Four repeat as African champs; Egypt wins title

Saturday, May 20, 2023 - 20:39 By Vinay Siwach

HAMMAMET, Tunisia (May 20) -- Egypt had an exceptional end to the African Championships, with all 10 of its freestyle wrestlers winning medals on the tournament's final day.

With five gold, three silver, and two bronze medals, Egypt accumulated 215 points, securing the team title. Hosts Tunisia finished second with 173 points, while Algeria took third place with 129 points.

This performance marked an improvement from last year when Egypt only won four gold medals and finished with a total of 195 points. Notably, two of the gold medalists from 2022 successfully defended their titles on Saturday.

Amr HUSSEN (EGY) triumphed at 74kg, securing his third African title and second consecutive win by defeating Bacar NDUM (GBS) with a fall in the final match.

Starting the day with an 11-0 victory over Oyeinkeperemo BRAVEMAN (NGR), Hussen continued his winning streak by defeating last year's silver medalist, Abdelkader IKKAL (ALG), with a convincing 10-0 victory in the semifinals. He then secured the gold medal with the fall over Ndum, who was the 70kg gold medalist last year.

The second wrestler to repeat as champion was Mostafa ELDERS (EGY) who secured a narrow 3-2 victory over Mohamed SAADAOUI (TUN) in the 97kg gold medal match.

Saadaoui, who won the bronze in 2022, received support from the home fans against Elders. After Saadaoui took a 1-0 lead due to Elders being called passive in the first period, Elders managed to regain the criteria lead of 1-1 when Saadaoui stepped out of the zone while evading an attack. However, Elders' lead was short-lived as he was called passive again, allowing Saadaoui to take a 2-1 lead with 50 seconds remaining.

Elders executed a double leg attack when Saadaoui was close to the zone, resulting in a pushout that put Elders back in the lead with a criteria score of 2-2. Saadaoui challenged the call for a headbutt, but the reviews confirmed it was clean, and Elders held on to secure a 3-2 victory.

Feeling disappointed by the close defeat, Saadaoui made an aggressive push on Elders after the bout, particularly since he had defeated Elders 9-5 in the morning session.

At 70kg, two bronze medalists from 2022, Said ELGAHSH (EGY) and Mohamed ZORGUI (TUN) faced off in the gold medal bout this year with the former emerging victorious with a score of 8-2.

Elgahsh began his day with an 8-4 win over Pieter ROETS (RSA) in the quarterfinals and followed it up with a 12-2 victory against Anthony WESLEY (CPV) in the semifinals.

Zorgui, on the other hand, began in the qualifications and secured a fall against Brian OLOO (KEN), followed by another fall in the quarterfinals against Rodgers MUKYEDA (UGA). He faced his first challenge in the semifinals but managed to narrowly defeat Sylvio DIATTA (SEN) with a score of 5-4.

Elgahsh gave little chance to Zorgui in the final and captured the gold with a resounding 8-2 win.

Ahmed MAHMOUD (EGY) won the gold medal at 79kg by stunning the defending champion Chems FETAIRIA (ALG) with a remarkable 11-0 win in the final.

Although Mahmoud easily overcame Fetaira, he was in deep trouble against Sofiane PADIOU BELMIR (MAR), eventually winning by a slim margin of 6-5.

At 125kg, two-time Olympian Diaaeldin ABDELMOTTALEB (EGY) defeated Hamza RAHMANI (TUN) twice on Saturday to win the gold medal, his fourth at the senior continental level. Abdelmottaleb posted a 10-0 win over Rahmani in the morning session and secured a fall in the gold medal bout at 125kg in the evening.

Tunisia, Algeria win two golds

The host nation, Tunisia, also had a reason to celebrate as it clinched two gold medals through Farouk JELASSI (TUN) and Imed KADDIDI (TUN).

Jelassi, who had never previously won a medal at the African Championships, surprised many by claiming gold in the 65kg category.

After achieving technical superiority in his first two bouts, Jelassi faced resistance from Frederik NORTJE (RSA), but it wasn't enough to prevent Jelassi from securing a 10-3 victory in the gold medal bout.

For Kaddidi, it was a significant breakthrough as he finally claimed the gold medal after two previous silver finishes, including one in 2022.

Competing in a Nelson bracket, Kaddidi wrestled four times and left no opportunity for his opponents to threaten him. He began with a fall over Dan CHEPTAI (KEN) in Round 1, followed by a dominant 10-0 win over Mahmoud IBRAHIM (EGY) in Round 2, a 9-1 victory over Machiel GROBLER (RSA) in Round 3, and an 11-0 thrashing of Wadii OUALAL (MAR) in Round 4.

Ibrahim emerged with the silver medal over Grobler after an astonishing 34-point bout. At the end of the six minutes, Ibrahim emerged victorious with a score of 22-12.

His two matches before the final also followed a similar script as Benferdjallah scored an 11-0 and a 13-3 win before entering the final against Elkoumy who won both his bouts via fall.

Benferdjallah did face resistance from Elkoumy but did not flinch under pressure and came out on top with an 8-4 scoreline.

Algeria also celebrated two gold medals as Abdelhak KHERBACHE (ALG) and Fateh BENFERDJALLAH (ALG) successfully defended their titles as African champions.

Kherbache made an impressive start in the 61kg category, securing a 14-3 victory over Yanisse MADI (COM) in the qualifications, followed by an 8-1 win against Shehabeldin MOHAMED (EGY) in the quarterfinals. In the semifinals, Kherbache continued his dominance with a commanding 14-2 triumph over Seitonkumo RICHARD (NGR).

In the gold medal bout, Kherbache faced Firas KHALIFA (TUN), who had shown exceptional form by winning his previous two matches via falls. However, Kherbache proved unstoppable, defeating Khalifa with a 6-3 scoreline to secure his fourth consecutive African gold medal. Kherbache's achievement also includes three silver medals and a bronze from previous tournaments dating back to 2015.

Tokyo Olympian Benferdjallah added another African gold medal to his career with a controlled 8-4 victory over Saifeldin ELKOUMY (EGY) in the 86kg weight class.

Leading up to the final, Benferdjallah's path followed a similar pattern, as he secured convincing wins with scores of 11-0 and 13-3. Elkoumy, his opponent in the final, had moved into the final by winning both of his previous bouts via fall.

Although Elkoumy provided strong resistance, Benferdjallah remained composed under pressure and emerged victorious with a final score of 8-4. This victory marked Benferdjallah's second African gold medal.

At 57kg, Diamantino IUNA FAFE (GBS) won the gold medal after a thrilling final against defending champion Gamal MOHAMED (EGY) with a scoreline of 8-8.

Mohamed got the first advantage as Iuna Fafe was called passive in the first period and Mohamed got the 1-0 lead. But from that point on, he only chased Iuna Fafe. The lead switched hands when Iuna Fafe scored six minutes before the break to lead 6-1.

Iuna Fafe did give up penalty towards the end of the bout but he still led on criteria due to the big move in the first period and he held on for an 8-8 win.

This marked Iuna Fafe's first gold medal at the African Championships after the previous two occasions.

RESULTS

57kg
GOLD: Diamantino IUNA FAFE (GBS) df. Gamal MOHAMED (EGY), 8-8

BRONZE: KHALIL BARKOUTI (TUN) df. John LEOPOLD (MRI), 13-3
BRONZE: Roland TAMBI NFORSONG (CMR) df. Younes LACHGAR (MAR), 11-0

61kg
GOLD: Abdelhak KHERBACHE (ALG) df. Firas KHALIFA (TUN), 6-3

BRONZE: Yassine JAA (MAR) df. Kenneth KOECH (KEN), via fall
BRONZE: Shehabeldin MOHAMED (EGY) df. Seitonkumo RICHARD (NGR), 5-0

65kg
GOLD: Farouk JELASSI (TUN) df. Frederik NORTJE (RSA), 10-3

BRONZE: Omar MOURAD (EGY) df. Reginaldo da SILVA (ANG), 12-2
BRONZE: Zohier IFTENE (ALG) df. Derrick AJONGASAP (CMR), 10-0

70kg
GOLD: Said ELGAHSH (EGY) df. Mohamed ZORGUI (TUN), 8-2

BRONZE: Sylvio DIATTA (SEN) df. Brian OLOO (KEN), 13-2
BRONZE: Pieter ROETS (RSA) df. Anthony WESLEY (CPV), via fall

74kg
GOLD: Amr HUSSEN (EGY) df. Bacar NDUM (GBS), via fall

BRONZE: Abdelkader IKKAL (ALG) df. Oyeinkeperemo BRAVEMAN (NGR), 11-1
BRONZE: Yassine FARAJ (MAR) df. Arno VAN ZIJL (RSA), via inj. def.

79kg
GOLD: Ahmed MAHMOUD (EGY) df. Chems FETAIRIA (ALG), 11-0

BRONZE: Ebikeme NEWLIFE (NGR) df. Kaireddine BEN TELILI (TUN), 11-3
BRONZE: Francisco KADIMA (ANG) df. Sofiane PADIOU BELMIR (MAR), 11-2

86kg
GOLD: Fateh BENFERDJALLAH (ALG) df. Saifeldin ELKOUMY (EGY), 8-4

BRONZE: Edward LESSING (RSA) df. Sabri MNASRIA (TUN), 10-0
BRONZE: Harrison ONOVWIOMOGBOHWO (NGR) df. Roman MANITRA RAHARISON (MAD), 13-12

92kg
GOLD: Imed KADDIDI (TUN)
SILVER: Mahmoud IBRAHIM (EGY)
BRONZE: Machiel GROBLER (RSA)

97kg
GOLD: Mostafa ELDERS (EGY) df. Mohamed SAADAOUI (TUN), 3-2

BRONZE: Nicolaas DE LANGE (RSA) vs. Oussama ASSAD (MAR), 10-0

125kg
GOLD: Diaaeldin ABDELMOTTALEB (EGY) df. Hamza RAHMANI (TUN), via fall

BRONZE: Anas LAMKABBER (MAR) vs. Progress BENSON (NGR), 5-1

#WrestleHangzhou

Makhmudov, Sharshenbekov continue Kyrgyzstan's meteoric rise with Asian Games golds

Wednesday, October 4, 2023 - 17:56 By Vinay Siwach

LIN'AN, Hangzhou, China (October 4) -- At the 2018 Asian Games, Kyrgyzstan was expected to open its gold medal account from wrestling. Akzhol MAKHMUDOV (KGZ), the then Asian champion, was the hero of the wrestling-mad nation and in the 77kg final. However, he fell to Mohammadali GERAEI (IRI) in the 77kg final.

At the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou on Wednesday, Makhmudov did not disappoint. Although it was not Kyrgyzstan's first gold medal of the game, world champs Makhmudov and Zholaman SHARSHENBEKOV (KGZ) ended the nation's long wait for a second gold medal in this edition of the Asian Games in which it won the first gold on September 24.

Both the Kyrgyzstan superstars were in action Wednesday in Lin'an Sports and Culture Exhibition Center in Hangzhou, China as wrestling got underway at the 19th Asian Games with four Greco-Roman weights.

Apart from Makhmudov and Sharshenbekov, Katsuaki ENDO (JPN) and Jalgasbay BERDIMURATOV (UZB) captured the remaining two gold medals. Berdimuratov's gold was Uzbekistan's fourth in the history of Asian Games history.

Akzhol MAKHMUDOV (KGZ) defeated Amin KAVIYANINEJAD (IRI) in the 77kg final to win the gold medal. (Photo: UWW / Sachiko Hotaka)

Wrestling against an Iranian wrestler in the final again, Makhmudov took a cautious approach and controlled the bout for six minutes against Amin KAVIYANINEJAD (IRI).

The two-time world champion from Kyrgyzstan, who won his second world title just 10 days ago in Belgrade, struggled with some fatigue and discomfort in his knee during the day. But he managed to navigate his quarterfinal against Sophak KEO (CAM) with a fall and defeated Azat SADYKOV (KAZ) 9-0 in the semifinal.

Kaviyaninejad took out former Asian Games champion Hyeonwoo KIM (KOR) in his opening bout before winning his quarterfinal against Dilshod OMONGELDIYEV (UZB). A tough semifinal against Rui LIU (CHN) saw him hang on to a 1-1 win.

In the final Makhmudov, like the World Championships, did not try any flamboyant actions and was happy to give up par terre in the first period. Kaviyaninejad failed to turn his Kyrgyz opponent. When Makhmudov got the par terre advantage and the 1-1 criteria lead, Kaviyaninejad managed to defend as well.

Makhmudov defended his 1-1 criteria lead as the clock expired and he won his first-ever Asian Games gold medal. He had won the World Championships final with a 1-1 scoreline as well.

As usual, Makhmudov did not celebrate his gold medal beyond acknowledging the few Kyrgyzstan fans in the crowd. He would later say that he is not feeling any joy.

“Honestly, I have no emotions now,” Makhmudov said. “The only thing I really want is the gold medal in Paris. For now, I don't feel any happiness.”

Makhmudov suffered a 2-1 loss in the Tokyo Olympics final, finishing with a silver medal and falling short of becoming Kyrgyzstan's first-ever Olympic champion in any sport. Yet, Kyrgyzstan fell in love with the shark-singlet-wearing wrestler. Having already won the 2024 Paris Olympic quota for Kyrgyzstan, and being the first choice to go, Makhmudov is in no mood to finish second this time.

“I think I will do my best [till Paris],” he said. “We will discuss with the coaches and I will do ten out of ten.”

The 24-year-old also played down his knee injury, saying that the pain has reduced, but did express the difficulties of wrestling at two big events in two weeks.

“Definitely it was very difficult [to wrestle back-to-back events],” he said. “The hardest part was the weight cut and after the World Championships, it was difficult for me to recover.”

Zholaman SHARSHENBEKOV (KGZ), red, pins Ayata SUZUKI (JPN) in the 60kg final. (Photo: UWW / Sachiko Hotaka)

Sharshenbekov expressed similar views but that was after he also won the gold medal like Makhmudov which was perhaps the reason for the 60kg world champion struggling in his opening bout against Aslamjon AZIZOV (TJK). He gave up five points to the Tajik but won 8-5. He then moved past Asian silver medalist Hanjae CHUNG (KOR) 9-0 in a rematch of this year's Asian Championships final.

Islomjon BAKHRAMOV (UZB) was pinned by Sharshenbekov, 10 days after winning 9-0 in the World Championships quarterfinals.

From the other side of the bracket, Ayata SUZUKI (JPN) made it to the final with wins over Thanwa SUTDI (THA), Seung RI (PRK) and Aidos SULTANGALI (KAZ).

Both came out flying and Sharshenbekov got the first big lift. He failed to make the most of it but scored two points. Suzuki landed on Sharsenbekov's chest to earn two points as well. He then showed intent and launched a four-pointer to lead 6-2.

Sharshenbekov replied with an underhook and held Suzuki's back to the mat, securing the fall. Suzuki challenged for a leg four but it was declared clean. The pin ended the bout in two minutes and 34 seconds.

“I the Japanese wrestler is very strong but he is a very comfortable opponent for me,” Sharshenbekov said.

Incidentally, Sharshenbekov defeated Olympic silver medalist Kenichito FUMITA (JPN) in the World Championships final in Belgrade after an equally stunning first period.

The turnaround from the World Championships to the Asian Games was a challenge for Sharshenbekov but he said he was prepared to win.

“I cut around eight kilograms for each competition,” Sharshenbekov said. “Every sport has its own difficulties and wrestling also. The process of cutting weight was incredibly challenging. However, right after the World Championships, I shifted my focus to the Asian Games. Despite all the hardships, I'm thrilled to have won the gold medal here. This is not the end of my journey. With God's guidance, I am planning to prepare for the Olympics and aim to bring home the gold medal for Kyrgyzstan."

Wrestling Fumita and Suzuki in the space of 10 days did break different sets of challenges for Sharshenbekov who said that he was up for both the Japanese wrestlers.

"Fumita is a great athlete who consistently ranks in the top five of the world," he said. "He is an exceptionally strong wrestler, which is why our coaches devised an effective strategy. I believe we showed good wrestling. Suzuki is also a talented wrestler. The match against him was far from easy, particularly considering that I had just competed in the World Championships."

Suzuki reflected on the final saying that he needs to work on the areas which made his lose even after leading 6-2.

“At the end, I made a misjudgment,” he said. “I knew the opponent [Sharshenbekov] is good in attacking from the side and I did well till 6-2. But I let him close the gap and win.”

Katsuaki ENDO (JPN), second from left, won the 67kg gold medal for Japan. (Photo: UWW / Sachiko Hotaka)

His Japan teammate Endo made sure he didn't slip up in the 67kg final, winning 4-3 against Meiirzhan SHERMAKHANBET (KAZ).

“Since I was chosen for these Games, I was going to win,” Endo said. “To be honest, when I saw the draw, I thought I could win this.”

And the former U23 world champion began his confident run with a 9-0 win over Firuz MIRZORAJABOV (TJK) in the opening bout, won 5-1 against Razzak BEISHEKEEV (KGZ) in the quarterfinals and defeated Mahmud BAKHSHILLOEV (UZB), 6-1, to reach the final against Shermakhanbet who was on song as well, marking his return to a major competition in more than one year with a silver medal.

After opening with a 10-0 win over Nuttapong HINMEE (THA), Shermakhanbet was involved in a thriller against home favorite Lei LI (CHN). Taking a 10-7 lead with two four-point throws, Shermakhanbet gave up a stepout and Li scored a takedown to lead 10-10 on criteria but Kazakhstan challenged the call and it was called a slip and the score was reversed to 10-8 which gave Kazakhstan the win.

If that close bout was not enough, Shermakhanbet pinned Danial SOHRABI (IRI) after trailing 9-2 in the semifinals. While Sohrabi was trying to defend a turn from par terre by standing up, Shermakhanbet locked Sohrabi's right hand and strangled him for space, putting the Iranian back on the mat for the pin.

However, there was no such comeback in the final against Endo after trailing 4-1. Endo scored a correct throw from par terre to lead 3-0. Japan challenged, asking for four points but lost, giving one point to Shermakhanbet.

In the second period, Endo gave up a stepout and passivity point but still held a 4-3 lead, the final score of the gold-medal bout.

“I trained with very strong opponents in my club back home, I didn't feel he [Shermakhanbet] has the same power,” Endo said about the Kazakhstan wrestler.

Endo's immediate goal is to win the Emperor's Cup in December which will give him the opportunity to wrestle at the Asian Olympic Qualifier in April 2024 in Bishkek and earn a 2024 Paris Olympic quota for Japan at 67kg.

Shermakhanbet will also look to secure the Olympic quota for Kazakhstan but like Endo, he will have to win the right to compete in Bishkek.

"I only returned to the training process three months ago," Shermakhanbet said. "It is indeed very challenging to compete after a long pause. I need more time to get back in shape. At the beginning of the next year, we have our national championships, and we'll see how that goes."

Jalgasbay BERDIMURATOV (UZB), blue, throws Naser ALIZADEH (IRI) during the 87kg final. (Photo: UWW / Sachiko Hotaka)

The first day of wrestling closed out as Berdimuratov avenged his 2022 Asian Championships loss to Naser ALIZADEH (IRI) with a 7-4 win. Berdimuratov led 7-0 at the break, thanks to penalty points against Alizadeh but gave up four including caution points. But he held on to win his first Asian Games gold and the fourth for Uzbekistan in Greco-Roman Asian Games history.

The gold has also kept Uzbekistan in the top five of the overall medals tally in Hangzhou as it has 16 gold medals on Wednesday.

Jalgasbay BERDIMURATOV (UZB), second from left, along with the other medalist in 87kg, Naser ALIZADEH (IRI), left, Masato SUMI (JPN), right, and Sunil KUMAR, second from right. (Photo: UWW / Sachiko Hotaka)

RESULTS

Greco-Roman

60kg
GOLD: Zholaman SHARSHENBEKOV (KGZ) df. Ayata SUZUKI (JPN), via fall (7-6)

BRONZE: Se ung RI (PRK) df. Aidos SULTANGALI (KAZ), 2-1
BRONZE: Hanjae CHUNG (KOR) df. Islomjon BAKHRAMOV (UZB), 5-4

67kg
GOLD: Katsuaki ENDO (JPN) df. Meiirzhan SHERMAKHANBET (KAZ), 4-3

BRONZE: Razzak BEISHEKEEV (KGZ) df. Mahmud BAKHSHILLOEV (UZB), 1-1
BRONZE: Danial SOHRABI (IRI) df. Lei LI (CHN), 3-2

77kg
GOLD: Akzhol MAKHMUDOV (KGZ) df. Amin KAVIYANINEJAD (IRI), 1-1

BRONZE: Rui LIU (CHN) df. Hyeonwoo KIM (KOR), 5-3
BRONZE: Azat SADYKOV (KAZ) df. SOPHAK KEO (CAM), via inj. def.

87kg
GOLD: Jalgasbay BERDIMURATOV (UZB) df. Naser ALIZADEH (IRI), 7-4

BRONZE: Masato SUMI (JPN) df. Maksat SAILAU (KAZ), 9-1
BRONZE: Sunil KUMAR df. A. AZISBEKOV (KGZ), 2-1

Four repeat as African champs; Egypt wins title

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Makhmudov, Sharshenbekov continue Kyrgyzstan's meteoric rise with Asian Games golds