African C'Ships

Diatta Snags Eighth African Crown

Saturday, February 10, 2018 - 20:52 By Eric Olanowski

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PORT HARCOURT, Nigeria (February 10) - Adama DIATTA (SEN) ventured to Port Harcourt with aspirations of capturing his eighth African title. The two-time Olympian outscored his opponents 21-3 on his way to his ninth finals.

In the 61kg finals, Diatta controlled Chedli METHLOUTHI (TUN) for the entire match, sealing his 5-2 victory late in the second period with an underhook throw by to a single leg.

At 57kg, three of the top-four placers from a year ago returned to this year’s African Championships. Ebikewenimo WELSON (NGR), the fourth-place finisher from a year ago and Jan Louwrens COMBRINCK (RSA) stopped Chakir ANSARI (MAR) and Abdelhak KHERBACHE (ALG) from making back-to-back finals.

In the finals, Combrinck found himself down 4-0 after giving up two early takedowns. He narrowed Welson’s lead to 4-2 after picking up a takedown of his own. Shortly after his first takedown, Combrinck picked up a throw and eventually stuck Welson late in the first period.

Amas DANIEL (NGR), Nigeria’s world team representative in 2010 snagged the 7-2 win over Haithem DAKHLAOUI (TUN), the 2017 African Championships fifth-place finisher after securing three takedowns and a point for a lost challenge in the 65kg finals. 

Reigning 70kg champion Ogbonna Emmanuel JOHN (NGR) thought his hopes for back-to-back titles were derailed after six minutes of wrestling. The scoreboard showed Amr HUSSEN’s (EGY) named underlined after a 2-2 battle, but that was incorrect. John scored a two-point move, and Hussen scored two one-point moves, which gave John the lead on criteria and his second African gold medal.

Ayoub BARRAJ (TUN), the African junior champion from a year ago picked up two one-point scores on the way to defeating Sami Hamdi AMINE (EGY) for the 74kg title. 

Moving to 79kg, Ekerekeme AGIOMOR (NGR) dominated the match from the first whistle. He took a 7-0 lead into the second period before picking up a pair of takedowns to defeat Fredylan George MARAIS (RSA), 11-0.

Melvin BIBO (NGR) improved on his 2017 African Championships third-place finish by not only making it to the finals but by picking up a 10-0 technical superiority victory over Hein Jakobus JANSE VAN RENSBURG (RSA) in the 86kg gold medal bout. 

Hosam Mohamed Mostafa MERGHANY (EGY) picked up the 3-0 win over Robert DAUFA’s (NGR) in the 92kg finals by snagging a shot clock point and picking up a takedown late in the second period.


Martin ERASMUS (RSA) did something that not a lot of people expected. He defeated the man who had ownership over the 97kg weight class for the last several years, Soso TAMARAU (NGR). In winning his first African gold medal, Erasmus denied the reigning champion from winning his third African championship. 

Concluding with 125kg, Khaled ABDALLA (EGY), African junior champion from a year ago held off two late flurries from Olympian and three-time African Champion, Sinivie BOLTIC (NGR) to win 2-1.

FINAL RESULTS

Men's Freestyle 

57kg
GOLD -  Jan Louwrens COMBRINCK (RSA) df. Ebikewenimo WELSON (NGR), via fall
BRONZE - Gamal Abdelnaser Hanafy MOHAMED (EGY) df. Chakir ANSARI (MAR) via dsq
BRONZE - Abdelhak KHERBACHE (ALG) df. Omar FAYE (SEN), 11-9

61kg
GOLD - Adama DIATTA (SEN) df. Chedli METHLOUTHI (TUN), 5-2
BRONZE - Firstman VICTOR (NGR) df. Gert Cornelius Johannes COETZEE (RSA), 7-5
 
65kg
GOLD - Amas DANIEL (NGR) df. Haithem DAKHLAOUI (TUN), 7-2
BRONZE - Reynhardt LOUW (RSA) df. Mbunde CUMBA MBALI (GBS), 12-10
BRONZE - Fares LAKEL (ALG) df. Sofiane EL KHAMER (MAR), vin
 
70kg
GOLD - Ogbonna Emmanuel JOHN (NGR) df. Amr Reda Ramadan HUSSEN (EGY), 2-2
BRONZE - Jean Bernard Diadia DIATTA (SEN) df. Tchani BAKI (BEN), 6-0
BRONZE - Chems Eddine BOUCHAIB (ALG) df. John Mburu KARIUKI (KEN), 10-0
 
74kg
GOLD - Ayoub BARRAJ (TUN) df. Sami Hamdi AMINE (EGY), 2-0
BRONZE - ALI Mustafa (SUD) df.. Chakir MOHAMED (MAR), 14-2

79kg
GOLD - Ekerekeme AGIOMOR (NGR) df. Fredylan George MARAIS (RSA), 11-0.
BRONZE - Francisco de Deus KADIMA (ANG) df. Augustine P Flomo (LBR), 10-0
BRONZE - Oussema RIGANI (MAR) df. Mark Omumasaba INGUYESI (KEN), 12-1

86kg
GOLD - Melvin BIBO (NGR) df. Hein Jakobus JANSE VAN RENSBURG (RSA), 10-0  
BRONZE - Imed KADDIDI (TUN) df. Assanti FRIDOUSSE (BEN), 10-0
BRONZE - BASHER Guma (SUD) df. Abdou LOUALI (NIG), vfo

92kg
GOLD - Hosam Mohamed Mostafa MERGHANY (EGY) df. Robert DAUFA (NGR), 3-0
BRONZE - John Odhiambo OMONDI (KEN) df. Eric W BORKUAH (LBR), 15-4
 
97kg
GOLD - Martin ERASMUS (RSA) df. Soso TAMARAU (NGR), 1-1.
BRONZE - Yvan Cedric NYAMSI TCHOUGA (CMR) df. Mohammed FARDJ (ALG), 1-1

125kg
GOLD - Khaled Omr Zaki Mohamed ABDALLA (EGY) df. Sinivie BOLTIC (NGR), 2-1
BRONZE - Clauds KOUAMEN MBIANGA (CMR) df. Adama TANGARA (CIV), 9-2

Pan-American Championships Day 3 Highlights

Saturday, May 9, 2026 - 15:13 By Eric Olanowski

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CORALVILLE, United States (May 9) -- The third day of wrestling at the Pan-American Championships will welcome in freestyle, while also closing out the final four weights in women's wrestling. The freestyle weights that'll take the mat today are 61kg, 74kg and 86kg, with the final women's weight being 53kg, 59kg, 65kg and 76kg.

12:28: We're going to start 30 minutes earlier than expected. The updated start time is 12:30 (local time)

12:13: That does it for the quarterfinals. We're expected to start at 13:00 but I imagine that'll change. I'll quickly run to see what they plan on doing then post an update shorty.

12:07: Welker just nearly took the roof off this place, scoring three takedowns, two turns and a stepout against Renteria to move into the semifinals. She'll wrestle another Paris 2024 bronze medalist in Marin in the semifinals as the Cuban picked up a 12-2 win in her quarterfinals.

11:53: A lot going on right now. Yepez Guzman just picked up a dominant 11-0 win over Cristelle Noelle RODRIGUEZ DOBLER (USA) and moved into the semifinals at 53kg. Also, Welkeer and Renteria are wrestling now on Mat A. The American is up 5-0 with a stepout and two counter-offenseive go behinds.

11:29: Paris 2024 Olympian Ethan Adrian RAMOS (PUR) is up now on Mat A. He's wrestling Angel Eduardo CORTES BONILLA (PAN).

11:23:  Zahid VALENCIA (USA) just made quick work of Nestor Joaquin TAFUR BARRIOS (COL), picking up the 10-0 first-period tech fall. The reigning world champion awaits the winner of Pedro Samuel GONCALVES DA SILVA (BRA) and Jorge Ivan LLANO (ARG).

11:08: Miki ROWBOTTOM (CAN) was just down 4-4 on criteria against Alexis GOMEZ (MEX) but stole the match with a double leg with 2.2 seconds left. Since 65kg is a smaller bracket, that win will give the Canadian at least a silver medal.

11:06: Iowa's own Austin James DESANTO (USA) is coming up next on Mat A. He'll take on Irie Alexander JACKSON (JAM).

10:56: On a side note, we're following the 76kg weight class for a mini documentary so make sure you stayed tuned into UWW+ over the next few weeks to watch the behind the scenes doc on the premier weight class of these Continental Championships.

10:50: Nestor TAFUR BARRIOS (COL) just picked up a win over on Mat A, which means he'll take on reigning world champion Valencia in seven matches on Mat A.

10:45: It's funny how things work. The two women's wrestlers who attended the opening press conference were world bronze medalist Kylie Renee WELKER (USA) and Tatiana RENTERIA (COL). Those two will will wrestle in the first round, 13 matches away (bout 180) on Mat A.

10:25: Today's action will feature two reinging world champions in Zahid VALENCIA (USA) and Genesis REASCO (COL), and three Paris 2024 Olympic medalists in Lucia YEPEZ GUZMAN (ECU), Milaimy MARIN (CUB) and Tatiana RENTERIA RENTERIA (COL).