Balihamzehdeh salvages tough day for Iran at Asian Championships

Monday, April 10, 2023 - 16:58 By Ken Marantz

ASTANA, Kazakhstan (April 10) -- Compared to the previous day, things could not have gone more differently for Iran. But Mehdi BALIHAMZEHDEH (IRI) salvaged some national pride by successfully defending his 97kg title in the final match of the Greco-Roman competition at the Asian Championships on Monday.

Balihamzehdeh forged out a dramatic 7-4 victory over Uzur DZHUZUPBEKOV (KGZ) in the 97kg final, giving Iran its lone gold of the day after winning four on the opening day Sunday at the Zhaksylyk Ushkempirov Martial Arts Palace in Astana.

It was Kyrgyzstan's turn to shine as all five of its wrestlers made it onto the medal podium, with world champion Zholaman SHARSHENBEKOV (KGZ) repeating as 60kg champion and Akylbek TALANTBEKOV (KGZ) triumphing at 82kg.

Ibragim MAGOMADOV (KAZ), a silver medalist three years ago, gave the host country its first gold medal of the tournament with a victory at 72kg, while Abror ATABAEV (UZB) assured that Uzbekistan would take home a Greco-Roman gold for the fifth straight year by storming to the 67kg title.

Iran, which also added a silver medal and a bronze medal to its tally, rode its big lead from the opening day to the team title with 196 points. Kyrgyzstan's second-day onslaught lifted it into second with 166, six points ahead of host Kazakhstan.

While the team title wasn't at stake, Balihamzehdeh's victory over Dzhuzupbekov in the 97kg final had all the drama of a crucial match.

The two had met twice last year, with Balihamzehdeh coming out on top both times in close decisions. First, the Iranian won 4-1 in the semifinals at the Asian Championships in Mongolia, then edged Dzhuzupbekov 3-3 at the World Cup in Baku seven months later.

On Monday, Balihamzehdeh struck first, gaining a passivity point, a stepout and a takedown, only to see Dzhuzupbekov score a takedown in the final seconds of the first period to cut the lead to 4-2 at the break.

In the second period, Dzhuzupbekov, who last year won his third senior Asian bronze, put himself on course for his first gold when a stepout and fleeing penalty put him ahead on criteria 4-4 with 1:30 left.

The tension was at a fever pitch as the clock wound down to :26, when both wrestlers were treated for bleeding, a sign of the intensity of the clash. Balihamzehdeh had his head taped to stop external bleeding from his ear, while Dzhuzupbekov had a bloody nose.

With :15 left, Dzhuzupbekov was flagged for a 2-point head butt, and a lost challenge put Balihamzehdeh ahead 7-4 before he ran out the clock.

Zholaman SHARSHENBEKOV (KGZ) defended his 60kg Asian title in Astana. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Sharshenbekov's gold-striking triumph over Hanjae CHUNG (KOR) in the 60kg final had more dominance than drama.

He dazzled Chung with a spinning takedown that landed the Korean on his back for 4 points. Put on top in par terre Sharshenbekov used a high gut wrench to yank Chung up and over onto his back for another 4. Korea's challenge of the call, saying it should have only been for 2, was unsuccessful, giving Sharshenbekov a 10-0 technical fall in 1:46.

"I respect all of my opponents," Sharshenbekov said. "I think all of them are strong wrestlers. Everything was on a high level, I can say that it was hard."

The 23-year-old Sharshenbekov credited the immense support system around him for his success.

"If I say that I'm champion myself only it would be wrong, because there is a huge team supporting me," he said. "They work behind the scenes: our coaches, teammates, sparring partners, doctors who were checking the state of our health all the time, masseuse. I want to thank them all. I dedicate this gold medal to my Kyrgyzstan and my family."

Sharshenbekov and Chung met previously in the first round of the 2021 Asian Olympic qualifying tournament, with Sharshenbekov winning 6-2 en route to secure a spot at the Tokyo Olympics, where the three-time world medalist finished seventh.

Akylbek TALANTBEKOV (KGZ) defeated Dias KALEN (KAZ) 3-2 in the 82kg final. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

At 82kg, Talantbekov added the senior crown to the Asian U23 title he won last year with a nail-biting 3-2 win over Dias KALEN (KAZ), who had to settle for the silver medal for the second straight year.

Neither wrestler could budge the other from par terre and Kalen led 1-1 on criteria as the match went into its final minute. Talantbekov was put on top in par terre and managed to lift and roll Kalen, right after which Kalen scrambled behind for a reversal.

Kalen was originally awarded 2 points for a takedown, as the referee did not feel that his shoulders broke the 90-degree plane. The Kyrgyz side challenged the ruling, which was overturned and Talantbekov awarded the decisive points.

Ibragim MAGOMADOV (KAZ) won the only Greco-Roman gold medal for Kazakhstan. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Magomadov drew the biggest cheers of the night from the partisan crowd when he notched a solid 5-2 victory over Zagreb Open silver medalist Sajjad IMENTALABFOUMANI (IRI) in the 72kg final.

Magomadov took advantage of his chance at par terre in the first period, scoring with a pair of rolls to take a 5-0 lead. In the second period, Imentalabfoumani gained a passivity point, but was unable to turn the Kazakh. He added a stepout that was too little, too late.

In the 67kg final, Atabaev, last year's Asian U23 champion, added the senior continental title by storming to a 10-0 technical fall over Kyotaro SOGABE (JPN).

"I have been training a lot for this," Atabaev said. "It’s not even possible to describe how I feel. I’ve been dreaming of showing the result at the senior level. Now I made it."

Atabaev took the early lead when he stopped an arm throw attempt by Sogabe at the edge, getting 2 points after the original call of a stepout for the Japanese was changed upon challenge.

He then scored a standing roll from par terre for 4 and a 7-0 lead at the break. In the second period, Sogabe tried a desperation back-drop but Atabaev stuffed the move, landing Sogabe on his back for 2 and ending the match at 3:23. An unsuccessful challenge made the final score 10-0.

"I can’t say the evening was perfect, but still my performance was quite good," said Atabaev, who posted three technical falls, including one over former two-time Asian champion Almat KEBISPAYEV (KAZ) in the semifinals. "I had quite a tough match with Almat Kebispayev, the Japanese wrestler was strong as well, so it was quite competitive for me."

Japan grabs 3 bronzes; Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan 2 each

In bronze-medal matches, Japan had a big day by winning three, while Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan came away with two each.

Maito KAWANA (JPN) secured the title of the tournament's Comeback Kid after rallying from a big deficit for a second time, this time overcoming a six-point gap to defeat SUMIT (IND) on cautions with the score 14-6.

Kawana, who is hoping to challenge Tokyo Olympic silver medalist Kenichiro FUMITA (JPN) for the place on Japan's team at the World Championships, had a 4-point throw and received a number of penalty points as Sumit built up cautions, getting the third one that ended the match at 5:14. An unsuccessful challenge of the third caution made the final scoreline 14-6.

Earlier in the quarterfinals, Kawana fell behind 7-1 and 10-4 against Akmal KHAMROEV (UZB), but rallied to a wild 17-10 victory.

Perhaps noone was more pleased to make the medal podium than Yuta NARA (JPN), who hit a 4-point headlock throw in the second period to defeat Yiming LI (CHN) 5-2 at 97kg for his first medal in five trips to the Asian Championships.

Compatriot Yuya MAETA (JPN) also has not had much success abroad but secured an 82kg bronze with a 3-1 victory over Mukhammadkodir RASULOV (UZB) for his first senior Asian medal in four attempts. Maeta locked an arm and scored a gut wrench during his chance at par terre in the second period.

Krygyzstan got bronzes from Asian U20 silver medalist Razzak BEISHEKEEV (KGZ) at 67kg and Asian U23 champion Adilkhan NURLANBEKOV (KGZ) at 77kg.

Beishekeev opened with a 4-point hip throw en route to a 9-0 technical fall over Reza ABBASI (IRI), while Nurlanbekov held off Ali AL ABBOODAH (IRQ) for a 2-1 victory and his second straight senior Asian bronze. Nurlanbekov was able to get a 1-point stepout from his throw attempt from par terre for the decisive point.

The host country's Kebispayev will take home the fifth senior Asian medal of his career after the 35-year-old defeated Asian U20 bronze medalist Firuz MIRZORADZHABOV (TJK) 7-3 at 67kg.

Mirzoradzhabov had been aiming to earn just the eighth Asian medal in Greco-Roman in Tajikistan history.

Kebispayev compatriot Olzhas SYRLYBAY (KAZ) assured he would not leave empty-handed from his home tournament when he defeated Narinder CHEEMA (IND) 4-1. Syrlybay trailed 0-1 in the second period when he put together a stepout, a passivity point and a gut wrench to secure the win.

Both India and China went 1-for-3 in bronze-medal matches. In the lone direct confrontation between the two, world U23 bronze medalist VIKAS (IND) overwhelmed Jian TAN (CHN) by 8-0 technical fall in 1:41.

Liguo CAO (CHN) scored a takedown and a passivity point in the first period and held on for a 4-2 victory at 60kg over Yernur FIDAKHMETOV (KAZ), a bronze medalist from last year.

Zagreb Open champion Alireza MOHMADIPIANI (IRI) added a bronze to the Iranian till with a 5-1 victory over world U20 bronze medalist Rohit DAHIYA (IND) at 82kg. Dahiya made the rare choice of opting to remain standing when awarded a passivity point in the second period but could break through the Iranian's defenses.

Day 2 Results

Greco-Roman

60kg (11 entries)
GOLD: Zholaman SHARSHENBEKOV (KGZ) df. Hanjae CHUNG (KOR) by TF, 10-0 (1:46)

BRONZE: Maito KAWANA (JPN) df. SUMIT (IND) by Cautions, 5:14 (14-6)
BRONZE: Liguo CAO (CHN) df. Yernur FIDAKHMETOV (KAZ), 4-2

Semifinal: Zholaman SHARSHENBEKOV(KGZ) df. Maito KAWANA (JPN), 4-0
Semifinal: Hanjae CHUNG (KOR) df. Yernur FIDAKHMETOV (KAZ), 7-5

67kg (11 entries)
GOLD: Abror ATABAEV (UZB) df. Kyotaro SOGABE (JPN) by TF, 10-0 (3:23)

BRONZE: Razzak BEISHEKEEV (KGZ) df. Reza ABBASI (IRI) by TF, 9-0 (3:39)
BRONZE: Almat KEBISPAYEV (KAZ) df. Firuz MIRZORADZHABOV (TJK), 7-3

Semifinal: Kyotaro SOGABE (JPN) df. Reza ABBASI (IRI), 5-1
Semifinal: Abror ATABAEV (UZB) df. Almat KEBISPAYEV (KAZ) by TF, 10-2 (5:51)

72kg (13 entries)
GOLD: Ibragim MAGOMADOV (KAZ) df. Sajjad IMENTALABFOUMANI (IRI), 5-2

BRONZE: Adilkhan NURLANBEKOV (KGZ) df. Ali AL ABBOODAH (IRQ), 2-1
BRONZE: VIKAS (IND) df. Jian TAN (CHN) by TF, 8-0 (1:41)

Semifinal: Ibragim MAGOMADOV (KAZ) df. Ali AL ABBOODAH (IRQ), 6-0
Semifinal: Sajjad IMENTALABFOUMANI (IRI) df. Jian TAN (CHN) by TF, 9-0 (1:57)

82kg (11 entries)
GOLD: Akylbek TALANTBEKOV (KGZ) df. Dias KALEN (KAZ), 3-2

BRONZE: Yuya MAETA (JPN) df. Mukhammadkodir RASULOV (UZB), 3-1
BRONZE: Alireza MOHMADIPIANI (IRI) df. Rohit DAHIYA (IND), 5-1

Semifinal: Dias KALEN (KAZ) df. Yuya MAETA (JPN), 7-1
Semifinal: Akylbek TALANTBEKOV (KGZ) df. Alireza MOHMADIPIANI (IRI) by TF, 8-0 (3:45)

97kg (10 entries)
GOLD: Mehdi BALIHAMZEHDEH (IRI) df. Uzur DZHUZUPBEKOV (KGZ), 7-4

BRONZE: Olzhas SYRLYBAY (KAZ) df. Narinder CHEEMA (IND), 4-1
BRONZE: Yuta NARA (JPN) df. Yiming LI (CHN), 5-2

Semifinal: Uzur DZHUZUPBEKOV (KGZ) df. Narinder CHEEMA (IND) by TF, 9-0 (4:45)
Semifinal: Mehdi BALIHAMZEHDEH (IRI) df. Yiming LI (CHN), 7-1

#WrestleAstana

Makhmudov breaks Iranian gold monopoly on Asian C'ships opening day

Sunday, April 9, 2023 - 16:27 By Ken Marantz

ASTANA, Kazakhstan (April 9) -- World champion Akzhol MAKHMUDOV (KGZ) prevented an Iranian sweep of the gold medals on the opening day of the Asian Championships on Sunday, retaining his Greco-Roman 77kg title when his Iranian opponent was forced to default before the final due to injury.

Makhmudov was awarded the gold without a fight against Amin KAVIYANINEJAD (IRI), but it could be said the Iranian would have been hard-pressed to defeat Makhmudov even if he had been in the best of shape.

Makhmudov, who became Kyrgyzstan's first-ever male world champion last year in Belgrade, had stormed into the final with a pair of first-period technical falls. The forfeit gave him a second straight Asian title and third overall.

"I would like to say that this is one of the luckiest tournaments for me," Makhmudov said. "Unfortunately, I couldn’t wrestle against the best ones, I could not wrestle the Korean guy, I thought I would wrestle him in the semifinals," he added, referring to five-time former Asian champion and two-time Olympic medalist Hyeonwoo KIM (KOR), who lost in the quarterfinals to Kodai SAKURABA (JPN). Makhmudov handily defeated Sakuraba in the semis.

"Also, I thought I would be able to wrestle my good friend from Iran, but unfortunately he got injured," Makhmudov said. "I wish him a sooner recovery and a quick comeback on the mat."

Kaviyaninejad, the only unseeded Iranian in action on the first day, suffered a twisted left knee during a tough 1-1 quarterfinal win over Rui LIU (CHN). He had it strapped for his semifinal victory over Demeu ZHADRAYEV (KAZ), but felt unable to perform in the final. He now has a silver to go with the Asian gold he won at 72kg in 2020 and a bronze medal won in 2021.

Otherwise, it was as good a day as it gets for Iran at the Zhaksylyk Ushkempirov Martial Arts Palace. The Middle East powerhouse swept the four other gold medals at stake with victories by Poya DAD MARZ (IRI) at 55kg, Iman MOHAMMADI (IRI) at 63kg, Naser ALIZADEH (IRI) at 87kg and Amin MIRZAZADEH (IRI) at 130kg. For Alizadeh, it was his third straight title.

Akzhol MAKHMUDOV (KGZ) won his third Asian Championships title. (Photo: UWW / Assem Shalgumbayeva)

Makhmudov, who will turn 24 on Saturday, stole the spotlight at the 2018 Asian Championships in Bishkek in his native country when he won the 72kg gold at age 18. A serious knee injury soon after that required surgery and a long rehab, which kept him out of action for over two years.

But he made up for the lost time by winning the silver medal at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, then made his historic run to the world gold last year. He underwent knee surgery after that but opened this year with a victory at the Dan Kolov-Nikola Petrov tournament in Sofia in early March.

"After the World Championships in Serbia, I had surgery on my knee, recovered and got back to training," he said. "This is a very important year for me, this is the qualifying World Championships [for the 2024 Paris Olympics], and I would like to be there in my best form. I would like to qualify for the Olympics as soon as possible, and spend the rest of the time preparing for the Olympics."

Iman Khoon MOHAMMADI (IRI) Iman MOHAMMADI (IRI) completed his three wins, including the final, with a 9-0 scoreline. (Photo: UWW / Assem Shalgumbayeva)

The most dominant wrestler of the day was Mohammadi, as he won all three of his matches at 63kg by 9-0 technical falls, finishing up with a victory by that scoreline over Shermukhammad SHARIBJANOV (UZB).

The top-seeded Mohammadi, who completed a world U23 and U20 double last year, scored two takedowns and two stepouts to take a 6-0 lead after the first period. Put in par terre in the second period, he finished the match at 4:09 with a lift and roll.

Mohammadi's victory was a virtual repeat of his 10-0 win over Sharibjanov in a bronze-medal match at the Ranking Series Zagreb Open in early February.

Naser ALIZADEH (IRI) defended his 87kg Asian title in Astana. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Alizadeh was also facing a familiar opponent, and had a similar result, putting away former Asian champion Nursultan TURSYNOV (KAZ) with an 8-0 technical fall 33 seconds into the second period.

Alizadeh used a throw from par terre to take a 3-0 lead, then got three consecutive stepouts to go up 6-0 at the break. The Iranian quickly finished the match in the second period with two more stepouts, the second coming when he slipped out of a headlock throw attempt.

It marks the third year in a row that Alizadeh has defeated Tursynov at the Asian Championships, having beaten him 3-0 in the semifinals last year and by fall in the quarterfinals in 2021.

Tursynov pulled a surprise by knocking off world 82kg silver medalist Jalgasbay BERDIMURATOV (UZB) in the quarterfinals, coming back from five points down to win 11-5.

For the 32-year-old Tursynov, the silver is his first Asian medal in eight years -- he won the silver in 2015, the year after winning his lone gold.

Poya DAD MARZ (IRI) is now unbeaten in four international tournaments since September 2022. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Dad Marz, coming off a victory at the Zagreb Open, got the Iranian gold rush started by taking the 55kg title with a 3-1 win over a scrappy RUPIN (IND), who knocked off 2022 silver medalist and top seed Amangali BEKBOLATOV (KAZ) in the quarterfinals.

"Two years ago in the Kazakhstan Asian Championships, I won a bronze medal and now I changed that medal to gold," Dad Marz said. "I hope to represent Iran in the next World Championships and win a gold medal there."

In the final, both wrestlers received a passivity point, but neither could turn the other in par terre. Rupin's came in the second period, putting him ahead on criteria when he was called for passivity and again put on the bottom. As Dad Marz was working for a front headlock, the Indian was assessed a 2-point penalty for locking the Iranian's arm.

"The Indian wrestler was a tough rival and he defeated Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan in the previous rounds," Dad Marz said.

The 23-year-old Dad Marz is on an upward trajectory, having won the 2017 world junior gold, a senior Asian bronze in 2021, the world U23 gold last year and the Zagreb Open this year.

"During the last months, I won gold medals in Spain and Zagreb tournaments as well as at the Baku World Cup with the Iran team," he said. "I hope to continue these titles and compensate for my loss last year [at the senior worlds] in Belgrade with the best medal at the 2023 World Championships."

World silver medalist Amin MIRZAZADEH (IRI) won his second Asian title and first since 2020. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Capping the gold rush was world silver medalist Mirzazadeh, who received a passivity point in each period to defeat Lingzhe MENG (CHN) 2-0 in the 130kg final to wrap up the day's action and add to the Asian gold he won in 2020.

"It's my second gold in the Asian Championships after the first appearance in 2020 in New Delhi and I am glad about that," Mirzazadeh said. "It was also my first competition after the Belgrade World Championships and I had a good performance in the new year.

"It's five months until the 2023 World Championships and I should prepare myself better to change the 2022 silver medal to gold."

Meng, a bronze medalist at the Zagreb Open, made it to the final with a victory by cautions over defending champion Alimkhan SYZDYKOV (KAZ). Syzdykov, who led 5-0 early on, became visibly winded in the second period and three times sheepishly gave up a stepout, after which he received a caution. Meng was leading 11-3 when the bout ended.

Hosts pick up 3 bronzes

In addition to Tursynov's silver medal, host Kazakhstan came away with three bronze medals from Bekbolatov at 55kg, Mukhamedali MAMURBEK (KAZ) at 63kg and Syzdykov, who mustered the energy to win his third-place match at 130kg.

Bekbolatov needed just 1:38 to notch a 9-0 technical fall over Haifeng ZHANG (CHN), while Mamurbek took only slightly less time (1:28) to beat Chiezo MARUYAMA (JPN) by the same score.

Syzdykov defeated Minseok KIM (KOR) 5-3 in a rematch of last year's gold-medal showdown in Mongolia that the Kazakh won by fall.

Neighboring Uzbekistan was one of two countries with two bronze-medal winners, as Zagreb Open silver medalist Ikhtiyor BOTIROV (UZB) rolled over Taiga ONISHI (JPN) with a 9-0 technical fall in 3:23 at 55kg, and Berdimuratov edged Atabek AZISBEKOV (KGZ) 2-2 at 87kg.

Maruyama and Onishi -- both world U20 bronze medalists -- were among four Japanese wrestlers in bronze-medal matches, but only Kodai SAKURABA (JPN) made it to the medal podium, which he did for the second straight year at 77kg.

Sakuraba, a 2019 world U23 silver medalist, overwhelmed Jeyhun OVEZDURDYYEV (TKM) by a 9-0 technical fall in 1:38 as he tries to solidify his place in the weight class that Shohei YABIKU (JPN) won a bronze medal in at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.

Ovezdurdyyev fell short in his bid to become Turkmenistan's fourth-ever Asian medalist in Greco-Roman and first since 2018.

Masato SUMI (JPN), who gave Alizadeh a tough fight in a 1-1 loss in the 87kg quarterfinals, failed to follow that up and lost 4-1 to Sunil KUMAR (IND), who earned his second straight bronze medal.

India also won two bronze medals, as NEERAJ (IND) preceded Kumar's win by beating Jinseub SONG (KOR) 5-2 at 63kg.

The other bronze at 77kg went to unheralded Rui LIU (CHN), who scored a takedown and gut wrench in the first 15 seconds and held on for a 5-2 win over Demeu ZHADRAYEV (KAZ), which denied him a fifth senior Asian medal.

Roman KIM (KGZ) won his second straight Asian bronze and third overall at 130kg with a 10-1 technical fall in 4:06 over world U20 bronze medalist Temurbek NASIMOV (UZB).

Day 1 Results

Greco-Roman

55kg (10 entries)
GOLD: Poya DAD MARZ (IRI) df. RUPIN (IND), 3-1

BRONZE: Amangali BEKBOLATOV (KAZ) df. Haifeng ZHANG (CHN) by TF, 9-0 (1:38)
BRONZE: Ikhtiyor BOTIROV (UZB) df. Taiga ONISHI (JPN) by TF, 9-0 (3:23)

Semifinal: RUPIN (IND) df. Haifeng ZHANG (CHN), 3-1
Semifinal: Poya DAD MARZ (IRI) df. Ikhtiyor BOTIROV (UZB), 8-1

63kg (9 entries)
GOLD: Iman MOHAMMADI (IRI) df. Shermukhammad SHARIBJANOV (UZB) by TF, 9-0 (4:09)

BRONZE: NEERAJ (IND) df. Jinseub SONG (KOR), 5-2
BRONZE: Mukhamedali MAMURBEK (KAZ) df. Chiezo MARUYAMA (JPN) by TF, 9-0 (1:28)

Semifinal: Iman MOHAMMADI (IRI) df. Jinseub SONG (KOR) by TF, 9-0 (5:03)
Semifinal: Shermukhammad SHARIBJANOV (UZB) df. Mukhamedali MAMURBEK (KAZ) by Fall, 4:41 (6-5)

77kg (12 entries)
GOLD: Akzhol MAKHMUDOV (KGZ) df. Amin KAVIYANINEJAD (IRI) by Inj. Def.

BRONZE: Kodai SAKURABA (JPN) df. Jeyhun OVEZDURDYYEV (TKM) by TF, 9-0 (1:38)
BRONZE: Rui LIU (CHN) df. Demeu ZHADRAYEV (KAZ), 5-2

Semifinal: Akzhol MAKHMUDOV (KGZ) df. Kodai SAKURABA (JPN) by TF, 9-1 (2:41)
Semifinal: Amin KAVIYANINEJAD (IRI) df. Demeu ZHADRAYEV (KAZ), 3-1

87kg (10 entries)
GOLD: Naser ALIZADEH (IRI) df. Nursultan TURSYNOV (KAZ) by TF, 8-0

BRONZE: Sunil KUMAR (IND) df. Masato SUMI (JPN), 4-1
BRONZE: Jalgasbay BERDIMURATOV (UZB) df. Atabek AZISBEKOV (KGZ), 2-2

Semifinal: Naser ALIZADEH (IRI) df. Sunil KUMAR (IND), 7-2
Semifinal: Nursultan TURSYNOV (KAZ) df. Atabek AZISBEKOV (KGZ) by TF, 12-0 (1:43)

130kg (11 entries)
GOLD: Amin MIRZAZADEH (IRI) df. Lingzhe MENG (CHN), 2-0

BRONZE: Roman KIM (KGZ) df. Temurbek NASIMOV (UZB) by TF, 10-1, 4:06
BRONZE: Alimkhan SYZDYKOV (KAZ) df. Minseok KIM (KOR) 5-3

Semifinal: Amin MIRZAZADEH (IRI) df. Temurbek NASIMOV (UZB) by TF, 9-0 (2:34)
Semifinal: Lingzhe MENG (CHN) df. Alimkhan SYZDYKOV (KAZ) by Cautions, 4:30 (11-3)

Balihamzehdeh salvages tough day for Iran at Asian Championships

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Makhmudov breaks Iranian gold monopoly on Asian C'ships opening day