Higuchi earns first trip to Worlds; Sakurai squeezes through

Friday, June 17, 2022 - 16:39 By Ken Marantz

TOKYO, Japan (June 17) -- Rei HIGUCHI will be going to his first World Championships, but make no mistake about it -- his ultimate goal remains winning the Olympic gold that eluded him six years ago in Rio.

Higuchi, the 2016 Olympic silver medalist at 57kg, earned a ticket to this year's World Championships at freestyle 61kg by defeating Kodai OGAWA 4-0 in the final at the Meiji Cup All-Japan Invitational Championships on Friday.

The 26-year-old had a fall and a technical fall in his two other matches as he ended the day unscored upon in winning the second of Japan's domestic qualifying tournaments for places on the team to the World Championships in September in Belgrade, Serbia.

Tsugumi SAKURAI, the reigning women's world champion at 55kg who has moved up to 57kg, secured a trip back to the worlds at that weight class but not without a bit of drama, while 2021 world silver medalist Miwa MORIKAWA will also be Belgrade-bound after triumphing at 65kg.

Winners of the Meiji Cup who previously won titles at the Emperor's Cup All-Japan Championships last December automatically secured places on the team to Belgrade; if the champions are different, they meet in a playoff after that day's action at Tokyo's Komazawa Gym.

On Friday, there were no playoffs held. In six of the eight weight classes held on the second day of action, the Emperor's Cup champion prevailed again, while in the two others, that champion skipped the tournament due to injury, conceding the berth to the Meiji Cup winner.

Rei HIGUCHI controls Kodai OGAWA in the freestyle 61kg final. (Photo: Takeo Yabuki / Japan Wrestling Federation)

Higuchi fell into the latter case. Having moved up to 61kg after an ill-fated attempt to make the Tokyo Olympics at 57kg, he lost in the final at the Emperor's Cup to Ryuto SAKAKI, who is out injured.

The last time Higuchi was involved in a playoff, it was for the 57kg berth at the Tokyo Olympics, which he lost to Yuki TAKAHASHI. That came after he blew a chance to win the berth outright at the Asian Olympic qualifying tournament by failing to make weight.

Now his focus is on the 2024 Paris Olympics, and his efforts are aimed at getting off to a good start in the qualifying process that starts with this year's Emperor's Cup in December when he will drop back down to 57kg.

"The path to qualifying for the Olympics starts in December, so I thought that more than this tournament, and the World Championships if I qualified, December is the main event that I have to win," Higuchi said.

"If I don't win at 57kg in December, there will be no Olympics for me. The younger generation is emerging. I want to head into December with the feeling that I am the main challenger."

Not that he's not going to go all out at the World Championships.

"I move better against foreign opponents than against my fellow Japanese, so I going to take the offensive," Higuchi said. "I want to give everything I've got and win the world championship convincingly.

"I don't know if he will be able to compete, but if I can't beat [Tokyo Olympic 57kg] Zavur UGUEV (ROC) of Russia, I can't be No. 1 in the world. So I will devise a strategy to beat Uguev. There are many strong competitors in the world, but I will make that my primary goal."

At the Rio Olympics, Higuchi suffered a heart-breaking and controversial 3-3 loss in the gold-medal match to Vladimer Khinchegashvili (GEO). So desperate was he to get to the Tokyo Games, Higuchi at one time moved up to 65kg, where he won his lone other Meiji Cup title in 2019.

Although not an Olympic weight, the 26-year-old Higuchi seems to have found his niche at 61kg, in which he won the gold in his Asian Championships debut in April.

In Friday's final against fellow Nippon Sports Science University alumnus Ogawa, who knows him well, Higuchi tried new ways to crack his opponent's defense. But after gaining an activity point in the first period, he scored his lone technical point with a counter to the back in the second before receiving a second activity point.

"In the final, I reversed how I tie-up," Higuchi said. "I wanted to try shooting to the right after making him cautious of a single-leg tackle to the left. But as he's a junior teammate, he knew well what hand I was playing, so I wasn't able to do the move. Also, I was lacking a bit of confidence in trying it, so I'll work to perfect it before the World Championships."

Sakurai Tsugumi SAKURAI rises up before turning over Sae NANJO for the winning takedown in the last seconds of the women's 57kg final. (Photo: Takeo Yabuki / Japan Wrestling Federation)

For Sakurai, it was deja vu all over again as she barely beat the clock to beat world bronze medalist Sae NANJO 5-3 in the final -- much as she did six months earlier in the Emperor's Cup final.

Nanjo gained an activity point and a takedown to take a 3-0 lead into the second period, in which Sakurai closed the gap to 3-2 with a takedown. With 10 seconds left, Sakurai shot in on a single, and Nanjo went over the back and clamped on a leg, looking to ride out the clock.

But with the seconds ticking down, Sakurai raised up and managed to dump Nanjo onto her bottom as time expired. Was it in time? After an extraordinarily long challenge review, it was decided that Sakurai had gained control with milliseconds to spare.

"I went for the tackle with my last bit of energy," said Sakurai, last year's Meiji Cup champion at 55kg. "I didn't see the clock so I didn't know how much time was left, but I came out on top in the situation, so I thought I got the points."

What was going through her mind as the judges deliberated the call? "If I didn't get it, I would lose and we would go to a playoff, so I thought I had to be ready to face that possibility."

In the final of the Emperor's Cup, where Sakurai made her debut at 57kg, she scored a stunning 4-point takedown in the final seconds for a 5-2 win over Nanjo.

Making her latest victory even sweeter is that it came a day after two Ikuei University teammates, Sakura MOTOKI (59kg) and Ami ISHII (68kg), earned their first trips to the World Championships, which also put pressure on her to do so, too.

"At the end, I again won in the final by coming from behind, but I am confident that I practice harder than anyone, so even if it is tough at the end, I'm glad I could get in on a tackle and score points," Sakura said. "At the same time, yesterday two of my teammates at Ikuei University won titles, and while I also wanted to win, I felt like I had to win. I feel like it's a relief."

Sakurai's emergence as Japan's top wrestler at 57kg comes in the absence of Tokyo Olympic champion Risako KAWAI, who last month gave birth to her first child and plans to return at the Emperor's Cup to start a run at a third straight Olympic title.

"For me to get to the Olympics, she a competitor who I will have to beat," said Sakurai, who was one of Japan's seven women gold medalists at the Asian Championships. "I have youth and a bit of room timewise to still build strength, so I think I will get more powerful from now -- enough, I hope, to beat Kawai."

Miwa MORIKAWA works to get behind Miyu IMAI in the women's 65kg final. (Photo: Takeo Yabuki / Japan Wrestling Federation)

At 65kg, Morikawa had a far less dramatic day in winning her second straight title with an 8-1 victory in the final over 2018 world U20 champion Miyu IMAI, although she was a bit dissatisfied with her showing.

"I missed some chances for points," Morikawa said. "In order to win at the worlds, I have been able to firmly get those."

In Belgrade, Morikawa will be looking to make up for her loss in the 2021 world final in Oslo to Irina RINGACI (MDA). "That ended with a disappointing result, so I'm going to get the gold," Morikawa pledged.

Shimizu Kensuke SHIMIZU battles with Kyotaro SOGABE in the Greco 67kg semifinal. (Photo: Takeo Yabuki / Japan Wrestling Federation)

Shimizu comes up short at 67kg

A third medalist from the 2021 World Championships won't be getting another shot this year, as Greco 63kg bronze medalist Kensuke SHIMIZU came up short after moving up 67kg.

Shimizu, wanting to get an early start at adjusting his body to the Olympic weight, was dominated in the semifinals by Nippon Sport Science University's Kyotaro SOGABE, who built up a 7-1 lead before securing a fall in the waning seconds of the match.

"It's my first time in the higher weight class, and of course, my aim was to win the championship," said Shimizu, who came away with the bronze medal. "Beyond that, I want this to lead into my next competition. I particularly felt in the semifinal with Sogabe that there is still a real difference in power. I am determined to get stronger before December."

Shimizu was coming off a disappointing showing at the Asian Championships, where he lost in the second round for the second year in a row.

"At the Asian Championships, I let the opponent use his favored moves to dictate the match, and I wasn't able to show any of my best sides," Shimizu said. "It was really a terrible match. I never want to have a match like that again, and after I came back to my team, I talked it over with my coach thoroughly about what I should do. Every day, I think more in practice than I've ever done."

Shimizu changed his training environment by joining the Self-Defense Forces team upon graduating from Takushoku University, providing an ideal setting for making a run at the Olympics at 67kg.

"My weight training regimen and diet have gotten far better and I can put together a plan for tailoring my body to the heavier weight class," Shimizu said. "In regular practice, I can work out with wrestlers in higher weight classes, and train with more powerful ones."

Shimizu, who won the Emperor's Cup at 63kg to put him halfway back to the World Championships at that weight, said he decided it was better to make the move now to 67kg.

"Looking ahead, I thought instead of losing weight now, it was better to properly make the move up in weight class and get started on reforming my body and getting used to the new weight. I thought it was more important to start competing at this weight class."

Filling Japan's spot at 67kg in Belgrade will be Asian bronze medalist Katsuaki ENDO, who beat Sogabe 6-1 in the final for his first Meiji Cup title since winning at 63kg in 2018. The result, down to the score, was a repeat of Endo's victory over Sogabe at the Emperor's Cup.

Endo, an alumnus of NSSU, countered a forced throw attempt by Sogabe for 4 points in the second period, then followed that with a quick roll to put away his practice partner.

"I'm good from the ground, so maybe Kyotaro thought it was worth giving it a shot there and forced it too much," Endo said.

Sogabe, still looking for his first senior national title, first put himself onto the radar while at Imabari Nishi High School in his native Ehime Prefecture, when in 2019 he became the 10th wrestler in Japan history to win three straight titles in the high school division at the National Games. Among his notable predecessors was future world champion Kenichiro FUMITA.

In other Greco finals, veterans Tomohiro INOUE and Masato SUMI followed up their Emperor's Cup triumphs to secure tickets to Belgrade at 72kg and 87kg, respectively.

The 34-year-old Inoue won his second straight Meiji Cup title and fourth overall with a 3-1 victory over Taishi HORIE, while Sumi, 28, defeated Self-Defense Forces teammate So SAKABE 5-1 for his third title and first since 2019.

In freestyle, Asian bronze medalist Daichi TAKATANI chalked up a 5-2 victory in the final over Kirin KINOSHITA to capture his first Meiji Cup crown since 2013 and earn his first trip to the World Championships since 2014.

Taiki YAMAMOTO maintained his firm grip on the 125kg title, defeating Hiroto NINOMIYA 2-1 on activity points for his fourth straight title and fifth overall.

Day 2 Results

Freestyle

61kg (9 entries)
Final - Rei HIGUCHI df. Kodai OGAWA, 4-0
3rd Place - Kaito MORIKAWA df. Hayato FUJITA by TF, 10-0, 3:35

74kg (10 entries)
Final - Daichi TAKATANI df. Kirin KINOSHITA, 5-2
3rd Place - Yuto FUKADA df. Iori KOSHIBA, 6-1

125kg (7 entries)
Final - Taiki YAMAMOTO df. Hiroto NINOMIYA, 2-1
3rd Place - Yuji FUKUI df. Asahi TSUIHIJI by TF, 10-0, 3:57

Greco-Roman

67kg (11 entries)
Final - Katsuaki ENDO df. Kyotaro SOGABE, 6-1
3rd Place - Kensuke SHIMIZU df. Yoshinobu ITO by Inj. Def.

72kg (10 entries)
Final - Tomohiro INOUE df. Taishi HORIE, 3-1
3rd Place - Daigo KOBAYASHI df. Haruto YABE, 2-1

87kg (9 entries)
Final - Masato SUMI df. So SAKABE, 5-1
3rd Place - Kanta SHIOKAWA df. Satoki MUKAI by Fall, 2:18 (2-3)

Women's Wrestling

57kg (9 entries)
Final - Tsugumi SAKURAI df. Sae NANJO, 5-3
3rd Place - Sena NAGAMOTO df. Ruka NATAMI by TF, 12-2, 4:55

65kg (6 entries)
Final - Miwa MORIKAWA df. Miyu IMAI, 8-1
3rd Place - Ayana GEMPEI df. Rin TERAMOTO, 7-1

#wrestlebishkek

Vintage Susaki in Asian final; Morikawa vs Zhumanazarova for 68kg Gold

Wednesday, April 8, 2026 - 05:29 By Ken Marantz & Vinay Siwach

BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan (April 8) -- Yui SUSAKI (JPN) may have been away from the mat for over 20 months but she showed no signs of rust as she reached the Asian Championships final at 50kg in Bishkek on Wednesday.

With two falls and a technical superiority win, it was vintage Susaki as she did not give up a single point in the three bouts. First up was Ziqi FENG (CHN), a fellow bronze medalist from 2024 Paris Olympics, and Susaki blocked an arm-spin attempt from Feng to score two points. As Feng landed on her back, Susaki kept her in the same position to secure the first fall.

NEELAM (IND) tried to challenge Susaki a few times in the quarterfinals but her attempted front headlock counters did not work and Susaki scored an 11-0 technical superiority win in 2:51. The semifinal was a similar story as Susaki pinned Maral TANGIRBERGENOVA (KAZ) in just two minutes.

Susaki scored a go-behind to open the scoring before a gut-wrench turn gave her a 4-0 lead. A sweep-single to takedown made it 6-0, and Susaki continued the sequence into an arm-bar to secure the fall.

"This is my first official UWW tournament in one year and eight months and I'm really happy to be back on this stage, and I'm filled with gratitude," Susaki said. "In my three matches, I was able to put out what I did in practice. Looking ahead to tomorrow's final, I think they were good matches."

The theme of the final will also be vintage as Susaki faces an opponent she last wrestled nine years ago. She will take on Son Hyang KIM (PRK) for the gold medal bout, a wrestler Susaki defeated 10-0 to win her first Asian gold aged 18 in 2017.

While she is focused on winning the gold medal on Thursday, Susaki is treating the Asian Championships as the launch pad for a newer version of herself.

"I'm here to start toward winning this year's World Championships and Asian Games, and then the Los Angeles Olympics. To face the DPR Korean and firmly win would establish my presence to the world," she said.

The new Susaki also includes a improved weight management, an issue she struggled with in the past. After the Paris Olympics, Susaki gave considerable thought to moving up to 53kg but as the 2025 Emperor's Cup approached in December, she decided to remain at 50kg, a weight in which she won Olympic gold in Tokyo.

"It's my first time to get down to 50kg overseas since the Paris Olympics," she said. "Since then, I've made some changes to my diet, and it was really smooth this time and I was able to maintain my strength. I could keep eating while dropping weight, so my condition is very good."

Susaki will have a chance to win her third Asian title on Thursday when she takes on Kim.

A former world bronze medalist, Kim wrestled Aktenge KEUNIMJAEVA (UZB) in the other semifinal and scored an early takedown to open the scoring. She used a lace lock and twisted the Uzbekistan wrestler over three times for an 8-0 lead before the match hit the minute mark.

But Keunimjaeva, a three-time Asian bronze medalist, did not go down meekly, as she used a whizzer for a 4-point takedown at the edge to cut the lead in half before the break. Kim opened the second period with a duck under to a double-leg takedown to make it 10-4.

Two years ago in the Asian Olympic qualifying tournament in Bishkek, Keunimjaeva pulled off a miracle late comeback to beat Kim, and she nearly did it again. Locking Kim's arms, Keunimjaeva muscled Kim directly to her back for a 4-pointer in the last 20 seconds. But she failed to get the fall, and Kim got a late exposure for a 12-8 win.

In other semifinals, local stars Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ) and Meerim ZHUMANAZAROVA (KGZ) both made it to gold medal bouts at 76kg and 68kg respectively.

After her close call in the quarterfinals, Medet Kyzy leaves no margin for error in storming to an 11-0 win over Hui Tsz CHANG (TPE) in pursuit of her third straight Asian gold and fourth overall. Medet Kyzy spins behind for the opening takedown, then hits two gut wrenches, then adds a 2-point exposure. When Chang tries to escape by going over the top, Medet Kyzy somersaults her over onto her back for the winning points that end the match in 1:04. An unsuccessful challenge of who-knows-what adds a final point.

Two-time Asian bronze medalist Davaanasan ENKH AMAR (MGL) enters her first-ever Asian Championships final after a 7-2 win over Gulmaral YERKEBAYEVA (KAZ). She got the first point for Yerkebayeva's passivity before a double-leg takedown to lead 3-0. As the clock ticked, Yerkebayeva tried a few fake attacks but missed them and Enkh Amar scored two counter takedowns to extend her lead to 7-0. Yerkebayeva scored a late takedown to cut the lead.

68kg semifinals - Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN), wrestling her first Asian Championships at 68kg, into the finals after 7-0 victory over former world silver medalist Delgermaa ENKHSAIKHAN (MGL) in the semifinals. She started off with a point for Enkhsaikhan's passivity, then got a takedown when she was put on the activity clock. As the match progressed, Morikawa kept her pressure and scored two different takedowns on the edge to enter the final

Two-time Olympic medalist Meerim ZHUMANAZAROVA (KGZ) ends the reign of defending champion Zelu LI (CHN) with a 1-1 victory, much to the delight of the home crowd despite the lack of technical points scored — Zhumanazarova came out on top by virtue of receiving the second of the two activity points. LI gets her activity point in the first period as neither wrestler can find an opening. In the second period, Zhumanazarova gets in on a single-leg takedown, but Li forces the situation to a stalemate. Li is then put on the activity clock, which puts Zhumanazarova up on criteria. In the final minute, Li twice launches an attack, but Zhumanazarova sprawls to safety to make the final for the first time since 2022.

59kg semifinals - Sena NAGAMOTO (JPN) becomes the third Japan wrestler to reach the final after a 10-0 blanking of Ulmeken ESENBAEVA (UZB) in the 59kg semifinals. She built a 6-0 lead in the first period before another takedown to start the second period to make it 8-0. A sweep-single takedown was her last move to complete a technical superiority victory.

Mengyu XIE (CHN), a former Asian champion looking to improve on her bronze medal from 2025, shrugs NEHA (IND) by and gets behind for an early takedown, to which she adds a gut-wrench. Neha comes back with counter roll for 2 from a front body lock, which the Chinese side unsuccessfully challenges, cutting Xie's lead to 4-3 at the break. A deep single-leg takedown and gut wrench by Xie makes it 8-3. When Xie shoots for a double, Neha locks her up again, this time spinning behind for a takedown, making it 8-5 with a minute to go. Neha twice tries to force Xie over with a front headlock roll, but each time, the Chinese resists and holds the Indian's back toward the mat for a pair of 2-point exposures and a 12-5 win.

55kg semifinals - World bronze medalist Sowaka UCHIDA (JPN) continues to dominate in her senior Asian debut, advancing to the final with a one-side 10-0 victory over Ariunzaya ODONCHIMEG (MGL). Uchida, who won world U17 and U20 titles in recent years but had never competed in a continental tournament, finishes off the match after a second takedown, locking Odonchimeg's arm and levering her over three times to end the bout in 1:33.

Uchida will face returning silver medalist Yuxuan LI (CHN) for the gold medal after the China wrestler completed a dominant 11-1 victory over Hansika LAMBA (IND). Li got on the scoreboard when Lamba was called passive in the first period. Li then tripped Lamba for a takedown and used two gut-wrenches to lead 7-0. Lamba tried getting a takedown but Li was quick to counter and scored a takedown before giving up a reversal for a 9-1 lead. She finished the match with a takedown 6 seconds before the clock expired.

Qualification Session Higlights

12:42: Gulmaral YERKEBAYEVA (KAZ) with an excellent fake attack to get a takedown against KAJAL (IND) to secure the win int the 76kg quarterfinals. Kajal led 3-1 when Yerkebayeva scored a stepout with 25 seconds left. Yerkebayeva managed a leg attack soon but let it go when Kajal fell forward to defend it. The Kazakhstan wrestler just jumped behind to get a takedown which stunned Kajal. Yerkebayev with a 5-3 win, as India challenged at the end and lost it.

12:37: Former world silver medalist Davaanasan ENKH AMAR (MGL) secures her spot in the 76kg semifinals with an 8-2 victory over Eunju HWANG (KOR). Leading 4-0, Enkh Amar gains two takedowns in the second period before Hwang gets on the scoreboard with a late takedown

12:35: Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ), one of the host nation's top stars, avoided what would have arguably been the biggest upset of the tournament so far when she snatched a victory from the jaws of defeat in her 76kg quarterfinal with Wenji LI (CHN). Li, the 2023 Asian U23 champion at 72kg, was the dominant wrestler, using her double-leg takedown to build up a 6-2 lead deep into the second period. But there is a reason that Medet Kyzy is a three-time Asian champion and three-time world medalist. Just when it looked like all was lost, she shot in on a double, rose up to secure a bear hug, and tripped Li directly to her back in the final minute. That four points would have given her the win, but Li wasn't going anywhere and Medet Kyzy secured the fall with :29 left.

12:25: Two-time Olympic medalist Meerim ZHUMANAZAROVA (KGZ), looking for her first Asian gold to go with two bronzes and a silver, gets her campaign at 68kg started with an 11-0 win over Thi Linh DANG (VIE). Zhumanazarova is limited to two takedowns in the first period by the gutsy Dang, but after a second-period takedown, she ends the match with a 4-point takedown.

12:24: After a slow first period in which Yelena SHALYGINA (KAZ) got a point for Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN) passivity in their 68kg bout, Morikawa managed to score 10 points in the second to complete a victory over the Kazakhstan wrestler. A takedown and gut-wrenches is what Morikawa used to score her points.

12:16: Yui SUSAKI (JPN) uses her low single to deadly effectiveness in an 11-0 victory over NEELAM (IND) at 50kg that she completes eight seconds inside the first-period buzzer. Neelam did her best to counter Susaki's singles, but the Japanese star kept piling up the points in a four-takedown effort.

12:10: Son Hyang KIM (PRK) continues to impress at 50kg, hitting three gut wrenches after her second takedown to defeat Munkhnar BYAMBASUREN (MGL) 10-0 in 1:10 and advance to the semifinals

12:07: Sena NAGAMOTO (JPN), winner at the Zagreb Ranking Series who is making her senior Asian debut, gets off to a roaring start at 59kg with an 10-0 victory over Sezim ZHUMANAZAROVA (KGZ)

12:02: Former Asian champion and world bronze medalist Mengyu XIE (CHN) overwhelms two-time Asian medalist Bolortuya KHURELKHUU (MGL), scoring seven points in the first period and then ending the match in the second for an 11-0 win to advance to the 59kg semifinals

11:59: Rising star Sowaka UCHIDA (JPN), a 2025 world bronze medalist a year after winning the world U20 gold, storms to a 10-0 victory over Jeongbin OH (KOR) to secure her spot in the 55kg semifinals

11:58: Ulmeken ESENBAEVA (UZB), a multiple-time medalist at age-group Asian Championships, begins with a fall over Hyebin AHN (KOR) at 59kg.

11:56: Wenji LI (CHN) proves too powerful for Yasuha MATSUYUKI (JPN) in their qualifying round bout at 76kg, handing the Japanese squad its first loss by topping off two of her three takedowns with 2-point rolls in a 12-2 technical superiority win in 5:31

11:55: NEHA (IND), a former U20 world bronze medalist, starts with a fall over Viktoriia KHUSAINOVA (KAZ) at 59kg. She built a 6-0 lead before scoring a takedown and then used a cradle to secure the fall

11:53: An impressive start for last year's runner-up at 55kg, Yuxuan LI (CHN). After a stepout to get started against Aruuke KADYRBEK KYZY (KGZ), Li gains a takedown, then reels off four gut wrenches in succession for an 11-0 victory in just over a minute.

11:52: Five-time Asian medalist and 2023 world silver medalist Delgermaa ENKHSAIKHAN (MGL) scores two stepouts in the first period, the second with Svetlana OKNAZAROVA (UZB) on the activity clock, and adds two takedowns in the second before finishing the match with a 4-point takedown in the last seconds for an 11-0 victory at 68kg.

11:41: Yi Hui LIN (TPE) stuns Ngoc Linh DO (VIE) with a 4-point takedown with :16 left, then holds on for a 5-4 victory at 50kg in the opening match on Mat B.

11:35: Son Hyang KIM (PRK), a world bronze medalist and Asian silver medalist way back in 2017, storms into the quarterfinals at 50kg with a 10-0 thrashing of Nipuni HEWA PEDIGE (SRI). Kim's most recent accomplishment was a silver at the 2023 Asian Games.

11:34: 53-second fall for Yui SUSAKI (JPN) in her first international match since the 2024 Paris Olympics! Susaki got Ziqi FENG (CHN) in her opening bout at 50kg, a rematch of the final from the 2024 Asian Championships final. Susaki tried two leg attacks but failed to covert them into points. Out of nowhere, Feng tried an arm-spin which was blocked by Susaki. Feng fell back first on the mat and Susaki kept the pressure to secure the fall!

11:30: After two days of exciting Greco-Roman in the morning, the Asian Championships will see Women's Wrestling on the mats. Local stars Meerim ZHUMANAZAROVA (KGZ) and Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ) will be the favorites at 68kg and 76kg

Higuchi earns first trip to Worlds; Sakurai squeezes through

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Vintage Susaki in Asian final; Morikawa vs Zhumanazarova for 68kg Gold