#WrestleUfa

Blades Helps USA Claim WW Team Title After Thrilling Race at #WrestleUfa

Friday, August 20, 2021 - 17:21 By Vinay Siwach

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UFA, Russia (August 20) – It came down to the final bout of the day but Kennedy BLADES (USA) made sure they didn't have to wait for the full six minutes of the bout.

USA, India and Russia were locked in the women's wrestling team title race down to the wire but Blades secured a win via fall in 17 seconds to claim the top position for USA. This is USA's second team title inside one month after they won the cadet world title last month in Budapest after another close race with India.

USA finished top with 143 points while Russia and India finished with 134 points for the second and third positions respectively. Russia was second as it had two gold medals compared to none from India.

Blades, whose sister Korina won bronze at 65kg, was wrestling Lilly SCHNEIDER (GER) in the 72kg final and came out with a post double leg straight up to her feet and picked up the 17 second fall.

“I just wanted to go hard and my plan was to shoot a double leg because I like it," Blades said. "She ended up with her back and I wanted to hold her there and get it over with. It's awesome."

Blades went unscored on during the tournament which makes her the third wrestler from her team to not give up any points in her bouts. She is one of the four world champions from USA, the first time the country had multiple champions at women's wrestling at junior Worlds.

Going into the final day, India led USA and Russia in the team race but by the time Blades came to wrestle, USA just needed her to win the gold. At the back of her mind, she had the scenario but did not realize it on the mat.

“I wanted to win for myself and my team as well,” she said. “When I won, I didn't even realize the team won. When I realized I was like 'my gosh we all won'.”

Blades wrestled Olympic champion Taymra MENSAH STOCK (USA) at the Olympic team trials and later saw her win the medal in Tokyo. She said that inspired her to win big as well.

“One of my opponents Mensah, seeing her win gold at Olympics inspired me and I wanted to win something big like her," she said. "“I have been wanting to be a world champion for some time now."

Baldes will most likely feature on the US team to the senior World Championships in Oslo, Norway as she is entered the trials for tournament at 72kg. 

India had two finalists Friday but both failed to win the gold, extending India's wait for a women's junior world champion. Both Sanju DEVI (IND) and BHATERI (IND) were outclassed by their opponents in the 62kg and 65kg finals respectively.

At 62kg, junior European champion Alina KASABIEVA (RUS) wrapped up Devi 10-0 in the first period. She punched her first two of the match with a blistering knee pick. Then, she ended the match with an ankle pick to three leg laces to close the match with a technical superiority victory.

"I can’t describe my emotions," she said. "The tournament wasn’t really tough for me, it was important to be well-prepared mentally."

The 20-year-old said that it was her brother who introduced her to wrestling saying that there is girls wrestling. But when she arrived at the training hall, there were no girls wrestling.

"There were only the boys. It was a bit strange to train with the boys," she said. "Even now I train with the girls only at the training camps, back home I still train with the boys."

Irina RINGACIIrina RINGACI (MDA) won her first world title. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Senior Euro champion Irina RINGACI (MDA) collected her first world title as she rolled past Bhateri 12-2 in the 65kg finals. She scored four points from a takedown and gut wrench in the first period.

Despite giving up a takedown in the second period, Ringaci scored an exposure off a turn attempt from Bhateri, then stopped an Indian shot attempt and scored a counter offensive takedown and led 8-2. She ended the match with a pair of laces and won world gold 12-2.

"I am really happy. I came for the belt, and today [Friday] my dream have come true," Ringaci said. "Since it’s my last junior year, I came here to win, and here is my belt."

After pocketing the junior world title, Ringaci, who began wrestling only at the age of 13 years, said she is keen on winning the other two Worlds remaining in the year -- senior and the U23 -- as well. 

Sweden came up with a stunning performance at 53kg to win the gold medal as Emma MALMGREN (SWE) defeated Mihaela SAMOIL (MDA) 7-4.

Emma MALMGRENEmma MALMGREN (SWE) won the gold medal at 53kg in Ufa. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

The compact Malmgren struggled to find an answer to the height of her Moldovan opponent in the first period in which she was denied on her three shot attempts. Then she failed to make a pair of single legs and a double but led 1-0 after an inactivity point was awarded.

After three failed attempts in the first period, Malmgren broke through with a four-point double leg, her go to move in tough situations. She came up to her feet on her shot and denied a judo-esk throw from Samoil and extended her lead to 5-0.

With a minute left, Malmgren worked on right-side underhook when Samoil jammed her hip in and slipped around – cutting the Swedish wrestlers lead to 5-3.

A late flurry, ending with Malmgren on top, put two points on the board for both wrestlers but it was the Swedish wrestler who topped the podium at 53kg with a 7-4 victory.

“It feels amazing. It's been a dream and I am finally standing on the top of the world. It's unreal,” she said.

Malmgren, who trains at Helsingborg which has given Sweden multiple World medalists and Olympians, is looking forward to being with her family.

“I just want to spend some time with them,” she said. “I was seven when I told my parents that I want to start wrestling.”

Nilufar RAIMOVANilufar RAIMOVA (KAZ) won against Aurora RUSSO (ITA) 8-6 in the 53kg final. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

In a historic final at 57kg, Nilufar RAIMOVA (KAZ) produced a comeback for the ages and erased a five-point deficit and stopped Aurora RUSSO (ITA) from winning Italy’s first-ever women’s wrestling world title.

Raimova trailed 2-1 when she shot a desperation double leg. She couldn’t finish the shot but came up to an underhook and surrendered a perfectly timed four-point headlock to her exposed right side. She fell into a 6-1 hole, but never stopped moving forward.

A stepout cut Raimova’s lead to 6-2. She scored two points from a picturesque double underhook throw, which was followed by a second takedown that stemmed from a ride-side dominant underhook.

She kept her pace high and with 25 seconds left forced Russo to take an ill-advised shot. Raimova picked up the match decided go-behind and claimed the 8-6 win.

Russia Sends 3 Into GR Finals

Local boy Adlan AMRIEV (RUS) rose to the expectations of the Ufa crowd and made it to the final at 87kg final as Greco-Roman wrestling began at the Ufa Arena. Amriev one of the three Russian wrestlers who reached the final Friday with seven other countries also sending one wrestler each in the final.

Amriev was wrestling Tansel ORTUCU (TUR) in the semifinal and began on a slow one and was called passive. But Ortucu didn't score any from the par terre position. In the second period, it was Amriev's turn to take advantage of the par terre position and he did so with a body lock and throw for two before continuing for a four-point throw. The 7-1 remained till the clock expired.

He will take on Tyrone STERKENBURG (NED) who confirmed Netherlands first Junior Worlds medal in 43 years after beating former cadet world champion Lachin VALIEV (AZE) 4-1.

Sterkenburg was called passive in the first period but he did not give any point from par terre and then scored a stepout to lead 1-1 in criteria. Valiev was then called passive in the second period which gave a 2-1 lead to Sterkenburg. Valiev, looking to score a winning takedown, pressured and took Sterkenburg to the danger zone before the Dutch used that momentum to go behind and score a takedown and win 4-1.

Two-time junior Euro champion Diego CHKHIKVADZE (GEO) is one step closer to capturing his first world title after he entered the final at 63kg with a dominating 6-0 win over Niklas OEHLEN (SWE). It was a rematch from the junior Euros this year where Chkhikvadze defeated Oehlen 3-1. I Ufa, the Georgian opened the scoring with a point from Oehlen's passivity. He then used a big four throw and a step out to complete the 6-0 win.

In the final, he will have Said BAKAEV (RUS) as he won over Manuel STOICA (ROU) 5-1. Bakaev was exceptional in his par terre defense and then used a gut wrench and a takedown to win the semifinal.

At 77kg, Islam ALIEV (RUS) made it to the final after a big and hard-fought win over junior European champ and former cadet world champ Alexandrin GUTU (MDA). Aliev won the first passivity call and then got a gut wrench over Gutu to lead 3-0.

It was only in the second period that Gutu got going. He tried a head pinch which failed but a chest wrap gave him two points. He gave up a point for reversal on the same move to trail 2-5. He scored via a stepout but lost 3-5.

Aliev will now take on Exauce MUKUBU (NOR) in the final. Mukubu finished with a gut wrench and beat Emad ABOUELATTA (EGY) 8-0 inside one minute of the semifinal.

An all-Asian final will be at 55kg as Alimardon ABDULLAEV (UZB) and Amirreza DEHBOZORGI (IRI) made it to teh final with controlled wins in the semis.

Abdullaev was under pressure when he was called passive and Aslamdzhon AZIZOV (TJK) got a gut wrench. But Abdullaev also get two for exposure and lead 3-3 on criteria. In the second period, she scored four points and one for a lost challenge to win 8-3.

Dehbozorgi scored six points in the first period and then held on to that lead for the second period and won 6-0 against Iskhar KURBAYEV (KAZ).

At 130kg, former cadet world champ and junior Euro champion Muhammet BAKIR (TUR) defeated Armen CHOLOKIAN (RUS) 4-0 to make the final. All for points were either passivity or stepouts.

He will take on Sarkhan MAMMADOV (AZE) in a rematch of the 2018 cadet Worlds finals which Bakir won. Mammadov had a close semifinal against Nikolaos NTOUNIAS (GRE) but came out on top 3-2.

Greece got the first advantage when Mammadov was passive but could not capitalize from par terre. Azerbaijan then second a takedown to lead 2-1. But Ntounias was called passive in the second period which extended the lead to 3-1. Ntounis scored a pushout to trim it to 3-2 but with only 32 seconds left, Mammadov defend it to win the spot the in the final.

Results WW Medal Bouts

53kg
GOLD: Emma MALMGREN (SWE) df Mihaela SAMOIL (MDA), 7-4

BRONZE: Choigana TUMAT (RUS) df Jaslynn GALLEGOS (USA), via fall
BRONZE: Emine CAKMAK (TUR) df Aizhan SABYRBEK KYZY (KGZ), 5-4

57kg
GOLD: Nilufar RAIMOVA (KAZ) df Aurora RUSSO (ITA), 8-6

BRONZE: Sezim ZHUMANAZAROVA (KGZ) df Patrycja STRZELCZYK (POL), 9-4
BRONZE: Elvira KAMALOGLU (TUR) df Maryia HULIDA (BLR), 9-0

62kg
GOLD: Alina KASABIEVA (RUS) df Sanju DEVI (IND), 10-0

BRONZE: Birgul SOLTANOVA (AZE) df Luisa SCHEEL (GER), via fall
BRONZE: Korina BLADES (USA) df Viktoria OEVERBY (NOR), 11-1

65kg
GOLD: Irina RINGACI (MDA) df BHATERI (IND), 12-2

BRONZE: Amina CAPEZAN (ROU) df Khadija JLASSI (TUN), 6-3
BRONZE: Viktoria VESSO (EST) df Alara BOYD (USA), via fall

72kg
GOLD: Kennedy BLADES (USA) df Lilly SCHNEIDER (GER), via fall

BRONZE: Alexandra ZAITSEVA (KAZ) df Daniela TKACHUK (POL), via fall
BRONZE: Mariam GUSEINOVA (RUS) df SANEH (IND), via injury default

Semifinals GR Results

55kg
GOLD: Alimardon ABDULLAEV (UZB) vs Amirreza DEHBOZORGI (IRI)

SF 1: Alimardon ABDULLAEV (UZB) df Aslamdzhon AZIZOV (TJK), 8-3
SF 2: Amirreza DEHBOZORGI (IRI) df Iskhar KURBAYEV (KAZ), 6-0

63kg
GOLD: Said BAKAEV (RUS) vs Diego CHKHIKVADZE (GEO)

SF 1: Said BAKAEV (RUS) df Manuel STOICA (ROU), 5-1
SF 2: Diego CHKHIKVADZE (GEO) df Niklas OEHLEN (SWE), 6-0

77kg
GOLD: Exauce MUKUBU (NOR) vs Islam ALIEV (RUS)

SF 1: Exauce MUKUBU (NOR) df Emad ABOUELATTA (EGY), 8-0
SF 2: Islam ALIEV (RUS) df Alexandrin GUTU (MDA), 5-3

87kg
GOLD: Adlan AMRIEV (RUS) vs Tyrone STERKENBURG (NED)

SF 1: Adlan AMRIEV (RUS) df Tansel ORTUCU (TUR), 7-1
SF 2: Tyrone STERKENBURG (NED) df Lachin VALIYEV (AZE), 4-1

130kg
GOLD: Muhammet BAKIR (TUR) vs Sarkhan MAMMADOV (AZE)

SF 1: Muhammet BAKIR (TUR) df Armen CHOLOKIAN (RUS), 4-0
SF 2: Sarkhan MAMMADOV (AZE) df Nikolaos NTOUNIAS (GRE), 3-2

#wrestlebishkek

Asian Championships: Rise of Sujeet Fuels India’s 65kg Gold Hopes

Sunday, April 5, 2026 - 14:05 By Vinay Siwach

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BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan (April 4) -- When SUJEET (IND) steps on the mat at the Asian Championships in Bishkek on Friday, he will carry hopes of a country looking for an Asian champion in a Freestyle weight class other than 57kg for the past seven years.

The 23-year-old is unbeaten this year, winning gold medals at the Zagreb Open and Muhamet Malo Ranking Series, making him the favorite to win gold at 65kg in Bishkek. The last time India won a gold medal at the Asian Championships was 2019 when Bajrang PUNIA (IND) won in Xi'an, China.

"I don't think much about anything," Sujeet says. "I say the name of the God and step on the mat. I will do the same at the Asian Championships.

"I am happy that I wrestle at 65kg because India has a decent history at 65kg. I will also try to carry it forward."

The 65kg field in Bishkek includes returning 61kg Asian champion Takara SUDA (JPN) who is moving up one weight. Suda's ability to score at any time in a bout puts him as the biggest threat against Sujeet.

World bronze medalist Umidjon JALOLOV (UZB) is another strong competitor for Sujeet. The Indian enjoys a 4-0 head-to-head record against the Uzbekistan wrestler but at last year's Asian Championships, Sujeet pulled out of his bronze medal bout against Jalolov due to an injury.

Another tough competitor for Sujeet can be Peyman NEMATI (IRI). The two wrestled in the final of the Zagreb Open and the Iranian managed to keep Sujeet quiet despite losing 3-0. He will be keen to avenge that loss and win gold for Iran.

Abdulmazhid KUDIEV (TJK), a world bronze medalist at 70kg in 2024, can spring a surprise and so can former U17 world champion Rustamzhan KAKHAROV (KGZ).

Early Start

Hailing from village Imlota, Charkhi Dadri in Haryana, a state that produces majority of wrestlers in India, Sujeet was introduced to wrestling in his village.

"There was an old akhada [training school] in my village so I used to go there," he says. "No coach had formal experience as such and I used to lose at the district level. I remember I lost in 2019 at the state level."

While there was little history of wrestling in the village itself, Sujeet's father Dayanand KALKAL was a national-level wrestler and was keen for his son to pick the sport as well. Till 2020, Sujeet continued training in the village.

"I was decent in studies," he says. "I balanced it with wrestling but after school, it was all wrestling. My village was very supportive of my wrestling. And then in 2021, I made the switch."

From south-west Haryana, Sujeet moved to Sonipat, a district in Haryana 60 kilometers north of New Delhi. With more experienced training partners, Sujeet could feel the improvements in his wrestling.

"The shift in 2021 to Sonipat changed my wrestling," he says. "My wrestling matured and the other wrestlers had international experience so it helped me in all aspects."

SUJEET (IND)SUJEET (IND), third from left, won a bronze medal at the 2022 U20 World Championships in Sofia. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

In just one year, Sujeet made the U20 Indian team and was on his way to Bulgaria for the World Championships. He lost to Ziraddin BAYRAMOV (AZE) in the semifinals but won a bronze medal at 65kg, his first in international wrestling on debut.

"I was happy that I won a medal in my first-ever competition despite it being bronze," he says. "My wrestling was different than my opponents. I had never experienced that. But slowly I got used to it."

The biggest challenge for Sujeet was the vast difference in wrestling between junior and senior levels.

"When you shift from junior to senior, there is a lot of difference from power to technique," he says. "Opponents study you a lot once you are consistently competing. Everyone studies each other but I stick to my techniques."

Senior Career

Sujeet made the required adjustments and won the senior nationals in India to make the team with a hope to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics. But that journey ended in a heartbreak.

At the Asian Olympic Qualifiers in Bishkek, Sujeet failed to reach the competition due to floods at the Dubai airport. A month later at the World Olympic Qualifiers in Istanbul, Sujeet squandered a 2-0 lead against Zain RETHERFORD (USA) and missed out on a ticket to Paris.

"My father says do not celebrate too much when you win, don't be disheartened when you lose, balance it," he says. "So I try to keep it balanced. I don't sulk when I lose. I think about it a little and then move on, sit with my friends and try to see what I can improve."

In need of training partners who could challenge him with different styles, Sujeet spent a few months training overseas. He picked Mongolia, Russia and Japan, and picked a few details from the sparring sessions. He also realized that depending on the renowned Indian conditioning will not be enough to win medals at the world level.

"In India, the training lasts long, usually 3-4 hours," he says. "In Japan, they have smaller training sessions with focus on speed. Russia also has longer sessions with focus on scrambles and bouts.

"Our stamina comes from the longer trainings which are also very hard. The Indian sit-ups are quite different. Others also have unique ways to train but they focus on their own styles. But we ultimately work hard for longer bouts."

Sujeet ended 2024 with a bronze medal at 70kg at the U23 World Championships.

For the majority of 2025, he remained an under-the-radar wrestler. He won the Ranking Series event in Budapest but was far off from being a medal threat at the September World Championships. However, a bout against Olympic silver medalist Rahman AMOUZAD (IRI) at the World Championships caught the attention of the fans.

Though he lost 6-5, Sujeet was surprisingly the only wrestler who troubled Amouzad, the eventual world champion, in Zagreb.

"It was my first bout so I was all over the place and he was clearly stronger than me," he recalls. "May be next time I will be calmer. I took too much pressure on myself to win a medal and that showed in my bout against Real WOODS (USA)."

Woods beat Sujeet in repechage after an initial flurry of turns and then defended his lead to win 7-5. Sujeet returned home empty-handed.

SUJEET (IND)SUJEET (IND), second from left, as the U23 world champion in 2025. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

Unbeaten Streak

But in a month's time, Sujeet would make amends and win the U23 world title with a stunning series of win over former U23 world champion Bashir MAGOMEDOV (UWW) in the quarterfinals, former U20 world champion Yuto NISHUCHI (JPN) in semifinals and Jalolov, who had won bronze in Zagreb, 10-0 in the final. He scored in the final 10 seconds in the quarterfinals and semifinals.

"At the U23 Worlds, I did not care much about the draw," he says. "I think I can manage to score at any moment. I do panic but I try to remain calm. I like going for the sweep and catch both legs to score points."

The Asian Championships will be a huge test of Sujeet's recent form and skill. A gold in Bishkek can put him in the top-tier of 65kg. Does he have the class to win in Bishkek and beyond?

"My wrestling is going good," he says. "Some win via technique, some win by speed. I personally feel my wrestling is good to win here."