#BuchaWrestU23

China and Japan Each Advance Four Women to #BuchaWrestU23 Semifinals

Wednesday, November 14, 2018 - 14:17 By Taylor Miller

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Photo of Miho IGARASHI (JPN) by Martin Gabor. 

BUCHAREST, Romania – The first batch of women’s freestyle semifinals are set for the 2018 U23 World Championships in Bucharest, Romania, highlighted by four wrestlers from China and four from Japan.

There are no semifinal head-to-head matchups between the two nations.

For Japan, the four semifinalists include Miho IGARASHI at 50 kg, Saki IGARASHI at 55 kg, Yuzuru KUMANO at 59 kg and Miwa MORIKAWA at 68 kg.

Wrestling tonight for China is Junling OUYANG at 55 kg, Ningning RONG, Chuying TANG at 68 kg and Paliha PALIHA at 76 kg.

2017 U23 World champion Miho Igarashi advanced to the semis at 50 kg, where she will take on two-time age-group World bronze medalist Stefania PRICEPUTU (ROU). Miho seeks her fifth World title as she is also a two-time Junior World champion and a 2014 Cadet World champion.

The other semifinal at 50 kg features 2011 Cadet World champion and two-time World silver medalist Nadezhda SOKOLOVA (RUS) and Namuuntsetseg TSOGT OCHIR (MGL).

Photo of Junling OUYANG (CHN) by Martin Gabor. 

At 55 kg, the other Igarashi, Saki, will take on 2016 Junior World bronze medalist and 2014 Cadet World bronze winner Elena Heike BRUGGER (GER). Saki was this year’s 2018 Junior World champion and claimed Cadet World silver in 2015.

On the other side of the bracket, it’s China’s Ouyang against Marina SEDNEVA (KAZ), who is a two-time Junior World medal winner.

Photo of Grace BULLEN (NOR) by Martin Gabor. 

World champions Rong of China and Kumano of Japan are on opposite sides of the 59 kg bracket.

Rong, who won the 2018 Senior World title at 57 kg two weeks ago, will battle two-time Cadet World champion and two-time Junior World medalist Olena KREMZER (UKR), while the reigning U23 World champion Kumano will face Youth Olympic Games champion and 2017 Junior World bronze medalist Grace BULLEN (NOR).

Photo of Yudari SANCHEZ RODRIGUEZ (CUB) by Martin Gabor.

The last weight that features wrestlers from both China and Japan is at 68 kg.

2018 Junior World bronze medalist Morikawa will have to go through Khishigmaa MUNKHBAT (MGL) to earn a spot in the finals. Most recently, Munkhbat was 10th at the Ivan Yarygin Memorial.

Tang of China took seventh at the World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, last month. In order to guarantee a spot on the podium, Tang must make her way past Yudari SANCHEZ RODRIGUEZ (CUB), who is a 2017 U23 World silver medalist and 2017 Junior World bronze medalist.

At 76 kg, Paliha will face 2015 Junior World bronze winner Gulmaral YERKEBAYEVA (KAZ). On the other side, 2017 U23 World finalist Gracelynn DOOGAN (CAN) will go head-to-head with Aysegul OZBEGE (TUR).

Semifinals will begin Wednesday at 5:15 p.m. local time (10:15 a.m. ET). Fans can watch live on unitedworldwrestling.org.

Semifinal matchups

50 kg
Miho IGARASHI (JPN) vs. Stefania PRICEPUTU (ROU)
Nadezhda SOKOLOVA (RUS) vs. Namuuntsetseg TSOGT OCHIR (MGL)

55 kg
Marina SEDNEVA (KAZ) vs. Junling OUYANG (CHN)
Elena Heike BRUGGER (GER) vs. Saki IGARASHI (JPN)

59 kg
Ningning RONG (CHN) vs. Olena KREMZER (UKR)
Yuzuru KUMANO (JPN) vs. Grace Jacob BULLEN (NOR)

68 kg
Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN) vs. Khishigmaa MUNKHBAT (MGL)
Chuying TANG (CHN) vs. Yudari SANCHEZ RODRIGUEZ (CUB)

76 kg
Paliha PALIHA (CHN) vs. Gulmaral YERKEBAYEVA (KAZ)
Aysegul OZBEGE (TUR) vs. Gracelynn DOOGAN (CAN)

Iran strikes three golds to close ISG 2025

Friday, November 21, 2025 - 17:17 By Vinay Siwach

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RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (November 21) -- World champion Amir Hossein ZARE (IRI) led an inspiring performance from Iran which captured three out of four gold medal on the final day of the Islamic Solidarity Games 2025 in Riyadh on Friday.

Zare, who won gold medal at 125kg in Zagreb in September, dominated his way to the gold in Riyadh outscoring his opponents 28-0 in three bouts.

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

Facing Shamil SHARIPOV (BRN) in the final, Zare combined his skills to score stepouts at win and also scored two takedowns to finish the match 10-0, capturing his fourth gold medal of the season.

Sharipov reached the final after securing a shocking win over world silver medalist Giorgi MESHVILDISHVILI (AZE) 7-6 in the semifinal. Meshvildishvili had to mount a comeback in the second period after he was down 5-1 in the match. He managed to make it 6-6 but trailed on criteria and as he tried to score a stepout in the final 10 seconds, Sharipov managed to remain inside the zone to survive attack.

Amirali AZARPIRA (IRI)Amirali AZARPIRA (IRI) tries to control Rizabek AITMUKHAN (KAZ) during the 97kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

At 97kg, a rematch between Olympic champion Akhmed TAZHUDINOV (BRN) and world silver medalist Amirali AZARPIRA (IRI) was on the cards but Rizabek AITMUKHAN (KAZ) denied that as he defeated Tazhudinov 14-3 in the semifinals.

Azarpira and Aitmukhan faced each other in the final but the former was clearly the better wrestler as he blanked Aitmukhan 5-0 to win the gold medal. He scored three stepouts and Aitmukhan was cautioned when aggressively pushed Azarpira. One more stepout was enough for Azarpira to win the gold medal.

Tazhudinov declared himself injured in the bronze medal bout which gave Olympic bronze medalist Magomedkhan MAGOMEDOV (AZE) the medal.

Younes EMAMI (IRI)Younes EMAMI (IRI) reaches for the leg of Aghanazar NOVRUZOV (AZE) during the 74kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

Iran's gold rush began when former Asian champion Younes EMAMI (IRI) completed a 5-0 victory over Aghanazar NOVRUZOV (AZE) at 74kg. Emami scored a takedown to take a 2-0 lead against Novruzov before pushing the Azerbaijan wrestler out of bounds twice before the break.

With a lead of 4-0, Emami began the second period on the aggressive and Novruzov was called passive. He failed to score in the 30-second period and Emami got another point to lead 5-0 which remained the winning score.

To reach the final, Emami had to go through 2024 world 70kg champion Norkozha KAIPANOV (KAZ) in the quarterfinals. The Iranian defeated the Kazakhstan wrestler 6-5 in a thriller.

With the three golds, Iran finished the tournament with four gold medal while Azerbaijan and Kyrgyzstan won one each.

Arsenii DZHIOEV (AZE)Arsenii DZHIOEV (AZE) celebrates after beating Kamran GHASEMPOUR (IRI) in their opening bout at 86kg. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

Dzhioev's impressive gold

One of Iran's favorite to win gold medal, Kamran GHASEMPOUR (IRI), suffered a heartbreaking loss at 86kg to Arsenii DIZHOEV (AZE) who capped off an incredible day with gold after beating Khidir SAIPUDINOV (BRN) 5-1 in the final. 

The win over Ghasempour was quite impressive from Dzhioev. Down 3-0, he scored two takedowns and one point for Ghasempour's passivity to win the bout 5-3.

In the final against Saipudinov, he opened scored a takedown in the opening period after being called passive and giving up a point. He scored two stepouts and one point for passivity in the second period to win the final.

Ghasempour returned to win the bronze medal by beating Magomet EVLOEV (TJK), 7-0, in the bronze-medal bout.

RESULTS

74kg
GOLD: Younes EMAMI (IRI) df. Aghanazar NOVRUZOV (AZE), 5-0

BRONZE: Orozbek TOKTOMAMBETOV (KGZ) df. Nurkozha KAIPANOV (KAZ), 4-2
BRONZE: Magomedrasul ASLUEV (BRN) df. Fazli ERYILMAZ (TUR), 4-3

86kg
GOLD: Arsenii DZHIOEV (AZE) df. Khidir SAIPUDINOV (BRN), 5-1

BRONZE: Kamran GHASEMPOUR (IRI) df. Magomet EVLOEV (TJK), 7-0
BRONZE: Osman GOCEN (TUR) df. Bekzat RAKHIMOV (KGZ), 10-2

97kg
GOLD: Amirali AZARPIRA (IRI) df. Rizabek AITMUKHAN (KAZ), 5-0

BRONZE: Magomedkhan MAGOMEDOV (AZE) df. Akhmed TAZHUDINOV (BRN), via inj. def.
BRONZE: Muhammad GULZAR (PAK) df. Rifat GIDAK (TUR), via fall (4-5)

125kg
GOLD: Amir Hossein ZARE (IRI) df. Shamil SHARIPOV (BRN), 10-0

BRONZE: Hakan BUYUKCINGIL (TUR) df. Arslanbek TURDUBEKOV (KGZ), 14-3
BRONZE: Giorgi MESHVILDISHVILI (AZE) df. Abdelrahman SHEYATAN (EGY), 5-0