#GC2018

Commonwealth Games Participants Announced

Tuesday, April 10, 2018 - 20:55 By Eric Olanowski

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GOLD COAST, Australia (April 10) - Over 100 wrestlers from 19 nations are set to compete in the Commonwealth Games, a multi-sport event that takes place every four years between athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. Freestyle and women's wrestling action at the 21st Commonwealth Games kicks off at Carrara Sports Arena 1 on April 12-14 in Gold Coast, Australia.

At the 20th Commonwealth Games, Canada won four freestyle gold medals and India secured the remaining three. Canada, Nigeria, and India dominated the women's wrestling field in Glasgow, Scotland. It was Canada who won a trio of golds, Nigeria nabbed a pair and India bagged the final gold medal. 

Freestyle
57kg (12 Entries) 
Thomas Louis CICCHINI (AUS)
Steven Masao TAKAHASHI (CAN)
George Anthony RAMM (ENG)
Ross Taylor CONNELLY (SCO)
Viorel ETKO (SCO)
Rahul Balasaheb AWARE (IND)
Gary GIORDMAINA (MLT)
Ebikewenimo WELSON (NGR)
Lowe BINGHAM (NRU)
Muhammad BILAL (PAK)
Jan Louwrens COMBRINCK (RSA)
Divoshan CHARLES FERNANDO (SRI)

65kg (12 Entries) 
Mehrdad TARASH (AUS)
Vincent DE MARINIS (CAN)
Charlie James BOWLING (ENG)
Kane Daniel CHARIG (WAL)
Bajrang BAJRANG (IND)
Adam VELLA (MLT)
Jean Guyliane Joris BANDOU (MRI)
Amas DANIEL (NGR)
Maverick KUN (NRU)
Brahm RICHARDS (NZL)
Abdul WAHAB (PAK)
Terry Killy Jr VAN RENSBURG (RSA)

74kg (15 Entries) 
Connor James EVANS (AUS)
Sean Patrick Kelly WRINKLE (BAH)
Mohammad ALI AMZAD (BAN)
Jevon BALFOUR (CAN)
Oleg  GLADKOV (SCO)
Curtis Elliot DODGE (WAL)
Kumar SUSHIL (IND)
Ioabo TEETU (KIR)
Jean Frederic MARIANNE (MRI)
Ebimienfaghe Amos ASSIZECOURT (NGR)
Akash KHULLAR (NZL)
Muhammad Asad BUTT (PAK)
Johannes Petrus BOTHA (RSA)
Abdulai SALAM (SLE)
Suresh Chanaka WARNAKULASURIYA FERNANDO (SRI)

86kg (12 Entries) 
Jayden Alexander LAWRENCE (AUS)
Rashji Leonardo MACKEY (BAH)
Alexander Robert MOORE (CAN)
Syerus ESLAMI (ENG)
Somveer SOMVEER (IND)
Kevin Dave WALLEN (JAM)
Mark Omumasaba INGUYESI (KEN)
Taebontangaroa KOOKOO (KIR)
Melvin BIBO (NGR)
Toby Robert FITZPATRICK (NZL)
Muhammad INAM (PAK)
Michael Eugene GAITSKILL (RSA)

97kg (11 Entries) 
Nicolaas Christiaan VERREYNNE (AUS)
Jordan STEEN (CAN) 
Cedric Yvan NYAMSI TCHOUGA (CMR)
Alexios KAOUSLIDIS (CYP)
Leon Gregory RATTIGAN (ENG)
Joe Samuel HENDRY (SCO)
Mausam KHATRI (IND)
Soso TAMARAU (NGR)
Samuel Stephen BELKIN (NZL)
Umair AHMAD (PAK)
Martin ERASMUS (RSA)

125kg (5 Entries) 
Korey JARVIS (CAN)
Claude KOUAMEN MBIANGA (CMR)
Sumit SUMIT (IND)
Sinivie BOLTIC (NGR)
Tayab RAZA (PAK)

Women's Wrestling 
50kg (4 Entries) 
Rupinder KAUR (AUS)
Jessica Anne Marie MACDONALD (CAN)
Vinesh VINESH (IND)
Miesinnei Mercy GENESIS (NGR)

53kg (5 Entries) 
Carissa Jane HOLLAND (AUS)
Diana Mary Helen WEICKER (CAN)
Kumari BABITA (IND)
Bose SAMUEL (NGR)
Deepika Dilhani Kumari Weerabahu WEERABAHU MUDIYANSELAGE (SRI)

57kg (7 Entries) 
Emily Suzanne SCHAEFER (CAN)
Joseph Emilienne ESSOMBE TIAKO (CMR)
Sarah Louise MCDAID MCCLOSKEY (NIR)
Pooja DHANDA (IND)
Noellancia GENAVE (MRI)
Odunayo Folasade ADEKUOROYE (NGR)
Ana Buiqumu Pauline MOCEYAWA (NZL)

62kg (5 Entries) 
Michelle Christina FAZZARI (CAN)
Berthe Emilienne ETANE NGOLLE (CMR)
Sakshi MALIK (IND)
Aminat Oluwafunmilayo ADENIYI (NGR)
Tayla Tuahine FORD (NZL)

68kg (6 Entries) 
Sherin SULTANA (BAN)
Danielle Suzanne LAPPAGE (CAN)
Gaelle Noelle ALAKAME ANZONG (CMR)
Divya KAKRAN (IND)
Lilian Kiende NTHIGA (KEN)
Blessing OBORUDUDU (NGR)

76kg (7 Entries) 
Naomi Rachel DE BRUINE (AUS)
Erica Elizabeth WIEBE (CAN)
Georgina Olwen NELTHORPE (ENG)
Kiran KIRAN (IND)
Katouskia PARIADHAVEN (MRI)
Blessing Joy ONYEBUCHI (NGR)
Hajaratu Mariama KAMARA (SLE)

SCHEDULE
April 12 (10:30 LOCAL TIME) 
Freestyle - 57kg and 74kg 
Women's Wrestling - 53kg and 76kg 

April 13 (10:30 LOCAL TIME) 
Freestyle - 65kg and 97kg 
Women's Wrestling - 57kg and 68kg 

April 14 (10:30 LOCAL TIME) 
Freestyle - 86kg and 125kg 
Women's Wrestling - 50kg and 62kg

#WrestleTirana

Takara Suda, Ono's training partner and Japan's new star

Wednesday, February 26, 2025 - 19:19 By Vinay Siwach

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TIRANA, Albania (February 26) -- World champion Masanosuke ONO (JPN) has a rival and he knows him too well.

Takara SUDA (JPN), Ono's training partner since high school, won the Ranking Series gold medal at the Muhamet Malo in Tirana, Albania. Incidentally, it was in Tirana last year at the World Championships that an unheralded Ono rose to become the world champion.

READ MORE: Masanosuke Ono Takes Over Wrestling

Suda and Ono went to the same high school -- Tosu Tech -- and trained together before both joined the Yamanashi Gaikun University. Both training partners are quickly turning into rivals as Ono charts his own path while Suda can become the first choice at the university.

While the Ranking Series isn't the same as the stacked World Championships, Suda's style and quick movements can trouble even the best as it was evident on Wednesday.

Suda's quick movement aided his attacking style. Over the course of his four bouts, Suda made his opponents uncomfortable with forward pressure and catching them off guard. While defending, he was able to turn around from the zone.

Takara SUDA (JPN)Takara SUDA (JPN) defeated Nachyn MONGUSH (UWW) in the 61kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

In the 61kg final, Suda was up against former U23 world champion Nachyn MONGUSH (UWW) and despite a late comeback from Mongush, Suda held on to a very impressive 8-8 win and the gold medal.

"I feel happy," Suda said after his win. "Most of all I'm really grateful to all the people who support me on a daily basis, including my family, the manager and coaches, and my friends who practiced with me."

Suda was quick off the blocks and scored a stepout and then hit a double leg for a 3-0 lead. Mongush stopped Suda with a chestwrap and then exposed him for two points. A reversal made it 4-2 before Suda got a takedown to lead 6-2 at the break.

Mongush began the second period with an attempted headpinch but Suda blocked it and pinned Mongush on the mat for two points to lead 8-2. Just when it seemed like he will run away with the gold medal, Mongush mounted a comeback. He scored a stepout and Suda was cautioned for fleeing.

With the score 8-4, Mongush scored another stepout and managed a takedown with 31 seconds left on the clock. A stepout without fleeing made it 8-8 but Suda kept the criteria lead for four two-point moves. He held on for the remaining 11 seconds and won the gold medal.

Takara SUDA (JPN)Takara SUDA (JPN) with the gold medal after winning at 61kg in Tirana. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

This was the second time Suda was wrestling a final at the international level. He won a silver medal at the U15 Asian Championships in 2019 but had not wrestled internationally since.

Perhaps the rust over the years of being away from international wrestling was visible as his conditioning worsened in the second period. 

"It's been a long time since I last played a final," he said. "It was my first overseas match in five [six] years. I was already taking on this match with a sense of challenge. I really didn't expect it to turn out like this."

The 20-year-old is now waiting for the Ono, who is in the United States for more than a month now, to return so he can train with the world champion.

"I train with Ono as a teammate not only at the university but also at the high school. Now he is in America but I want to train when he comes back."