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Fumita Rolls Into Greco 60kg Final; Korea, Iran Put 3 Each Into Gold-Medal Matches

Wednesday, February 19, 2020 - 10:36 By Ken Marantz

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NEW DELHI (Feb. 19)---World champion Kenichiro FUMITA (JPN) went with what works best to earn a shot at regaining his Asian title, while Korea had a productive day in putting three wrestlers into the five Greco-Roman finals on the second day of the Asian Championships.

Iran also has three finalists, while Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan have one each as the Greco-Roman competition will wrap up in the night session Wednesday at New Delhi’s K.D. Jahrav Wrestling Stadium.

Fumita, who added the 2019 world title in Nur-Sultan to the one he won two years earlier in Paris, chalked up a pair of 9-0 technical falls to advance to the 60kg final, where he will face Zholaman SHARSHENBEKOV (KGZ).

In the semifinals, Fumita handily ousted defending champion Islomjon BAKHRAMOV (UZB). Last year in Xi’an, China, Bakhramov won the gold when Fumita, who had trouble making weight, lost in the semifinals and had to settle for a bronze. 

As he did in his opening match Wednesday against Gyanender GYANENDER (IND)—a fellow bronze medalist in 2019—Fumita used a high body lock in the par terre position to score numerous times with a simple tilt or a roll through. 

Against Gyanender, Fumita pulled off the move four times to end the match in 1:38, but could only manage three times against Bakhramov. Fumita concluded the latter match with a flair, executing an arm throw that ended with Bakhramov on top of the Japanese, who only had to buck him off outside the circle for a forceout point at 3:23. An unsuccessful challenge resulted in the final 9-0 score. 

“That’s my specialty,” Fumita said of the high-body lock. “I did it at the World Championships and it worked well. Nobody comes at my in the standing position, so I want to show, hey let’s take it to the ground. If they don’t want to go to the ground, they come at me at standing and I can try my throws.”

Fumita said he started his weight reduction earlier for this year’s tournament and it went well. “I think I can wrestle at my usual level,” he said.

The Japanese star also said he didn’t regard Bakhramov any differently because the Uzbeki had won the gold last year. “I wasn’t thinking about that,” he said. “But I’ve known him for a long time. I’m glad I was able to solidly win.” 

Sharshenbekov, the 2018 world and Asian silver medalist at 55kg, advanced with a 9-2 win over Mehdi MOHSEN NEJAD (IRI). He survived a scare in the qualification round, when he needed a spin-behind takedown with :14 left to beat Aidos SULTANGALI (KAZ) 7-6.

RYU Hansu (KOR) will wrestle Makhmud BAKHSHILLOEV (UZB) in the 67kg finals for a chance at retaining his Asian crown. (Photo: Tony Rotundo)

In other action, former world champion RYU Hansu (KOR) will get a chance to defend his Asian title at 67kg when he joined the Korean parade into the finals by beating Hossein ASSADI KOLMATI (IRI) 5-1 in the semifinals. 

Ryu took a 1-0 lead into the second period when, gaining a passivity point and put on top in the par terre, he rolled the Iranian, then added an arm-drag takedown to clinch the match. 

In the final, Ryu will face Matteo Pellicone ranking series event winner Makhmud BAKHSHILLOEV (UZB), who eked out a 4-4 win on criteria over Ashu ASHU (IND).

The other two finals involving Koreans will see them into head-to-head clashes with Iranians. 

At 82kg, which has just seven entries and used the preliminary group system, CHOI Junhyeong (KOR) will face 2018 world U-23 bronze medalist Mahdi EBRAHIMI (IRI), having beaten current world U-23 bronze medalist Yevgeniy POLIVADOV (KAZ), 3-0 in the semifinals. 

Ebrahimi pulled off a mild upset when he held on for a 6-5 victory over Jalgasbay BERDIMURATOV (UZB), a world bronze medalist at 77kg who was competing at the higher weight.

The 97kg final will be clash between LEE Seyeol (KOR) and Mohammadhadi SARAVI (IRI). Lee topped Muhammadali SHAMSIDDINOV (UZB) 3-1, while Saravi pinned Beksultan MAKHMUDOV (KGZ) in 1:42.

Korean Greco coach JUNG Jihyun chalked up the team’s success to a number of factors. 

“There is a big competition coming up, and some nations didn’t participate in this tournament, so that’s why we did well,” he said, referring to the Asian Olympic qualifying tournament to be held next month and withdrawals here by China and two other countries due to circumstances related to the new coronavirus. 

“And in Korea, we practiced very hard and it was also a reason for our good results today.”

Almin KAVIYANINEJAD (IRI) will square off against Ibragim MAGOMADOV (KAZ) in the 72kg gold-medal match. (Photo: Sachiko Hotaka)

At 72kg, Almin KAVIYANINEJAD (IRI) edged 2019 bronze medalist Ruslan TSAREV (KGZ) 3-0 to set up a final with Ibragim MAGOMADOV (KAZ), who ended local hopes for a gold by beating Aditya KUNDU (IND) by 9-0 technical fall.

Day 2 results

Greco-Roman

60kg (10 entries)
SEMIFINAL – Kenichiro FUMITA (JPN) df. Islomjon BAKHRAMOV (UZB) by TF, 9-0, 3:23 
SEMIFINAL – Zholaman SHARSHENBEKOV (KGZ) df. Mehdi MOHSEN NEJAD (IRI), 9-2 

67kg (11 entries)
SEMIFINAL – Makhmud BAKHSHILLOEV (UZB) df. Ashu ASHU (IND), 4-4
SEMIFINAL – RYU Hansu (KOR) df. Hossein ASSADI KOLMATI (IRI), 5-1

72kg (9 entries)
SEMIFINAL – Almin KAVIYANINEJAD (IRI) df. Ruslan TSAREV (KGZ), 3-0
SEMIFINAL – Ibragim MAGOMADOV (KAZ) df. Aditya KUNDU (IND) by TF, 9-0, 1:48

82kg (7 entries)
SEMIFINAL – Mahdi EBRAHIMI (IRI) df. Jalgasbay BERDIMURATOV (UZB), 6-5
SEMIFINAL – CHOI Junhyeong (KOR) df. Yevgeniy POLIVADOV (KAZ), 3-0

97kg (10 entries)
SEMIFINAL – LEE Seyeol (KOR) df. Muhammadali SHAMSIDDINOV (UZB), 3-1 
SEMIFINAL – Mohammadhadi SARAVI (IRI) df. Beksultan MAKHMUDOV (KGZ) by Fall, 1:42 (5-0)

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World Champ Fumita Shows Effective Defensive Side in Regaining Asian Gold

Wednesday, February 19, 2020 - 18:30 By Ken Marantz

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NEW DELHI (Feb. 19) — Kenichiro FUMITA (JPN)  was put on the defensive in the final, but it hardly kept the world champion from regaining the Greco-Roman 60kg gold medal at the Asian Championships.

Fumita scored points off a counter to an arm throw attempt by Zholaman SHARSHENBEKOV (KGZ) and went on to notch a 4-0 victory in the final as the Greco-Roman competition concluded on the second day in New Delhi.

“He’s really good at throws, and I felt that from the first contact,” Fumita said. “So, I kept firmly in mind not letting him complete a throw.”

Just as he regained the world title that he last won in 2017, Fumita regained the Asian gold that he had previously captured three years ago—also in New Delhi. The victory on Wednesday night also assured he will finish at the top of the UWW rankings and gain the top seed for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

“It’s an honor,” Fumita said of the top seed. “It’s a rare thing, as there have hardly been any Japanese No. 1 going the into Olympics. For me, with No. 1 seed comes responsibility, but I will work hard to be worthy of it.”

Fumita said his main objective coming into New Delhi was to score points from the standing position. While he failed to actually do so in any of his three matches, he said he feels he made progress.

“In the end, I didn’t score any points, but in terms of form, I feel my wrestling was very good,” he said. “My coach said it was good and that I [have the basis] for making more progress.”

Kenichiro FUMITA (JPN) shutout Zholaman SHARSHENBEKOV (KGZ), 4-0, and claimed his second Asian gold medal. (Photo: Kadir Caliskan)

In the final, Sharshenbekov, the world U-23 silver medalist, came out aggressively and threw caution to the wind with a twisting arm throw. But Fumita reacted perfectly and stopped the move halfway to gain 2 points. When Sharshenbekov got to his feet, Fumita forced him out for a 3-0 lead. At the end of the first period, Sharshenbekov attempted the same move, but came up with nothing but air. 

In the second period, Fumita gained a point for passivity, but was unable to pad his lead in the par terre position, despite having scored a combined 14 points from it in his previous two matches. Still, he was never put in danger and fought off all further attempts to secure the gold.

By winning the world gold last September in Nur-Sultan, Fumita secured his place at the Tokyo Olympics, which is where his ultimate goal lies. Prospects are high he can end Japan’s long Greco gold drought at the Olympics—the country has not had a Greco champion since Atsuji Miyahara won the 52kg gold at the 1984 Los Angeles Games.

Is that something he keeps in mind?

“That was more than 10 years before I was born, so it’s not something I actually have a sense of,” Fumita said. “It’s sad that there hasn’t been a Japanese Greco champion in all that time. For me, I want to get [a gold] and help make Greco more popular.”

Fumita said he will compete one more time before the Tokyo Games, at the Grand Prix of Germany in Dortmund in June. 

RYU Hansu (KOR) scored the 4-1 win over Makhmud BAKHSHILLOEV (UZB) and won his third Asian title. (Photo: Kadir Caliskan)

Ryu preps for Olympic qualifier with continental gold
In other action, former two-time world champion RYU Hansu (KOR) capped his preparatory tournament for next month’s Asian Olympic qualifier by winning hjs second straight 67kg title and third Asian gold overall.

The other three golds at stake all went to Iran, with two of them coming at the expense of Korean opponents. 

Ryu, the 2017 world champion who finished eighth in Nur-Sultan and still needs to qualify for Tokyo 2020, chalked up a 4-1 win in the final over Makhmud BAKHSHILLOEV (UZB), who was coming off a victory at the Matteo Pellicone ranking series event.

Ryu gained a passivity point and a takedown for a 3-0 lead into the second period. Bakhshilloev gained a chance to go ahead when he received a passivity point and the par terre advantage. When he was unable to turn Ryu, his side lost a challenge that Ryu was using his legs to block, giving Ryu a 4-1 lead, which is how the match ended. 

“This competition was a check for me ahead of the next competition,” Ryu said. “It was most important to work on my par terre technique. If I can perfect this technique, I can get a medal at the next competition.”

Almin KAVIYANINEJAD (IRI) ended his finals match early against Ibragim MAGOMADOV (KAZ) with an 8-0 technical superiority win. (Photo: Kadir Caliskan)

In the 72kg final, 2018 world junior champion Almin KAVIYANINEJAD (IRI) put together a 4-point takedown-roll combination in each period, defeating Ibragim MAGOMADOV (KAZ) by 8-0 technical fall in 4:09.

Compatriot Mahdi EBRAHIMI (IRI) followed by adding the senior gold to his Asian U-23 title with a 3-1 win over CHOI Junhyeong (KOR) in the 82kg final. 

World U-23 bronze medalist Mohammadhadi SARAVI (IRI) then capped the night by scoring the go-ahead takedown with :57 left to capture the 97kg gold with a 5-2 win over LEE Seyeol (KOR).

Iran, which also picked up a pair of bronze medals from Mehdi MOHSEN NEJAD (IRI) at 60kg and Hossein ASSADI KOLMATI (IRI) at 67kg, easily won the team title with 190 points. The Iranians took home medals in all but one of the 10 weight classes.

Uzbekistan, which captured three bronze medals on the final day, finished second with 146 points, 10 ahead of Kazakhstan in third.

Host India had no finalists on Wednesday, but went 3-for-3 in the third-place matches, much to the delight of the sparse home crowd at K.D. Jadhav Wrestling Stadium. Winning bronzes were Ashu ASHU (IND) at 67kg, Aditya KUNDU (IND) at 72kg and Hardeep HARDEEP (IND) at 97kg.

The most exciting bronze-medal match came at 82kg, in which world 77kg bronze medalist Jalgasbay BERDIMURATOV (UZB) was losing 2-1 to Yevgeniy POLIVADOV (KAZ), only to execute a nifty duck-under tackle that sent his opponent to his back for a fall with :12 left. 

The competition continues Thursday with five weight classes (50kg, 55kg, 59kg, 68kg, 76kg) in women’s wrestling. 

Day 2 results

Greco-Roman

60kg (10 entries)
GOLD – Kenichiro FUMITA (JPN) df. Zholaman SHARSHENBEKOV (KGZ), 4-0
BRONZE - Islomjon BAKHRAMOV (UZB) df. Gyanender GYANENDER (IND), 6-0 
BRONZE - Mehdi MOHSEN NEJAD (IRI) df. Aidos SULTANGALI (KAZ), 4-3 

67kg (11 entries)
GOLD – RYU Hansu (KOR) df. Makhmud BAKHSHILLOEV (UZB), 4-1
BRONZE - Ashu ASHU (IND) df. Abdulkarim ALHASAN (SYR), 8-1
BRONZE - Hossein ASSADI KOLMATI (IRI) df. Tsuchika SHIMOYAMADA (JPN), 5-3

72kg (9 entries)
GOLD – Almin KAVIYANINEJAD (IRI) df. Ibragim MAGOMADOV (KAZ) by TF, 8-0, 4:09
BRONZE - Ruslan TSAREV (KGZ) df. CHEN Yan Kai (TPE) by Fall, :41 (8-0)
BRONZE - Aditya KUNDU (IND) df. Nao KUSAKA (JPN) by TF, 8-0, 1:46

82kg (7 entries)
GOLD – Mahdi EBRAHIMI (IRI) df. CHOI Junhyeong (KOR), 3-1
BRONZE - Jalgasbay BERDIMURATOV (UZB) df. Yevgeniy POLIVADOV (KAZ) by Fall, 5:48 (8-2)

97kg (10 entries)
GOLD – Mohammadhadi SARAVI (IRI) df. LEE Seyeol (KOR), 5-2
BRONZE - Muhammadali SHAMSIDDINOV (UZB) df. Ponlawat SIAMMAI (THA) by Fall, :24 (4-0) 
BRONZE - Hardeep HARDEEP (IND) df. Beksultan MAKHMUDOV (KGZ), 3-1