In Rome, Punia picked up wins over Tulga TUMUR OCHIR (MGL), Joseph MCKENNA (USA) and Selim KOZAN (TUR) en route to his fifth Ranking Series title.

The Asian Championships begin on Tuesday with Greco-Roman wrestling, but freestyle action starts on Saturday (April 16) in Almaty, Kazakhstan.

65kg Asian Championship Entries:
Bajrang BAJRANG (IND)
Morteza Hassanali GHIASI CHEKA (IRI)
Mohammed Al Jawad Zuhair K KAREEM (IRQ)|
Takuto OTOGURO (JPN)
Daulet NIYAZBEKOV (KAZ)
Alibek OSMONOV (KGZ)
Yongseok JEONG (KOR)
Junsik YUN (KOR)
Bilguun SARMANDAKH (MGL)
Chamara Milinda Perera WEERASINGHEGE (SRI)
Mustafo AKHMEDOV (TJK)
Kerim HOJAKOV (TKM)
Nodir RAKHIMOV (UZB)

#WrestleTirana

European Championships 2026 Day 4 Women's Wrestling Highlights

Thursday, April 23, 2026 - 08:06 By Vinay Siwach

Share this article

TIRANA, Albania (April 23) -- The fourth day of the European Championships will see five Women's Wrestling weight classes -- 53kg, 57kg, 62kg, 65kg, 72kg.

WATCH LIVE | LIVE MATCH ORDER | SADULAEV's RETURN TO EUROPEANS

UWW Plus

12:30: Buse TOSUN (TUR) in a tangle against U23 European champion Viktoryia RADZKOVA (UWW) but she comes out on top and then pins her way to the 72kg quarterfinals.

12:20: Iryna KOLIADENKO (UKR) laces Iris Mathilde THIEBAUX (FRA) and finishes her 65kg quarterfinals 10-0 and in quick time.

12:15: Defending champion Maria PREVOLARAKI (GRE) begins with a technical superiority win over Annika WENDLE (GER). She won the gold medal at 53kg last year, on her 14th attempt at the European Championships.

12:05: Jonna MALMGREN (SWE), who lost the 2024 European final to Vanesa KALADZINSKAYA (UWW), falls to her again, this time 12-5 at 53kg. Kaladzinskaya counter an attack from Malmgren to open the scoring and exposure points gave her a 4-0 lead. Sweden's lost challenge made it 5-0. Malmgren got on a couple of attacks but Kaladzinskaya hit a headlock throw for four which gave her a 9-3 lead. A lot of scramble in the bout but it was always Kaladzinskaya who finished them and Malmgren only got a clean takedown at the end, too little too late.

11:55: Mariia YEFREMOVA (UKR) ends the fairytale of Carla JAUME SOLER (ESP) at 53kg with a fall. Yefremova now reaches the semifinals.

11:35: Magdalena GLODEK (POL) with a counter body throw against Solomiia VYNNYK (UKR) and then keeps her on the mat for a fall. Vynnyk is left stunned.

11:25: Carla JAUME SOLER (ESP) stuns Zeynep YETGIL (TUR) at 53kg! The Spain wrestler, first from the country to ever reach a World Championships final, got on a single leg attack in the second period and then arched Yetgil on the mat. Yetgil fouled with hands in Soler's face but she couldn't avoid the fall.

11:22: Mariia YEFREMOVA (UKR), returning to competition after two years, starts her senior debut with a 5-1 victory over Natalia MALYSHEVA (UWW) at 53kg.

11:15: Grace BULLEN (NOR), returning champion at 65kg but now down at 62kg, starts slow against Ameline DOUARRE (FRA) but manages to complete a technical superiority 10-0 victory.

11:10: Johanna LINDBORG (SWE), the returning silver medalist at 62kg, starts off with a clinical 10-0 win over Amina CAPEZAN (ROU). She hit a beautiful four-pointer to start the bout before scoring via three different takedowns.

10:55: High-scoring affair at 57kg between Aryna DZEMCHANKA MARTYNAVA (UWW) and Aleksandra SKIRENKO (UWW). Martynava opened with a huge double for four before Skirenko caught a leg attack to score two. In the second period, Martynava countered Skirenko, slamming her on the mat for two points to extend her lead to 6-2. Skirenko got two points after winning a challenge as she had blocked a headlock throw from Martynava. As the bout resumed in par terre, Martynava escaped and score counter exposure for two points before giving up a counter herself as well. Martynanva, leading 8-6, was driven by Skirenko towards the zone and she thought she had a stepout but Martynava circled back and both wrestled scored exposure points, giving Martynava a 10-8 lead. Skirenko challenged for fleeing at the end but lost it which added another point to Martynava who won 11-8

10:45: Solomiia VYNNYK (UKR) blanks Iulia LEORDA (MDA), 7-0, in their opening bout at 57kg. Vynnyk blocks an arm throw from Leorda to score a takedown during Leorda's activity time to lead 3-0. She uses a lace turn to go up 5-0. The final takedown came in the last 10 seconds which gave her the win.

10:30: Five more Women's Wrestling weight classes in action at the European Championships on Thursday.