Meiji Cup

Cadet Champ Kagami Strikes Blow Against Veteran Minagawa in Move Up to 76kg

Thursday, June 13, 2019 - 13:18 By Ken Marantz

Share this article

TOKYO (June 13)---World cadet champion Yuka KAGAMI launched the first salvo in her bid to dethrone two-time world bronze medalist Hiroe MINAGAWA at 76kg, while Atsushi MATSUMOTO was dealt a setback in his attempt to move up to an Olympic weight class.

Kagami, coming off a gold-medal run at 72kg at the Asian Championships in April, defeated Minagawa 3-1 in their preliminary group match on the opening day of the All-Japan Invitational Championships, the second of the national qualifying tournaments for Japan’s team to the World Championships known.

Kagami and Minagawa both advanced to the semifinals out of their three-woman group and could clash again in the final on Friday at the tournament known as the Meiji Cup at Tokyo’s Komazawa Gym. 

“I knew that she wouldn’t be an opponent who is easy to beat, so I trained really hard,” Kagami said. “We just happened to meet in the first match. But I was prepared mentally and I think that was a factor in my win.”

At 17, Kagami is 14 years Minagawa’s junior, but showed no fear in scoring the winning takedown with 50 seconds left in their match. Both later defeated Rino Abe, the third wrestler in their group, to advance to the semifinals. 

In order to better prepare the wrestlers for the World Championships format, the Japan federation is running all weight classes over two days, even those with limited entries. 

Minagawa will face the winner of the other group, Yasuha MATSUYUKI, whom she beat 3-0 in the deciding round-robin bout for the title at the All-Japan Championships, known as the Emperor’s Cup, in December.

Winners of the Emperor’s Cup who take the gold at the Meiji Cup clinch a place on Japan’s team to this year’s World Championships in Kazakhstan. If the winners are different, they will meet in a playoff set for July 6.

There is added incentive for making the team to Nur-Sultan---the Japan Wrestling Federation has decreed that winning a medal there brings with it an automatic spot at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, the ultimate goal for any Japanese wrestler. 

That has caused a scramble into the six Olympic weight classes for each style, bolstering those divisions while depleting the remainder. Kagami had won a watered-down 72kg class at the Emperor’s Cup, but decided to move up to 76kg with the aim of appearing at Tokyo 2020.

MatsumotoWorld bronze medalist Atsushi MATSUMOTO fell to Takeshi YAMAGUCHI, 4-2. (Photo: Sachiko Hotaka) 

Matsumoto, a world bronze medalist at freestyle 92kg, had the same idea when he decided to take a shot at the Olympic weight of 97kg. But that quest ended, for now, with a 4-2 loss to Takeshi YAMAGUCHI in the semifinals.

Matsumoto, who also won a bronze medal the Asian Championships in Xi’an, China, had a 2-0 lead, with both points coming on the activity clock. But Yamaguchi scored two takedowns in the final minute, the last coming as he fought off Matsumoto’s counter-lift attempt.

“I scored on the activity clock, but didn’t get any technical points, and that’s how I lost,” Matsumoto said. “There wasn’t much I could do when I gave up the first takedown. But the fact that I couldn’t come back, even with a pushout, showed more inferiority in strength.”

Although he cut it close, Yamaguchi said the outcome was no surprise to him.

“The match went just as I imagined and I did what I had planned,” Yamaguchi said. “From the start, Matsumoto is an opponent who goes on the attack. I didn’t want to get stuck in his type of match, where we just lock up arms.

“In the second period, I was confident I could score. That’s what I’ve been working on over the past six months. I knew I would get a chance for a single-leg tackle. I timed it well and when things got tense, I got in on it as I had planned.”

To hone his technique, Yamaguchi, an Asian bronze medalist in 2015 and 2018, paid his own way to compete at the Mongolian Open in April, where he won the silver medal.

In the final, Yamaguchi will renew his rivalry with defending champion Naoya AKAGUMA, who beat him 2-1 for the title at the Emperor’s Cup. A year ago, the two went to a playoff for the ticket to Budapest 2018, which Yamaguchi won 14-8 after trailing 6-2.

Despite the setback, Matsumoto is still eligible as Emperor’s Cup champion to enter the playoff at 92kg for Nur-Sultan 2019. And the door to Tokyo 2020 is not sealed either, although a few more locks have been added that he would have to get through---a process predicated on either Akaguma or Yamaguchi failing to medal at Nur-Sultan.

Sosuke TAKATANI is one win from earning a ticket to Nur-Sultan for the World Championships. (Photo: Sachiko Hotaka) 

Another top wrestler who is finding success after moving into an Olympic weight class is Sosuke TAKATANI, a former world 74kg silver medalist who is now at 86kg after spending a transition year at 79kg.

Takatani, who won the Emperor’s Cup in his debut at 86kg, moved one win from earning a ticket to Nur-Sultan when he advanced to the final, where he will face 2017 champion Masao MATSUSAKA. 

After a technical fall victory in his opening match, Takatani scored a 10-2 win the semifinal over Hayato ISHIGURO, the 2018 world junior champion at 79kg. 

“This is my second tournament since moving up to 86kg,” said Takatani, who also competed at the World Cup in March, where he beat the world silver medalist. “I won the last time, but I still go into the matches thinking of myself as the challenger. In tomorrow’s final, I’ll also go in as the challenger.”

Matsusaka’s semifinal victory over defending champion Shoto SHIRAI ended on a sad note. With Matsusaka leading 1-0 early in the second period, Shirai appeared to suffer a neck injury in a clash at the edge that caused him to default the match. As a precautionary measure, Shirai was taken off the mat on a stretcher and taken to a local hospital. 

Takatani did not yet know his final opponent when he was asked about his prospects.

“Both of them have been to the world championships and are strong wrestlers, and even as someone who has moved up a weight class, I was an Olympian and can hold my own,” Takatani said. 

“I want to show that Sosuke Takatani can be a winner at any weight class and I’ll do everything I can to win a medal at the world championships.”

Competition got underway in three Olympic weights in Greco-Roman, and all three Emperor’s Cup champions stayed on track to complete the national double. 

Naotsugu SHOJI will take on Shohei YABIKU in the 77kg finals. (Photo: Sachiko Hotaka) 

Naotsugu SHOJI squeezed into the 77kg final with a 4-4 semifinal win over Takeshi IZUMI, and will face two-time defending champion Shohei YABIKU, who avenged a loss at the Emperor’s Cup to Kodai SAKURABA with a 5-2 win in the quarterfinals. 

Masato SUMI posted a pair of 7-0 victories in his group matches at 87kg to make the semifinals, while Yuta NARA, aiming for a fourth straight Meiji Cup title, cruised into the 97kg final with back-to-back technical fall victories. 

Day 1 Results

Freestyle

79kg (4 entries)
Round-robin (through 2 rounds)
1. Yudai TAKANASHI (2-0); 2. Yuto IZUTSU (1-1); 3. Komei KAWABATA (1-1); 4. Toshiki AKACHI (0-2).

86kg (12 entries)
Semifinals
Sosuke TAKATANI df. Hayato ISHIGURO, 10-2
Masao MATSUSAKA df. Shota SHIRAI, by Injury Def., 2:04 (1-0)

97kg (12 entries)
Semifinals
Naoya AKAGUMA df. Keiwan YOSHIDA, 5-2
Takeshi YAMAGUCHI df. Atsushi MATSUMOTO, 4-2

125kg (12 entries)
Semifinals
Taiki YAMAMOTO df. Nobuyoshi ARAKIDA, 3-2
Katsutoshi NAKAZAWA df. Tetsuya TANAKA, 2-1

Greco-Roman

63kg (9 entries)
Semifinals
Yoshiki YAMADA df. Naoki GODA by TF, 8-0, :44
Ichito TOKUHIGA df. Masaki ISHIKAWA by TF, 10-0, 1:43

77kg (11 entries)
Semifinals
Naotsugu SHOJI df. Takeshi IZUMI, 4-4
Shohei YABIKU df. Shoma YAMASAKI by TF, 9-0, 1:43

87kg (7 entries)
Semifinal Pairings
Takahiro TSURUDA vs Ryota NASUKAWA
Masato SUMI vs Kanta SHIOKAWA

97kg (9 entries)Semifinals
Yuta NARA df. Naoki MATSUMOTO by TF, 10-0, 2:41
Masaaki SHIKIYA df. Taichi OKA by TF, 9-0, 3:32

Women’s Wrestling 

55kg (6 entries)
Semifinal Pairings
Saki IGARASHI vs Mizuki ISHIMORI
Kana HIGASHIKAWA vs Hikari HIGUCHI

59kg (6 entries)
Semifinal Pairings
Kiwa IWASAWA vs Sena NAGAMOTO
Yumeka TANABE vs Ayami SUGIYAMA

65kg (5 entries)
Round-Robin (through 3 rounds)
1. Mei SUZUKI (2-0); 2. Miki KAWAUCHI (2-0); 3. Yuki KIMURA (1-2); 4. Saki KAWAUCHI (1-1) and Misuzu ENAMOTO (1-2)

76kg (6 entries)
Semifinal Pairings
Yuka KAGAMI vs Miki SAITO
Yasuha MATSUYUKI vs Hiroe MINAGAWA

#wrestlebishkek

Iran Caps Asian Championships with Three Golds, Team Title

Sunday, April 12, 2026 - 18:22 By Ken Marantz

Share this article

BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan (April 12) -- World champion Amir Hossein ZARE (IRI) capped a trifecta of victories for Iran in the last three finals of the Asian Championships, regaining the Freestyle 125kg gold after a one-year absence.

Zare followed Kamran GHASEMPOUR (IRI) and Mobin AZIMI (IRI) onto the top of the medal podium by defeating Shamil SHARIPOV (BRN) 4-0 – his fifth win in five meetings in a two-year span over the Russian-born foe – as the competition wrapped up with the last five Freestyle weight classes.

“Representing Iran despite the hard situation in my country made this gold medal even more meaningful,” Zare said.

World bronze medalist Ghasempour started the Iranian gold rush with a victory by fall in the 86kg final for his third Asian title and first since 2021, and Azimi followed suit by cruising to the 92kg gold to become a first-time champion.

The match of the day came at 61kg, in which Kwang Myong KIM (PRK) came out on top of a 23-point free-for-all over Olympic bronze medalist AMAN (IND), while world 70kg champion Yoshinosuke AOYAGI (JPN) made a successful move up to 74kg by making his fourth Asian medal golden for the first time.

Iran, which also took home two bronzes on the final day at Zhastyk Arena and had five champions overall, finished with 178 points to capture the team title for the third straight year and seventh time in eight years. India, with three golds and three silvers, finished second with 162, while Japan placed third with 127 behind two golds.

Amir Hossein ZARE (IRI)Amir Hossein ZARE (IRI) scores a takedown on Shamil SHARIPOV (BRN) during the 125kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

Zare, who missed last year’s tournament in lieu of eventual champion Amirreza MASOUMI (IRI) when Iran dispatched a young team to Amman, defeated Sharipov in a final devoid of high drama, which the Iranian said was due to his still recovering from a recent cold.

After receiving an activity point in the first period, Zare sandwiched a pair of stepouts around a second activity point for a 4-0 victory that never saw him in danger.

“Fighting through a severe cold infection, I lost seven kilograms three weeks before this competition,” Zare said. “I struggled to even finish an hour of training three days before this competition.

“Yet, with the help of my coaches, the prayers of the people, and God's grace, I’ve become a three-time Asian champion,” he added, counting his 2023 Asian Games gold into the total.

While Zare has seen limited action on the continental level, he has certainly made his mark on the global stage. In addition to a 2021 Tokyo Olympic bronze to go with his Paris silver, he has world golds from 2021, 2023 and 2025, as well as a 2022 bronze.

Zare, who was competing for the first time in 2026, has only three losses dating back to 2019 – to Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO) in the semifinals at the Tokyo Olympics, to Taha AKGUL (TUR) in the semifinals at the 2022 World Championships, and to Petriashvili again in the Paris Olympic final.

Ghasempour, competing for the first time this year, was leading Mukul DAHIYA (IND) 3-0 in the 86kg final when he stuck the Indian for a 4-pointer that he turned into a fall at 2:43.

Ghasempour had just received an activity point when he scored with a single-leg takedown. In the next action, Dahiya shot for a takedown, but Ghasempour got the underhooks in and suddenly pancaked the Indian over to his back.

“This is my first international stage of 2026, and I’m so thankful I could start it all with a gold medal,” Ghasempour said. “I hope to keep this streak going through the next competition.”

Ghasempour won his first Asian gold at 86kg in 2019, then moved up to 92kg and won the Asian title in 2021 and back-to-back world golds in 2021 and 2022. He was absent from the global scene until reappearing at last year’s World Championships, where he took a bronze.

“My aim is to keep this path strong through the 2026 World Championships and finish the year on top, setting the stage for the 2028 Olympics,” he said.

Mobin AZIMI (IRI)Mobin AZIMI (IRI) blanked Magomed SHARIPOV (BRN), 11-0, in the 92kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

World U23 champion Azimi, who moved down to 92kg after taking a bronze at 97kg last year, finished up an 11-0 victory over Magomed SHARIPOV (BRN) with just under a minute to go – and 10 seconds after scoring his first takedown of the match.

Azimi built up a 7-0 lead with a flurry of stepouts – five in all – before combining a takedown and gut wrench to conclude the match at 5:01.

Sharipov, a world U23 bronze medalist, added the Asian silver to his bronzes from 2023 and 2024.

For those who like their championship matches freewheeling, the 61kg final could hardly have been more entertaining.

Kwang Myong KIM (PRK)Kwang Myong KIM (PRK) celebrates after defeating AMAN (IND), 13-10, in an electric 61kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

India’s Aman, a Paris bronze medalist and 2023 Asian champion at 57kg, was the main instigator of the action, shooting for takedowns at will that Kim, a 2025 Asian U23 bronze medalist, did his best to counter – successfully, enough times.

Kim jumped out to a 4-0 lead with a counter arm throw and a roll with his head between Aman’s thighs, before Aman connected on a single for a takedown. Kim gained a stepout fighting off another attempt, then got 2 more with a whizzer counter, only for Aman to get a late double-leg takedown that left Kim up 7-4 at the break.

Aman charged back and went ahead 9-7 in the second period with a stepout and two takedowns. Kim used his lethal whizzer again for the stepout, then got behind countering a shot to move ahead 10-9 with 1:10 left.

With Aman wildly pressing for the winning takedown, Kim appeared to clinch the win with a stepout with :05 left. But the scoring wasn’t finished, as Kim was hit with a 1-point fleeing penalty in the final seconds to make it 11-10.

A last-second shot by Aman fell short and Kim spun behind just before the buzzer to account for the final margin of victory.

“I'm very happy that I won today, but I'm not going to think about this gold medal, instead I will move forward preparing for the World Championships,” said Kim, who won the lone gold for the DPR Korea in Bishkek.

Yoshinosuke AOYAGI (JPN)Yoshinosuke AOYAGI (JPN) celebrates after winning the 74kg gold with fellow Yamanashi Gakuin University alumnus, former Olympic champion, and now Freestyle coach of Japan Takuto OTOGURO (JPN), left. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

Japan’s Aoyagi, whose matches often have their fair share of fireworks, captured his first Asian gold with a staid 2-0 victory over two-time bronze medalist Magomedrasul ASLUEV (BRN) in the 74kg final.

The gold ended a run of bronze, silver, bronze over the past three years at 70kg. “I was continually unable to win the title at 70kg, which was really disappointing, so to move up to 74kg and win the gold medal for the first time, and also my first gold medal [at this weight] overseas, I’m really happy,” Aoyagi said.

Aoyagi scored a takedown with a low single in the first period, then left no openings for an opponent who seemed reticent to go on the offensive.

“With victory within reach, I think my movement became a little stiff,” Aoyagi said of the lack of spark in the match. “I consider myself to be a wrestler who is particularly good at defense.”

Just getting to Bishkek was an accomplishment in itself for Aoyagi. As a sign of the depth in Japan, Aoyagi had to defeat reigning world 74kg champion Kota TAKAHASHI (JPN) at last December’s All-Japan Championships, winning a close 4-4 decision in the final.

To make the team to this year’s World Championships and Asian Games, Aoyagi will likely have to go through Takahashi again at next month’s Meiji Cup All-Japan Invitational Championships.

“Of course, [the win in December] gave me confidence,” Aoyagi said. “But I think he is still stronger than me. I still have a month to prepare. I want to beat him again.”

Since making the move up to the Olympic weight, Aoyagi placed third at the 2025 World U23 Championships and second at Zagreb Ranking Series event earlier this year. He said he is still making the physical adjustment.

“I still feel the difference [of opponents] being taller, having longer legs and longer reach,” Aoyagi said. “But there is nothing I can do to increase those in me. I can just add bulk to my body size and little by little be able to respond.”

Alp Arslan BEGENJOV (TKM)Alp Arslan BEGENJOV (TKM) became Turkmenistan's first-ever Asian medalist in Freestyle. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

Begenjov claims first-ever Freestyle medal for Turkmenistan

Alp Arslan BEGENJOV (TKM) became Turkmenistan’s first-ever Asian medalist in Freestyle, taking home an 86kg bronze with a stunning victory by fall over Yudai TAKAHASHI (JPN).

Begenjov, the 2024 world U20 champion and 2025 Asian U23 silver medalist at 79kg, had scored his second 4-point move when Takahashi reversed to cut Begenjov’s lead to 8-5. But Begenjov stuffed an attempted roll and secured the fall at 5:09.

Begenjov had started the match with a back trip for 4, before the brawny Takahashi, a 2022 bronze medalist at 79kg and the older brother of Kota, came back with takedowns to end the first period and start the second.

Trailing 4-4 on criteria, Takahashi got in on a tackle, only to be pancaked to his back. The Japanese then reversed, only to be stopped midway through and then held down for the fall.

It was also Turkmenistan’s first medal overall since 2018, and just the ninth in the nation’s history.

Khidir SAIPUDINOV (BRN), a world 79kg bronze medalist, claimed the other 86kg bronze and his third straight with a 2-1 win over returning silver medalist Bolat SAKAYEV (KAZ), with all of the points scored on the activity clock.

At 92kg, veteran Azamat DAULETBEKOV (KAZ) added to his vast collection of Asian medals, scoring all of his points in the first period to defeat Takashi ISHIGURO (JPN) 6-0 and make the podium for the fifth straight year.

Dauletbekov, who also has a pair of world bronzes to his credit, now has seven Asian medals, including three straight golds from 2022 to 2024 at 86kg. Ishiguro was denied a second straight bronze and what would have been his third overall.

Asian U20 bronze medalist Iakov CHAPLIN (KGZ) claimed the lone medal of the final night for the host country, outlasting Hade AYIDUSI (CHN) 6-4 for the other 92kg bronze.

While Ayidusi was piling up single points, Chaplin went ahead in the second period with a takedown and roll for a 4-3 lead with 1:20 left. Ayidusi picked up his third stepout to tie the score, but still trailed on criteria, and a desperation shot allowed Chaplin to get behind in the last second.

At 57kg, world medalists Ahmad JAVAN (IRI) and Gulomjon ABDULLAEV (UZB) both assured they would not be leaving Bishkek empty-handed by grabbing the bronzes with one-sided victories.

Javan, the world silver medalist, secured his second straight Asian bronze by overwhelming Changsu KIM (KOR) 12-0, scoring a takedown and three back-and-forth rolls, then finishing the match with a 4-point takedown at 1:30.

Abdullaev, who won bronze medals at the 2024 Paris Olympics and last year’s World Championships at 57kg, was taken into the second period, but came up with a similar 11-0 victory over Azatberdi ASHYRGULYYEV (TKM).

He followed an initial takedown by using a grapevine for an exposure, then grabbed another exposure off a counter. In the second period, he ended it at 3:40 with a takedown-gut wrench combination.

At 74kg, former Asian champion and two-time world medalist Amirmohammad YAZDANI (IRI) added another bronze to the Iranian tally, notching three takedowns in a 9-3 victory over last year’s silver medalist, Orozobek TOKTOMAMBETOV (KGZ).

Mustafo AKHMEDOV (TJK), a four-time Asian U23 medalist, earned his first senior medal by taking the other 74kg bronze with an entertaining 7-6 win over Begijon KULDASHEV (UZB).

The match saw six lead changes, with Akhmedov scoring a takedown with :27 left for the decisive points.

The 125kg bronze-medal matches also saw an engaging encounter, in which world and Asian U20 champion Yedige KASSIMBEK (KAZ) reversed BUHEEERDUN (CHN) twice in the first period before holding on for an 8-7 win.

Buheeerdun, a two-time bronze medalist, started the proceedings with a takedown, but Kassimbek reversed, then scored a takedown and gut wrench to lead 5-2. Buheeerdun replied with a takedown-roll combination of his own, but again Kassimbek reversed, then added a roll to make it 8-6. Kassimbek limited the Chinese to a stepout in the second period to secure the win.

DINESH (IND) won his second straight bronze at 125kg, storming to a 12-1 win over Arslanbek TURDUBEKOV (KGZ) that he completed as time ran out.

Photo

Day 7 Results

Freestyle

61kg (11 entries)
GOLD: Kwang Myong KIM (PRK) df. AMAN (IND) 13-10

BRONZE: Ahmad JAVAN (IRI) df. Changsu KIM (KOR) by TS, 12-0, 1:30
BRONZE: Gulomjon ABDULLAEV (UZB) df. Azatberdi ASHYRGULYYEV (TKM) by TF, 11-0, 3:40

74kg (14 entries)
GOLD: Yoshinosuke AOYAGI (JPN) df. Magomedrasul ASLUEV (BRN), 2-0

BRONZE: Mustafo AKHMEDOV (TJK) df. Begijon KULDASHEV (UZB), 7-6
BRONZE: Amirmohammad YAZDANI (IRI) df. Orozobek TOKTOMAMBETOV (KGZ), 9-3

86kg (15 entries)
GOLD: Kamran GHASEMPOUR (IRI) df. Mukul DAHIYA (IND) by Fall, 2:43 (7-0)

BRONZE: Alp Arslan BEGENJOV (TKM) df. Yudai TAKAHASHI (JPN) by Fall, 5:09 (10-5)
BRONZE: Khidir SAIPUDINOV (BRN) df. Bolat SAKAYEV (KAZ), 2-1

92kg (12 entries)
GOLD: Mobin AZIMI (IRI) def. Magomed SHARIPOV (BRN) by TS, 11-0, 5:01

BRONZE: Iakov CHAPLIN (KGZ) df. Hade AYIDUSI (CHN), 6-4
BRONZE: Azamat DAULETBEKOV (KAZ) df. Takashi ISHIGURO (JPN), 6-0

125kg (11 entries)
GOLD: Amir Hossein ZARE (IRI) df. Shamil SHARIPOV (BRN), 4-0

BRONZE: Yedige KASSIMBEK (KAZ) df. BUHEEERDUN (CHN), 8-7
BRONZE: DINESH (IND) df. Arslanbek TURDUBEKOV (KGZ) by TS, 12-1, 6:00