Host Serbia puts two into GR finals on opening day of Worlds

Saturday, September 10, 2022 - 20:16 By Ken Marantz

BELGRADE, Serbia (September 10) -- The opening act of the World Championships was a smash for the home team, as host Serbia saw two wrestlers advance to the finals of the four Greco-Roman weight classes that kicked off the tournament on Saturday in Belgrade.

Defending champion Zurabi DATUNASHVILI (SRB) put himself in a position for a repeat of the 87kg gold medal he won last year in Oslo, while Iran-born Ali ARSALAN (SRB) earned a shot at a first world title at 72kg.

Azerbaijan will also have two wrestlers in action on the first night of finals at Stark Arena on Sunday when Eldaniz AZIZLI (AZE) will look to regain the world 55kg title that he won in 2018, and European bronze medalist Ulvi GANIZADE (AZE) will go for gold at 72kg.

Meanwhile, Tokyo Olympic silver medalist Akzhol MAKHMUDOV (KGZ) made his first world final at 77kg, earning a clash with surprising Zoltan LEVAI (HUN), who denied Serbia a third finalist when he knocked off former world champion Viktor NEMES (SRB).

Zurabi DATUNASHVILI (SRB) won his 87kg semifinal 4-3. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Datunashvili, sporting his trademark cornrow braids, had to scrape his way into the 87kg final, where he will try to prevent European champion Turpan BISULTANOV (DEN) from becoming Denmark's first-ever world champion in Greco-Roman.

"For the Serbian people, for Serbian sports, I want to win it tomorrow," Datunashvili said.

All three of Datsunashvili's matches went the distance, including a 4-3 nail-biter in the semifinals over 2021 world U23 silver medalist David LOSONCZI (HUN). His ability to stay calm under pressure earned the Tokyo Olympic bronze medalist a trip back to the finals.

Against Losonczi, Datunashvili barely managed to gain a 2-point exposure from par terre, then managed to hang on after Losonczi scored a stepout that had a one-point fleeing penalty tacked on and cut the gap to a point.

Turpan BISULTANOV (DEN), blue, defeated Ali CENGIZ (TUR) 6-0 in the semifinal. (Photo: UWW / Martin Gabor)

In the final match of the session, Bisultanov took advantage of a rare second passivity call in his favor against Ali CENGIZ (TUR), scoring a 4-point throw in the second period to secure a 6-0 victory. That made him the first Dane to make a world Greco final since 2015 when Mark MADSEN (DEN) won the fourth and last of his silver medals at 74-75kg.

"I am very looking forward to it [the final]," Bisultanov said. "I was thinking that he or Hungarian will go to the final and yeah, they were both in the semifinals and had a very close match. I don't know, we will see what happens tomorrow, I and my coaches will see what we can do and I will do my best tomorrow."

Bisultanov said the vocal group of Danish fans in the venue will take away some of the home-field advantage of his opponent.

"Of course, every time you are at home you feel more energy, you have to do something for your home, for your fans," he said. "But luckily I got my crazy Danish fans here. I hope my fans will beat the Serbian fans, and I'll beat him as well."

Eldaniz AZIZLI (AZE) celebrates after scoring a 9-0 win over Max NOWRY (USA) in the 55kg semifinal. (Photo: UWW / Martin Gabor)

At 55kg, the final will be a clash between the two bronze medalists from Oslo 2021 -- both former world champions, as well -- although Azizli will seem to have the upper hand on Nugzari TSURTSUMIA (GEO), having beaten him six months ago in the final at the European Championships.

Azizli stormed into the final with his third technical fall of the day, overwhelming Max NOWRY (USA) 9-0 in 1:44 in the first semifinal. Put on top in par terre, Azizli went right to work, ripping off a pair of gut wrenches before transitioning to a 4-point throw.

Nugzari TSURTSUMIA (GEO) will try to win his second world title on Sunday. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Tsurtsumia, the 2019 world champion, advanced to the final with a 5-3 victory over Asian silver medalist Amangali BEKBOLATOV (KAZ). Tsurtsumia fell behind 3-3 on criteria when he gave up a defensive takedown early in the second period, but he immediately came back with a stepout to regain the lead.

The final will be the third meeting between Azizli and Tsurtsumia in two years. The two also met in the quarterfinals of the 2021 European Championships, with Azizli winning 10-1 en route to a bronze medal.

"I've lost to Azizli around seven or even eight times," Tsurtsumia said. "But it doesn't matter, because tomorrow I will wrestle till the very end. I'm not going to tell you now what exactly I'm gonna do, but you will see it all tomorrow. I'll take revenge."

Ali ARSALAN (SRB) pinned Ibrahim GHANEM (FRA) in the 72kg semifinal. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

In the 72kg semifinals, Arsalan had the play of the day when he used a slick duck-under to a half-nelson that put Ibrahim GHANEM (FRA) onto his back, where he secured a fall at 2:33.

That had come after Arsalan, a 2017 Asian bronze medalist who began competing for Serbia last year, had scored a reversal from the bottom of par terre.

"First of all, I am so glad that I made it to the final, it's really good for me," Arsalan said, "but it's not enough for me. I should recover myself and my body and my mind. Tomorrow I should be myself on the mat."

Earlier in the day, Arsalan defeated Robert FRITSCH (HUN) 7-3 to avenge a loss in the quarterfinals of the European Championships in June, where he won a bronze medal.

Ganizade made the final by edging Selcuk CAN (TUR) 4-3 in a battle of 2020 European bronze medalists. Both scored 2-point throws from par terre, but Ganizade added a stepout after his to provide the margin of difference.

Olympic silver medalist Akzhol MAKHMUDOV (KGZ), red, defeated Hyeonwoo KIM (KOR) 4-1 in the 77kg semifinal. (Photo: UWW / Martin Gabor)

At 77kg, Makhmudov and Levai made it through a grueling gauntlet of 33 entries which saw three world medalists from 2021, including the champion at 72kg, and an Olympic bronze medalist fall by the wayside.

"Tomorrow there will be revenge against Zoltan Levai," Makhmudov said. "I already lost to him once and I defeated him once as well. I want to do my best to show the Kyrgyz soul, to show what our wrestlers are capable of."

Makhmudov once again confirmed a changing of the guard in Asia when the 23-year-old knocked off veteran Hyeonwoo KIM (KOR) 4-1 in the semifinals. After a successful defense from the bottom of par terre, Makhmudov scored with a roll during his turn on top.

"I am really satisfied with today's performance," said Makhmudov, who beat Kim in the semifinals of the Asian Championships in April, where he won his second continental title.

Kim won a silver medal at the 2012 London Olympics and bronze at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Zoltan LEVAI (HUN) celebrates after beating Viktor NEMES (SRB) 3-1 in the 72kg semifinal. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Levai finished off a long and exhausting day by beating Nemes 3-1 in the other semifinal. It was his fifth match of the day, which started with a 3-3 win over 2021 world 72kg champion Malkhas AMOYAN (ARM).

It's been a good year for Levai. He came into Belgrade having won international tournaments in Rome, Warsaw and Mladenovac, Serbia, over a three-month span through August.

At least Amoyan still has a shot at a bronze medal. Among those who didn't make it to the repechage were 2021 silver medalist Sanan SULEYMANOV (AZE), 2021 bronze medalist Mohammadali GERAEI (IRI) and Tokyo Olympic bronze medalist Shohei YABIKU (JPN).

On Sunday, competition through the semifinals will be held in Greco 63kg, 67kg, 82kg and 97kg.

Day 1 Greco-Roman Results

55kg (18 entries)

Semifinals
Eldaniz AZIZLI (AZE) df. Max NOWRY (USA) by TF, 9-0, 1:44
Nugzari TSURTSUMIA (GEO) df. Amangali BEKBOLATOV (KAZ), 5-3

72kg (25 entries)

Semifinals
Ali ARSALAN (SRB) df. Ibrahim GHANEM (FRA) by fall, 2:33 (5-1)
Ulvi GANIZADE (AZE) df. Selcuk CAN (TUR), 4-3

77kg (33 entries)

Semifinals
Zoltan LEVAI (HUN) df. Viktor NEMES (SRB), 3-1
Akzhol MAKHMUDOV (KGZ) df. Hyeonwoo KIM (KOR), 4-1

87kg (30 entries)

Semifinals
Zurabi DATUNASHVILI (SRB) df. David LOSONCZI (HUN), 4-3
Turpan BISULTANOV (DEN) df. Ali CENGIZ (TUR), 6-0

#WrestleAstana

Balihamzehdeh salvages tough day for Iran at Asian Championships

Monday, April 10, 2023 - 16:58 By Ken Marantz

ASTANA, Kazakhstan (April 10) -- Compared to the previous day, things could not have gone more differently for Iran. But Mehdi BALIHAMZEHDEH (IRI) salvaged some national pride by successfully defending his 97kg title in the final match of the Greco-Roman competition at the Asian Championships on Monday.

Balihamzehdeh forged out a dramatic 7-4 victory over Uzur DZHUZUPBEKOV (KGZ) in the 97kg final, giving Iran its lone gold of the day after winning four on the opening day Sunday at the Zhaksylyk Ushkempirov Martial Arts Palace in Astana.

It was Kyrgyzstan's turn to shine as all five of its wrestlers made it onto the medal podium, with world champion Zholaman SHARSHENBEKOV (KGZ) repeating as 60kg champion and Akylbek TALANTBEKOV (KGZ) triumphing at 82kg.

Ibragim MAGOMADOV (KAZ), a silver medalist three years ago, gave the host country its first gold medal of the tournament with a victory at 72kg, while Abror ATABAEV (UZB) assured that Uzbekistan would take home a Greco-Roman gold for the fifth straight year by storming to the 67kg title.

Iran, which also added a silver medal and a bronze medal to its tally, rode its big lead from the opening day to the team title with 196 points. Kyrgyzstan's second-day onslaught lifted it into second with 166, six points ahead of host Kazakhstan.

While the team title wasn't at stake, Balihamzehdeh's victory over Dzhuzupbekov in the 97kg final had all the drama of a crucial match.

The two had met twice last year, with Balihamzehdeh coming out on top both times in close decisions. First, the Iranian won 4-1 in the semifinals at the Asian Championships in Mongolia, then edged Dzhuzupbekov 3-3 at the World Cup in Baku seven months later.

On Monday, Balihamzehdeh struck first, gaining a passivity point, a stepout and a takedown, only to see Dzhuzupbekov score a takedown in the final seconds of the first period to cut the lead to 4-2 at the break.

In the second period, Dzhuzupbekov, who last year won his third senior Asian bronze, put himself on course for his first gold when a stepout and fleeing penalty put him ahead on criteria 4-4 with 1:30 left.

The tension was at a fever pitch as the clock wound down to :26, when both wrestlers were treated for bleeding, a sign of the intensity of the clash. Balihamzehdeh had his head taped to stop external bleeding from his ear, while Dzhuzupbekov had a bloody nose.

With :15 left, Dzhuzupbekov was flagged for a 2-point head butt, and a lost challenge put Balihamzehdeh ahead 7-4 before he ran out the clock.

Zholaman SHARSHENBEKOV (KGZ) defended his 60kg Asian title in Astana. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Sharshenbekov's gold-striking triumph over Hanjae CHUNG (KOR) in the 60kg final had more dominance than drama.

He dazzled Chung with a spinning takedown that landed the Korean on his back for 4 points. Put on top in par terre Sharshenbekov used a high gut wrench to yank Chung up and over onto his back for another 4. Korea's challenge of the call, saying it should have only been for 2, was unsuccessful, giving Sharshenbekov a 10-0 technical fall in 1:46.

"I respect all of my opponents," Sharshenbekov said. "I think all of them are strong wrestlers. Everything was on a high level, I can say that it was hard."

The 23-year-old Sharshenbekov credited the immense support system around him for his success.

"If I say that I'm champion myself only it would be wrong, because there is a huge team supporting me," he said. "They work behind the scenes: our coaches, teammates, sparring partners, doctors who were checking the state of our health all the time, masseuse. I want to thank them all. I dedicate this gold medal to my Kyrgyzstan and my family."

Sharshenbekov and Chung met previously in the first round of the 2021 Asian Olympic qualifying tournament, with Sharshenbekov winning 6-2 en route to secure a spot at the Tokyo Olympics, where the three-time world medalist finished seventh.

Akylbek TALANTBEKOV (KGZ) defeated Dias KALEN (KAZ) 3-2 in the 82kg final. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

At 82kg, Talantbekov added the senior crown to the Asian U23 title he won last year with a nail-biting 3-2 win over Dias KALEN (KAZ), who had to settle for the silver medal for the second straight year.

Neither wrestler could budge the other from par terre and Kalen led 1-1 on criteria as the match went into its final minute. Talantbekov was put on top in par terre and managed to lift and roll Kalen, right after which Kalen scrambled behind for a reversal.

Kalen was originally awarded 2 points for a takedown, as the referee did not feel that his shoulders broke the 90-degree plane. The Kyrgyz side challenged the ruling, which was overturned and Talantbekov awarded the decisive points.

Ibragim MAGOMADOV (KAZ) won the only Greco-Roman gold medal for Kazakhstan. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Magomadov drew the biggest cheers of the night from the partisan crowd when he notched a solid 5-2 victory over Zagreb Open silver medalist Sajjad IMENTALABFOUMANI (IRI) in the 72kg final.

Magomadov took advantage of his chance at par terre in the first period, scoring with a pair of rolls to take a 5-0 lead. In the second period, Imentalabfoumani gained a passivity point, but was unable to turn the Kazakh. He added a stepout that was too little, too late.

In the 67kg final, Atabaev, last year's Asian U23 champion, added the senior continental title by storming to a 10-0 technical fall over Kyotaro SOGABE (JPN).

"I have been training a lot for this," Atabaev said. "It’s not even possible to describe how I feel. I’ve been dreaming of showing the result at the senior level. Now I made it."

Atabaev took the early lead when he stopped an arm throw attempt by Sogabe at the edge, getting 2 points after the original call of a stepout for the Japanese was changed upon challenge.

He then scored a standing roll from par terre for 4 and a 7-0 lead at the break. In the second period, Sogabe tried a desperation back-drop but Atabaev stuffed the move, landing Sogabe on his back for 2 and ending the match at 3:23. An unsuccessful challenge made the final score 10-0.

"I can’t say the evening was perfect, but still my performance was quite good," said Atabaev, who posted three technical falls, including one over former two-time Asian champion Almat KEBISPAYEV (KAZ) in the semifinals. "I had quite a tough match with Almat Kebispayev, the Japanese wrestler was strong as well, so it was quite competitive for me."

Japan grabs 3 bronzes; Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan 2 each

In bronze-medal matches, Japan had a big day by winning three, while Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan came away with two each.

Maito KAWANA (JPN) secured the title of the tournament's Comeback Kid after rallying from a big deficit for a second time, this time overcoming a six-point gap to defeat SUMIT (IND) on cautions with the score 14-6.

Kawana, who is hoping to challenge Tokyo Olympic silver medalist Kenichiro FUMITA (JPN) for the place on Japan's team at the World Championships, had a 4-point throw and received a number of penalty points as Sumit built up cautions, getting the third one that ended the match at 5:14. An unsuccessful challenge of the third caution made the final scoreline 14-6.

Earlier in the quarterfinals, Kawana fell behind 7-1 and 10-4 against Akmal KHAMROEV (UZB), but rallied to a wild 17-10 victory.

Perhaps noone was more pleased to make the medal podium than Yuta NARA (JPN), who hit a 4-point headlock throw in the second period to defeat Yiming LI (CHN) 5-2 at 97kg for his first medal in five trips to the Asian Championships.

Compatriot Yuya MAETA (JPN) also has not had much success abroad but secured an 82kg bronze with a 3-1 victory over Mukhammadkodir RASULOV (UZB) for his first senior Asian medal in four attempts. Maeta locked an arm and scored a gut wrench during his chance at par terre in the second period.

Krygyzstan got bronzes from Asian U20 silver medalist Razzak BEISHEKEEV (KGZ) at 67kg and Asian U23 champion Adilkhan NURLANBEKOV (KGZ) at 77kg.

Beishekeev opened with a 4-point hip throw en route to a 9-0 technical fall over Reza ABBASI (IRI), while Nurlanbekov held off Ali AL ABBOODAH (IRQ) for a 2-1 victory and his second straight senior Asian bronze. Nurlanbekov was able to get a 1-point stepout from his throw attempt from par terre for the decisive point.

The host country's Kebispayev will take home the fifth senior Asian medal of his career after the 35-year-old defeated Asian U20 bronze medalist Firuz MIRZORADZHABOV (TJK) 7-3 at 67kg.

Mirzoradzhabov had been aiming to earn just the eighth Asian medal in Greco-Roman in Tajikistan history.

Kebispayev compatriot Olzhas SYRLYBAY (KAZ) assured he would not leave empty-handed from his home tournament when he defeated Narinder CHEEMA (IND) 4-1. Syrlybay trailed 0-1 in the second period when he put together a stepout, a passivity point and a gut wrench to secure the win.

Both India and China went 1-for-3 in bronze-medal matches. In the lone direct confrontation between the two, world U23 bronze medalist VIKAS (IND) overwhelmed Jian TAN (CHN) by 8-0 technical fall in 1:41.

Liguo CAO (CHN) scored a takedown and a passivity point in the first period and held on for a 4-2 victory at 60kg over Yernur FIDAKHMETOV (KAZ), a bronze medalist from last year.

Zagreb Open champion Alireza MOHMADIPIANI (IRI) added a bronze to the Iranian till with a 5-1 victory over world U20 bronze medalist Rohit DAHIYA (IND) at 82kg. Dahiya made the rare choice of opting to remain standing when awarded a passivity point in the second period but could break through the Iranian's defenses.

Day 2 Results

Greco-Roman

60kg (11 entries)
GOLD: Zholaman SHARSHENBEKOV (KGZ) df. Hanjae CHUNG (KOR) by TF, 10-0 (1:46)

BRONZE: Maito KAWANA (JPN) df. SUMIT (IND) by Cautions, 5:14 (14-6)
BRONZE: Liguo CAO (CHN) df. Yernur FIDAKHMETOV (KAZ), 4-2

Semifinal: Zholaman SHARSHENBEKOV(KGZ) df. Maito KAWANA (JPN), 4-0
Semifinal: Hanjae CHUNG (KOR) df. Yernur FIDAKHMETOV (KAZ), 7-5

67kg (11 entries)
GOLD: Abror ATABAEV (UZB) df. Kyotaro SOGABE (JPN) by TF, 10-0 (3:23)

BRONZE: Razzak BEISHEKEEV (KGZ) df. Reza ABBASI (IRI) by TF, 9-0 (3:39)
BRONZE: Almat KEBISPAYEV (KAZ) df. Firuz MIRZORADZHABOV (TJK), 7-3

Semifinal: Kyotaro SOGABE (JPN) df. Reza ABBASI (IRI), 5-1
Semifinal: Abror ATABAEV (UZB) df. Almat KEBISPAYEV (KAZ) by TF, 10-2 (5:51)

72kg (13 entries)
GOLD: Ibragim MAGOMADOV (KAZ) df. Sajjad IMENTALABFOUMANI (IRI), 5-2

BRONZE: Adilkhan NURLANBEKOV (KGZ) df. Ali AL ABBOODAH (IRQ), 2-1
BRONZE: VIKAS (IND) df. Jian TAN (CHN) by TF, 8-0 (1:41)

Semifinal: Ibragim MAGOMADOV (KAZ) df. Ali AL ABBOODAH (IRQ), 6-0
Semifinal: Sajjad IMENTALABFOUMANI (IRI) df. Jian TAN (CHN) by TF, 9-0 (1:57)

82kg (11 entries)
GOLD: Akylbek TALANTBEKOV (KGZ) df. Dias KALEN (KAZ), 3-2

BRONZE: Yuya MAETA (JPN) df. Mukhammadkodir RASULOV (UZB), 3-1
BRONZE: Alireza MOHMADIPIANI (IRI) df. Rohit DAHIYA (IND), 5-1

Semifinal: Dias KALEN (KAZ) df. Yuya MAETA (JPN), 7-1
Semifinal: Akylbek TALANTBEKOV (KGZ) df. Alireza MOHMADIPIANI (IRI) by TF, 8-0 (3:45)

97kg (10 entries)
GOLD: Mehdi BALIHAMZEHDEH (IRI) df. Uzur DZHUZUPBEKOV (KGZ), 7-4

BRONZE: Olzhas SYRLYBAY (KAZ) df. Narinder CHEEMA (IND), 4-1
BRONZE: Yuta NARA (JPN) df. Yiming LI (CHN), 5-2

Semifinal: Uzur DZHUZUPBEKOV (KGZ) df. Narinder CHEEMA (IND) by TF, 9-0 (4:45)
Semifinal: Mehdi BALIHAMZEHDEH (IRI) df. Yiming LI (CHN), 7-1

Host Serbia puts two into GR finals on opening day of Worlds

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Balihamzehdeh salvages tough day for Iran at Asian Championships