#Bishkek2018

Exhausted Ibragimov Captures 2nd Straight Asian Title

Saturday, March 3, 2018 - 19:21 By Ken Marantz

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It might not have been the longest minute of Magomed IBRAGIMOV's life. But he was sure glad to get through it, especially after the exhausted Uzbekistan star received the gold medal for his efforts.

Ibragimov expended every ounce of energy to hold on for a 5-3 victory over Mojtaba GOLEIJ (IRI) in the 97kg final as Uzbekistan came away with two golds on the first day of freestyle at the Asian Championships.

"I'm really satisfied because the Asian Championships is one of the most important tournaments for wrestlers," said Ibragimov, who now has back-to-back golds after winning last year in New Delhi.

Uzbekistan advanced four wrestlers into the five finals at Kozhomkul Sports Palace, but only Ikhtiyor NAVRUZOV (UZB) would join fellow Rio 2016 Olympic bronze medalist Ibragimov as a champion after taking the 70kg title--his first Asian gold after two silvers and a bronze.

KANG Kumsong (PRK) shed tears of joy after holding off Makhmudjon SHAVKATOV (UZB), 4-2, in the 57kg final, while Ezzatollah AKBARIZARINKOLAEI (IRI) built up a commanding 5-0 lead before Rashid KURBANOV (UZB) defaulted with a knee injury with 0:19 remaining in their 79kg gold-medal match.

The other gold at stake on the fifth day of competition went to five-time Asian medalist Daulet NIYAZBEKOV (KAZ), who clamped a front headlock in the second period on Daichi TAKATANI (JPN) and reeled off five consecutive rolls to win the 65kg gold with an 11-0 technical fall with 2:07 remaining.

Magomed IBRAGIMOV (UZB) celebrates after winning the 97kg Asian championship. Photo by Max Rose-Fyne. 

In the final match of the night, Ibragimov jumped out to a 4-0 lead after one period on a step-out, an activity clock point and a takedown. But in the second period, Goleij, a 2017 world under-23 champion, went on the offensive.

The Iranian scored a takedown with :44 left, then forced a step-out with :13 remaining on the clock. A final takedown attempt came up just short as Ibragimov managed to barely remain on his feet.

The image of the night was the sight of Ibragimov collapsing to the mat and remaining prone as the referees reviewed an Iranian challenge of the final move, which was refused. After having his hand raised, he again dropped to the mat, where he stayed during the medal ceremony for the previous weight class.

"I wouldn't say it was the most, but it was one of the hardest minutes of my career,"  Ibragimov said after his own medal ceremony. "After the wrestling, I couldn't leave the mat and had to stay there. Only now do I feel pretty good. Before that, I was super tired."

Asked if the victory boosted his confidence for the World Championships, to be held in Budapest in October, Ibragimov replied, "I can't say that I feel confident because the performance depends on a couple of things, like luck and training. So if I train well and I feel lucky, maybe I will be able to get a medal. "

Ikhtiyor NAVRUZOV (UZB) gets his hand raised after winning the 70kg crown. Photo by Max Rose-Fyne.

For Navrusov, his main problem was contending with what he claims was oil on opponent LEE Seungbong (KOR), which made it difficult to get a grasp and apply moves. Navrusov came out a 3-0 winner, with two of his points coming with Lee on the activity clock and one on a head-butt penalty.

"I found that my opponent was oiled and he was sweaty, and I didn't want to take a risk," Navrusov said. "That's why I started to act passive. I just tried to keep my poise and I succeeded."

While it might not have been the performance he would have liked, Navrusov credited the victory to perseverance.

"I worked hard to reach this medal, and everybody actually deserves this medal, but the one who was stronger, the one who worked harder, is the one that won," he said.

Navrusov said that winning the gold in the neighboring country of Kyrgyzstan made it a bit more special.

"As we are neighbors and we are close, my relatives came and also my coach was supporting me," he said. "I felt as if I was back in Uzbekistan in my home country."

KANG Kumsong (PRK) gets emotional after winning the 57kg title. Photo by Max Rose-Fyne. 

In the 57kg final, Kang led 2-0 when Shavkatov got behind on a takedown attempt in the second period. But as he pressed to force a knee down, Kang reversed him to his back to make it 4-0.  Shavkatov scored two step-outs in the final 10 seconds, but it was too little, too late.

"I thought that one step by one step with mental spirit I cannot give up, however difficult it was," said Kang, who was so elated, he jumped to the top step of the podium when the bronze-medal winners were announced, and happily waved to the crowd.

"I was very confident this competition was mine. I will be the winner. That's how I will bring honor to my nation, my family."

Every Uzbekistan wrestler came away with a medal when Temurjon USMONOHUNOV (UZB) won a bronze at 65kg.

Japan captured three bronzes, while Kazakhstan and India had two each. Mongolia and South Korea each won one.

Freestyle
57kg (14 entries)
Gold - KANG Kumsong (PRK) df. Makhmudjon SHAVKATOV (UZB), 4-2

Bronze - Zhandos ISLMAILOV (KAZ) df. Nader HAJIAG HANIASAMAKOUSHI (IRI), 10-3
Bronze - Toshihiro HASEGAWA (JPN) df. SONG Hyeonsik (KOR) by TF, 10-0, 5:08

65kg (14 entries)
Gold - Daulet NIYAZBEKOV (KAZ) df. Daichi TAKATANI (JPN) by TF, 11-0, 2:07

Bronze - Temurjon USMONOHUNOV (UZB) df. KIM Kukgwang (PRK) by Fall, 0:11 (10-6)
Bronze - Bajrang BAJRANG (IND) df. Yones EMAMICHOGHAEI (IRI), 10-4

70kg (12 entries)
Gold - Ikhtiyor NAVRUZOV (UZB) df. LEE Seungbong (KOR), 3-0

Bronze - Kumar VINOD (IND) df. Elaman DOGDURBEK UULU (KGZ), 3x-3
Bronze - Meirzhan ASHIROV (KAZ) df. Byambadorj BAD ERDENE (MGL), 4-3

79kg (12 entries)
Gold - Ezzatollah AKBARIZARINKOLAEI (IRI) df. Rashid KURBANOV (UZB) by Default, 0:19 (5-0)

Bronze - Tsubasa ASAI (JPN) df. LEE Yunseok (KOR), 7-1
Bronze - Turbold GANBOLD (MGL) by Walkover

97kg (11 entries)
Gold - Magomed IBRAGIMOV (UZB) df. Mojtaba GOLEIJ (IRI), 5-3

Bronze - KIM Jaegang (KOR) df. Mamed IBRAGIMOV (KAZ) by TF, 11-0, 2:47
Bronze - Takeshi YAMAGUCHI (JPN) df. Aibek USUPOV (KGZ), 6-3

 

 

 

#wrestlebishkek

Asian Championships Day 3 Women's Wrestling Finals Set

Saturday, April 13, 2024 - 04:33 By Ken Marantz & Vinay Siwach

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BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan (April 13) -- Women's Wrestling at the Asian Championships with Japan hoping to win all five gold medals. Yui SUSAKI (JPN), Moe KIYOOKA (JPN), Risako KINJO (JPN), Nonoka OZAKI (JPN) and Yasuha MATSUYUKI (JPN) will be the five Japanese wrestlers in action.

WATCH LIVE | LIVE MATCH ORDER | DAY 2 REPORT

Here are the finals for tonight

50kg
Yui SUSAKI (JPN) vs. Ziqi FENG (CHN)

55kg
Moe KIYOOKA (JPN) vs. Kyong Ryong OH (PRK)

59kg
Qi ZHANG (CHN) vs. Anudari BATKHUYAG (MGL)

68kg
Nonoka OZAKI (JPN) vs. RADHIKA (IND)

76kg
Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ) vs. Yuanyuan HUANG (CHN)

14:19: Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ) avenges a loss from last year's final with a 5-1 victory over Elmira SYZDYKOVA (KAZ) in the 76kg semifinals in which she got some help from a Kazakhstan challenge. Medet Kyzy was leading 1-1 on criteria from a pair of activity points when she was put on the clock again. She scores a takedown much to the delight of the home crowd, then goes for a gut wrench. Medet Kyzy gets stopped midway through, and the Kazakh side challenges, thinking they should have gotten 2. Instead, Medet Kyzy is awarded 2 for exposure in a challenge "won" by the opponent.

14:16: Yuanyuan HUANG (CHN) with takedowns in each period to see off Yasuha MATSUYUKI (JPN) 4-0 and reach the 76kg final.

14:04: RADHIKA (IND) into the final at 68kg a fall over local star Gulnura TASHTANBEKOVA (KAZ). She gets Nonoka OZAKI (JPN) as her opponent for the gold medal.

14:04: Nonoka OZAKI (JPN) is having no trouble with the extra weight at 68kg, storming to a 10-0 victory in 1:28 over world silver medalist Delgermaa ENKHSAIKHAN (MGL) to make the final. She will be looking to add to the Asian gold she won at 62kg in 2022.

13:58: While the 14-3 score doesn't show it, Anudari BATKHUYAG (MGL) and Diana KAYUMOVA (KAZ) had a wild match in which the Kazakh wrestler kept trying to hit a four-pointer but it was Batkhuyag who got the big throws and points. The Mongolian wins 14-3 and advances to the 59kg final.

13:55: World champion Qi ZHANG (CHN) follows up her victory over Japanese star Risako KAWAI (JPN) with a 10-0 rout of  Dilfuza AIMBETOVA (UZB) to advance to the 59kg final. Zhang shrugs by Aimbetova for a takedown, which she follows with two gut wrenches. A snap-down takedown then sets her up for another gut wrench that ends the match after 1:06.

13:51: Moe KIYOOKA (JPN) advances to her first senior Asian final with a 10-0 win over Dulguun BOLORMAA (MGL) at 55kg. Kiyooka opens with a low single-leg takedown for the lone score of the first period. She continues to attack at ankle level and chalks up four more takedowns to finish off the match with 23 seconds to spare.

13:44: Into the final at 55kg is Kyong Ryong OH (PRK). She rolls to an 11-0 win over Zulfiya YAKHYAROVA (KAZ) and will face Moe KIYOOKA (JPN) for the gold medal.

13:36: Ziqi FENG (CHN) sets up a final against Yui SUSAKI (JPN) at 50kg after destroying world silver medalist Otgonjargal DOLGORJAV (MGL) 11-0 in the semifinal. A strong statement from Feng who lost 8-2 against Susaki in the World Championships semifinal.

13:33: World and Olympic champion Yui SUSAKI (JPN) will get a shot at her first Asian title since 2017 after cruising to a 10-0 win over Thi NGUYEN at 50kg. Susaki opens with a front headlock roll for 2, then adds a double-leg takedown. From there she applies a lace lock, and three quick rolls and it's all over in just over a minute. 

The semifinals in the women's wrestling will begin at 13:30 local time

13:00: Yasuha MATSUYUKI (JPN), a 2022 world U23 bronze medalist, scores a takedown with 20 seconds left to defeat Zagardulam NAIGALSUREN (MGL) 4-4 on criteria in their 76kg quarterfinal. Naigalsuren had gone ahead with a takedown just over a minute earlier.

12:51: World silver medalist and three-time Asian medalist Delgermaa ENKHSAIKHAN (MGL) wastes little time in disposing of Hyeongyeong PARK (KOR), scoring a takedown and arm-barring her over for a fall in 48 seconds and meeting with Nonoka OZAKI (JPN) in the 68kg semifinals.

12:48: Moe KIYOOKA (JPN), the 2023 world U23 champion, takes out the reigning Asian U23 champion Min ZHANG (CHN) 5-1 to make the 55kg semifinals. Kiyooka gets an activity point in the first period. In the second, Zhang gets in deep on a single, but Kiyooka forces a stalemate. The Japanese comes back with a double-leg takedown, and Zhang responds with a stepout with a minute left. Kiyooka spins behind on a poor shot by Zhang to make it 5-1.

12:39: Dulgunn BOLORMAA (MGL), who completed the full set of Asian medals by winning the gold in 2021, posts a 4-0 victory over Madina USMONJONOVA (UZB) to advance to the 55kg semifinals.

12:39: Returning from her injury at the World Championships, Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ) with a solid showing in the quarterfinal against Priya MALIK (IND) at 76kg. Malik was put on the activity clock in the first period before Medet Kyzy got the takedown to lead 3-0 at the break. Malik did get close to scoring a takedown thrice but failed to finish the move. Medet Kyzy moves into the semifinal with a 3-1 win.

12:30: World silver medalist Otgonjargal DOLGORJAV (MGL) trailed Irina ZHANIBEKOVA BORISSOVA (KAZ) 4-4 on criteria but Dolgorjav hits a four to take an 8-4 lead. Borissova with a reversal but loses her steam in the match to go down 12-5 at 50kg

12:29: Thi NGUYEN (VIE) scores a victory by fall over Miseon KWON (KOR) in their 50kg quarterfinal. Her reward is a clash with Susaki in the semifinals. 

12:25: Another thriller involving a Kyrgyz wrestler revs up the crowd, but ends up going the opposite way. In a back-and-forth match, Tancholpon KYBALBEKOVA (KGZ) scores a stepout against Dilfuza AIMBETOVA (UZB) with 10 seconds left for what appears to be a 6-6 win on criteria. But a challenge overturns the call and gives Aimbetova the point.

12:22: Did Yui SUSAKI (JPN) just survive a scare there? The world champion got a 2-0 lead after Yong Ok HWANG (PRK) was called passive in both periods. Hwang got attacking in the last minute but Susaki kept her at bay. With 12 seconds remaining on the clock, Hwang got a stepout and got Susaki in the zone but the Japanese got on her knees and stopped Hwang. A desperate attempt from Hwang for a front roll but Susaki blocks it to win 4-1 at 50kg.

12:21: Elmira SYZDYKOVA (KAZ) gets the defense of her 76kg title started by using a headlock trip to throw Seoyeon JONG (KOR) onto her back and score a quick fall to advance to the semifinals.

12:17: Returning bronze medalist and world bronze medalist Ziqi FENG (CHN) advances to the 50kg semifinals with a victory by fall over Shivani PAWAR (IND). She is in the opposite bracket as Yui SUSAKI (JPN).

12:13: RADHIKA (IND), a silver medalist at 65kg in 2022, rolls into the 68kg semifinals with a 12-2 victory over Albina KAIRGELDINOVA (KAZ)

12:12: Kyong Ryong OH (PRK) with a 10-0 win at 55kg against Aruuke KADYRBEK KYZY (KGZ). Next up on Mat C is Yui SUSAKI (JPN) at 50kg against Yong Ok HWANG (PRK)

12:08: In the marquis match of the session, two-time Olympic champion Risako KINJO (JPN) faces reigning world champion Qi ZHANG (CHN) in their opening match at 59kg. Kinjo (formerly KAWAI) gets an activity point for the lone score of the first period as neither takes any risks. In the second period, Zhang gets an activity point and then fends off Kinjo's attacks for a 1-1 victory. It was Kinjo's first international match since winning the 57kg gold at the Tokyo Olympics, after which she got married and gave birth. She moved up to 59kg after failing to make Japan's team to the Paris Olympics.

12:03: Gulnara TASHTANBEKOVA (KGZ) thrills the home crowd when trailing 6-1 to Po Gyong RI (PRK), she throws her to her back with a whirling back trip and records the fall for a spot in the 68kg semifinals.

12:00: A minute and seven seconds to win her international debut bout at 68kg for Nonoka OZAKI (JPN)! She rolls to a 10-0 win over Zelu LI (CHN).

11:58: Anudari BATKHUYAG (MGL) with a pin over Pushpa YADAV (IND) at 59kg. Yadav left it too late and broke down in the second period.

11:52: Moe KIYOOKA (JPN), the 2022 world U20 and U23 champion at 55kg, gets her campaign started in her first senior Asian Championships with a 9-0 victory over TAMANNA (IND), last year's Asian U23 silver medalist at 53kg. Kiyooka will next face the reigning Asian U23 champion Min ZHANG (CHN).

11:48: Priya MALIK (IND), the U20 world champion and returning bronze medalist, starts her Asian Championships with a 10-0 win over Valentina TORENIYAZOVA (UZB) at 76kg in just two minutes.

11:43: Shivanee PAWAR (IND), a 2021 world U23 silver medalist, falls into a surprising six-point hole against Samnang DIT (CAM) in her opening match at 50kg, but fights back to tie the score, then records a fall to advance to the quarterfinals.

11:40: On her comeback after five years, Yong HWANG (PRK) wins 4-0 against Jasmina IMMAEVA (UZB) at 50kg. Hwang is looking to better on the bronze medal she won at the 2019 Asian Championships in Xi'an. 

11:30: A late start to the third day of the Asian Championships as the number of matches is less today. Some of the biggest names in wrestling will be on the mat in a short while.