#WrestleNewDelhi

Kakran Clinches 68kg Gold as Indian Women Get off to Strong Start Before Home Crowd

Thursday, February 20, 2020 - 10:36 By Ken Marantz

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NEW DELHI (Feb. 20) -- Divya KAKRAN (IND) shed tears of joy after clinching a gold medal for host India, while compatriots advanced to three of the four other finals as women’s wrestling got started Thursday at the Asian Championships.

Kakran won all four of her matches by fall at 68kg, which, with just five entries, is being competed in a round-robin format. With no matches remaining in the night session, she secured her first Asian gold after finishing third in 2019 and second in 2017.  

Kakran’s key victory came in the fourth round of matches over reigning world junior champion Naruha MATSUYUKI (JPN), when she was losing 4-4 on criteria but locked up her opponent’s arms from the bottom and tipped her over backwards to secure a fall at 4:20. 

“That’s my best move,” Kakran said through tears. “Before coming here, I thought that I wanted to pin everyone.”

Sarita SARITA (IND) is one of three Indian Day Three finalists. (Photo: Gabor Martin)

In the night session, India will have a chance to pick up more golds through Devi NIRMALA (IND) at 50kg, Pinki PINKI (IND) at 55kg and Sarita SARITA (IND) at 59kg. Japan has two finalists, including world 76kg silver medalist Hiroe MINAGAWA (JPN), as does Mongolia, while Kyrgyzstan has one.

India’s American coach Andrew Cook, hired a year ago as a “women’s foreign expert,” said he was proud of the team’s showing in a competition that unfortunately is missing women’s powerhouses China and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea due to circumstances related to the new coronavirus.

“I think the last two months or so we’ve had some of the best training that I’ve [seen] in the year that I’ve been in India,” Cook said. “Cohesion with coaches, cohesion with athletes. I think the training program is right on point.

“I’m happy with the things they are showing. They’re actually doing what we do in practice. That’s a big deal.”

Cook said his concerns about how his charges would deal with the pressure of competing before the home crowd at K.D. Jadrav Wrestling Stadium were swiftly alleviated.

“I was a little bit worried, because through the weekend, they all split off and went to their homes and I didn’t really see them until this morning,” Cook said. “So I was a tiny bit worried, how we were going to react, how were we going to wrestle. I also felt that they’re very comfortable in India, and they wrestle hard for their fans. I thought it would wash, and it washed strong.”

Miho IGARASHI (JPN) upset Valentina ISLAMOVA BRIK (KAZ), a world bronze medalist, and made it to the 50kg finals. (Photo: Gabor Martin)

In the 50kg final, Nirmala will face two-time world U-23 champion Miho IGARASHI (JPN), who pulled off an upset when she scored the decisive takedown with :15 left in a 5-3 victory over world bronze medalist Valentina ISLAMOVA BRIK (KAZ).

“I lost to her two years ago, and I was going for revenge,” Igarashi said. “Even though I cut it close, I thought if I stayed calm, I could turn her over. I kept my cool during the match and it paid off.”

Igarashi has extra motivation coming into her first senior continental championships—younger sister Saki already has an Asian gold, which she won at 55kg in 2018 in Bishkek.  

“My younger sister won the title before me, so I want to catch up and definitely win the championship,” she said with a smile.

Nirmala earned her place in the final by rolling to a 10-0 technical fall over Dauletbike YAKHSHIMURATOVA (UZB).

At 55kg, Pinki PINKI (IND) defeated Marina ZUYEVA (KAZ) 6-0 in the semifinals to set up a showdown for the gold with Dulguun BOLORMAA (MGL), who assured she will improve on her 2019 bronze medal by pinning Kana Higashikawa (JPN) in 44 seconds.

Battsetseng ALTANTSETSEG (MGL), a silver medalist a year ago in Xi’an, China, advanced to the 59kg final against Sarita with a 5-1 victory over Madina BAKBERGENOVA (KAZ).

Sarita herself survived a scare against Yuumi KON (JPN), as she scored a 4-point move to go up 10-0, but because the action continued the technical fall was not called. Kon managed to reverse and put Sarita on her back, but she held out to clinch a 10-3 win.

Hiroe MINAGAWA (JPN), the reigning world silver medalist, will wrestle in the 76kg finals. (Photo: Sachiko Hotaka)

All but one of the weight classes used preliminary groups due to limited entries, and the 76kg final will be a rematch of Minagawa’s 3-0 victory over world U-23 bronze medalist Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ).

Both wrestlers won their semifinals by fall, with Minagawa topping Arlunjargal GANBAT (MGL) and Medet Kyzy decking Elmira SYZDYKOVA (KAZ), a 2018 bronze medalist who placed fifth at last year’s World Championships. 

Minagawa, who scored all of her points against Medet Kyzy on stepouts, is aiming for her third Asian title and first since 2015, and sixth medal overall. She was second to Chinese opponents in both 2018 and 2019.

Meanwhile, the fifth-round match at 68kg between Matsuyuki and Delgermaa ENKHSAIKHAN (MGL) will ostensibly decide the silver and bronze medals. 

Results

Women’s Wrestling
50kg (8 entries)
SEMIFINAL – Miho IGARASHI (JPN) df. Valentina ISLAMOVA BRIK (KAZ), 5-3
SEMIFINAL - Devi NIRMALA (IND) df. Dauletbike YAKHSHIMURATOVA (UZB) by TF, 10-0, 3:29

55kg (6 entries)
SEMIFINAL – Pinki PINKI (IND) df. Marina ZUYEVA (KAZ), 6-0
SEMIFINAL – Dulguun BOLORMAA (MGL) df. Kana Higashikawa (JPN) by Fall, :44 (2-0)

59kg (7 entries)
SEMIFINAL – Battsetseng ALTANTSETSEG (MGL) df. Madina BAKBERGENOVA (KAZ), 5-1
SEMIFINAL – Sarita SARITA (IND) df. Yuumi KON (JPN), 10-3

68kg (5 entries)
Round-Robin Standings (through 4 rounds)
1. Divya KAKRAN (IND), 4-0;
2. Naruha MATSUYUKI (JPN), 2-1;
3. Delgermaa ENKHSAIKHAN (MGL) 2-1;
4. Albina KAIRGELDINOVA (KAZ), 0-3;
5. Azoda ESBERGENOVA (UZB), 0-3.

76kg (7 entries)
SEMIFINAL – Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ) df. Elmira SYZDYKOVA (KAZ) by Fall, 2:48 (4-1)
SEMIFINAL – Hiroe MINAGAWA (JPN) df. Arlunjargal GANBAT (MGL) by Fall, 1:33 (5-0)

#WrestleSamokov

Greco trained Sokolovska wins women's 76kg gold

Friday, August 22, 2025 - 09:07 By Vinay Siwach

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SAMOKOV, Bulgaria (August 21) -- "Have you ever seen her shoot for the legs? You haven’t!"

Vladimir SOKOLOVSKI has long been Greco-Roman coach in Ukraine. So when he put his daughters in wrestling, he trained them in Greco-Roman. Both Krystyna SOKOLOVSKA (UKR) and Nadiia SOKOLOVSKA (UKR) would perform upper body moves in competition and tried to complete the matches with fall.

In 2019, Krystyna won a bronze medal at the World U17 Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria. Out of her four wins, two were via fall and one via technical superiority.

Six year's later and back in Bulgaria for the World U20 Championships, Sokolovski's younger daughter Nadiia went a step further and won the gold medal at 76kg in Samokov on Thursday.

Just like her father had taught her Sokolovska performed those arm-drags to perfection. She scored takedowns, big throws and falls. Out of her four wins to gold, three victories were via fall, including one in the final. It was only her quarterfinal against Elmira YASIN (TUR) that the Ukraine wrestler won 5-2.

"I won three out of four bouts by fall," Sokolovska said after the final. "I’m the kind of person who doesn’t like to mess around with opponents for too long. I like to finish earlier, I always do things the way it’s comfortable for me. If I need to work on endurance, then I work on it. But if I get a chance, why not finish earlier?"

The final was no different story as Sokolovska finished the match in just 48 seconds, pinning former world U20 champion PRIYA (IND). The Ukraine wrestler first scored a takedown using arm-drag for two points. When Priya attacked after restart, Sokolovska did not let the Indian stand up and locked up a cradle as Priya sat in a squat position.

Sokolovska turned Priya on her back and then secured a fall to be crowned world champion.

"I still haven’t fully realized that I won," she said. "I had only competed once at the World U17 Championships and I placed fifth. This is my second World Championship and I really wanted to wrestle against the Asians and the Americans.

"I didn’t get the chance to wrestle an American, but I did get to wrestle an Asian -- just what I wanted."

Sokolovska is now a European and World U20 champion, with an unbeaten run in nine matches. Even at the European U20 Championships, she won five matches and three of them were via fall.

"I work only with the upper body in standing position. I have a strong upper body," she said.

But Sokolovska said that she will not rush herself to the senior level and plan her debut. Her father, who is also her coach, will devise a program that fits her training.

"I understood that it’s not always necessary to focus only on wrestling," she said. "You need to take psychological breaks. Play rugby or go swimming, take a mental break from the mat."

Momoko KITADE (JPN)Momoko KITADE (JPN) won the 65kg final against Margarita SALNAZARIAN (UWW). (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

In other weight classes, the United States, China and Japan won gold medals on day five of the tournament. Japan now has a firm grip on the Women's Wrestling team title.

After two golds medals on Thursday, Japan earned third one as Momoko KITADE (JPN) won the 65kg final. She held off Margarita SALNAZARIAN's (UWW) onslaught in the second period, winning the 65kg final, 9-5, to secure the gold medal.

The first period belonged to Kitade as her speed and strength were no match for Salnazarian who was down 6-0 at the break. But Kitade's conditioning gave way for Salnazarian's comeback. She scored two takedowns to cut the lead to 7-4. However, Kitade still held her positions and scored two stepouts and made the score 7-5.

Salnazarian pressured Kitade towards the zone but she was never able to score as Kitade turned her and scored two stepouts. She got 9-5 lead and defended it for the final 40 seconds.

Everest LEYDECKER (USA)Everest LEYDECKER (USA) celebrates after winning the 55kg gold medal. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

The U.S. won its first gold medal in Women's Wrestling at this World U20 Championships through Everest LEYDECKER (USA) who had a dominant run to gold. After winning her three bouts via technical superiority on Wednesday, Leydecker seemed in no trouble in the final.

She raced to an 8-0 lead against REENA (IND) in the final after scoring a takedown using a leg attack. She then cross ankled Reena and turned her three times for the lead. There was little action after that in the match as Leydecker kept her strong defense despite being called passive and cautioned for points as well. But Leydecker had enough lead to not be trouble by those warning.

At 62kg, YANGZHEN (CHN) made a dream international debut by winning the 62kg gold medal in a thrilling final against former world U17 champion Ruzanna MAMMADOVA (AZE). Down 6-0, Yangzhen managed to score six points in the second period and win the final, 6-6, on criteria.

Mammadova, who won World U17 gold in 2022, raced to a 6-0 lead with three counter exposure points and almost pinned Yangzhen. But in the second period, Yangzhen mounted the comeback, scoring a takedown from single leg and then got a turn using a strong gut-wrench.

With the clock ticking, Yangzhen needed one takedown for the win and she scored exactly that to lead 6-6 on criteria. Mammadova had one minute to reclaim the lead but Yangzhen managed to play the clock and win on criteria.

RESULTS

55kg
GOLD: Everest LEYDECKER (USA) df. REENA (IND), 10-2

BRONZE: So TSUTSUI (JPN) df. Tuba DEMIR (TUR), 5-3
BRONZE: Gerda TEREK (HUN) df. Alexandra VOICULESCU (ROU), 6-2

62kg
GOLD: YANGZHEN (CHN) df. Ruzanna MAMMADOVA (AZE), 6-6

BRONZE: Shirin TAKEMOTO (JPN) df. Neevis RODRIGUEZ (MEX), 9-7
BRONZE: Nigina SABIROVA (UZB) df. Busra EFE (TUR), 8-0

65kg
GOLD: Momoko KITADE (JPN) df. Margarita SALNAZARIAN (UWW), 9-5

BRONZE: Iryna BORYSIUK (UKR) df. Mouda HAMDOUN (EGY), 12-2
BRONZE: Beyza AKKUS (TUR) df. Daniella NUGENT (USA), 10-0

76kg
GOLD: Nadiia SOKOLOVSKA (UKR) df. PRIYA (IND), via fall

BRONZE: Diana TITOVA (UWW) df. Evelin UJHELJI (SRB), via inj. def.
BRONZE: Cancan LIU (CHN) df. Tuvshinjargal TARAV (MGL), 6-0