Kawai Topples Icho in Playoff for World Team; Otoguro In, Susaki Out

Sunday, July 7, 2019 - 21:47 By Ken Marantz

WAKO, Saitama (July 6)---Risako KAWAI all but dealt a death blow to Kaori ICHO's quest for an epoch-making fifth straight Olympic gold medal. It's now in Kawai's hands to finish the job in two months.

For the second time in three weeks, Kawai toppled her fellow Olympic champion, scoring a 3-3 victory on big-point criteria to earn the women's 57kg berth on Japan's team to the World Championships in Kazakhstan in September.

"I really don't remember much about it, but I'm glad I won," Kawai said at a post-match press conference. "Over this past year, things happened around me that I had never imagined would occur. I had changed the environment around me, and in December, I thought about quitting wrestling and talked it over with my family. I'm glad that I didn't."

The showdown was one of six on a special day of playoffs for tickets to the World Championships in Olympic weight classes, which also saw Takuto OTOGURO earn a shot at keeping the freestyle 65kg crown he won a year ago, while Yui SUSAKI was denied a chance for a third straight women's 50kg world title.

The playoffs in Wako, Saitama Prefecture, about 20 kilometers north of Tokyo, paired the winners of the two national competitions that serve as qualifiers for the World Championships. In the 12 other Olympic divisions, one wrestler won both tourneys to clinch an automatic berth.

Icho had beaten Kawai 3-2 with a dramatic takedown in the final 10 seconds at the All-Japan Championships (Emperor's Cup) in December, a loss that nearly led Kawai to abandon the sport. But she turned the tables in June at the All-Japan Invitational Championships (Meiji Cup), holding on for a 6-4 win to set up the playoff.

"It has been three weeks since the Meiji Cup," Kawai said. "I knew Kaori would approach it differently, and I carefully considered what I would do as I prepared. Strategically, it didn't really go as I had pictured. But in the end, what I had practiced as always came out naturally."

As for her strategy, Kawai said it was to "get in on tackles and firmly finish off the takedown. But it wasn't that easy."

In the nationally televised wrestle-off, Kawai was the aggressor and got in deep with a number of single-leg attempts, only to see Icho squirm free. With just over a minute left in the match, the score was still 1-1, with both points scored on the activity clock and Kawai ahead on last-point.

Just as she did in the Meiji Cup with time running out, the 35-year-old Icho dug deep with the determination that had earned her 10 world titles dating back to 2002 and went on the attack.

Icho got in deep on a single leg, but Kawai clamped down and, applying a reverse nelson, managed to gain a 2-point exposure with 50 seconds left. Icho worked her way out of the predicament and behind for a point to cut the lead to 3-2, but her frenetic efforts for a takedown in the final seconds could only result in a stepout that left her on the short end of a 3-3 score.

"It's disappointing, but I did what I needed to do to get here and prepared well, so I have no regrets," said Icho, who took a hiatus following the Rio 2016 Olympics and only returned to competition last September.

"I don't think that I was weak. Risako was strong. From the time I decided to come back, there was the difficulty of filling in a two-year blank combined with a desire that never left, and this is where I am now.

"As an experience, it was a fulfilling one year. Many friends, family and others came to this arena to give me support, and I went into this wanting to give them a chance to see me at the World Championships and Tokyo Olympics. As I won't be able to show them, that's what hurts."

Actually, the light at the end of the Tokyo 2020 tunnel has not completely gone out for Icho, although it's been reduced to a speck. The Japan federation has decreed that any Japanese wrestler winning a medal at the World Championships will automatically earn a place on the Tokyo 2020 team---which greatly enhanced the incentive to make it to the Kazakh capital of Nur-Sultan.

The door for Icho would reopen in the unlikely event that Kawai, the 63kg champion at Rio 2016 and 59kg gold medalist at last year's worlds in Budapest, fails to win a medal in Nur-Sultan. In that case, the qualifying process would go back to the beginning.

For Kawai, the victory keeps alive her dreams of appearing in the Olympics with younger sister Yukako, a world silver medalist who already secured her ticket at 62kg. Risako had taken a gamble by going down to 57kg and challenging Icho, and it paid off with the two victories that Yukako watched at matside.

The playoffs for the undecided places in the non-Olympic weights will be held July 21. Because so many top wrestlers funneled into the Olympic weights, the federation decided that, in order to send the strongest possible team to Kazakhstan, it will allow those who finished as runner-up in an Olympic weight at either the Emperor's Cup or Meiji Cup to enter the wrestle-offs at a non-Olympic weight.

That means that technically Icho could try to make the team at, say, 59kg in an attempt to win a first world title since 2015, although there have been no indications that she will do so.

Otoguro avenges loss; Irie finally gets best of Susaki

In other featured matches on a day of high drama, world champ Otoguro bounced back from his loss in the Meiji Cup final to Rei HIGUCHI by chalking up a solid 5-0 victory to fill the 65kg berth.

Otoguro, his preparations affected by knee problem that kept him out of the Freestyle World Cup and the Asian Championships, had been dealt a devastating 15-5 technical fall loss three weeks ago by Higuchi, the Rio 2016 silver medalist at 57kg.

That was Otoguro's first loss to a Japanese opponent since junior high school, but he showed he was ready this time around with his third victory over Higuchi in 2 1/2 years.

Leading 2-0 in the second period from a pair of points off the activity clock, Otoguro sliced in on a low double for a takedown with 1:40 left. He then held off Higuchi's late attacks, adding a stepout in the waning seconds for the final margin of victory.

"I wasn't accustomed to losing, and it was so devastating, it was like I had no idea what to do," said Otoguro, who shed very different tears after this victory. "So many people helped me out, and I'm happy I could come out with a win through their support."

While the Kawai-Icho clash has garnished the most national attention, the budding rivalry at women's 50kg has been no less intense, and this time Asian champion Yuki IRIE came out on top.

Irie chalked up her third career victory over Susaki---the only losses of Susaki's career on any level dating back to junior high school---winning 6-1 to earn her first trip to a World Championships.

Irie has been a recent thorn in Susaki's side, but the reigning world champion always came up with the big win needed to get to the major events. It was almost exactly a year ago that Susaki knocked off Irie in a playoff en route to defending her world title in Budapest.

And after pulling out of the Emperor's Cup due to an elbow injury, Susaki faced a must-win situation at the Meiji Cup to keep alive her hopes of appearing at Tokyo 2020. She did it in dramatic fashion, scoring a 4-point move with two seconds left to beat Irie 6-2 in the quarterfinals, before whipping Rio 2016 champion Eri TOSAKA in the final to set up the playoff.

This time, there would be no mistakes by Irie, and no miracle finish for Susaki.

In the first period, just after losing a point on the activity clock, Irie scored a takedown to take a 2-1 lead into the second period. With 1:20 left, she scored another takedown, then topped that off with a roll to make it 6-1, which is how it ended, leaving the 20-year-old Susaki in tears.

"There were so many people supporting me, my only feeling is that I have to apologize to them," Susaki said between sobs.

The 26-year-old Irie, who capped her gold-medal run at the Asian Championships in April in China with a victory over Rio 2016 bronze medalist SUN Yanan (CHN), has tradition on her side in a bid to medal in Nur-Sultan and clinch a Tokyo 2020 spot---Japan has made the podium in the lightest women's weight class at every World Championships dating back to 2005 except one (2009).

"The Olympic [berth] has still not been secured, so I'm happy, but first I have to focus on the World Championships," Irie said. "It will be my first World Championships, so I will prepare so I can fight without being nervous."

In other playoffs, Mao OKUI scored a dramatic upset over former world bronze medalist Yuhi FUJINAMI in freestyle 74kg, winning 5-4 with a takedown at the buzzer to earn his first trip to the World Championships.

Okui trailed 3-0 early in the second period, then twice got behind a standing Fujinami, only to fail to break him down to the mat for a takedown. Both times he executed a roll at the edge, but each one was ruled to have been launched out of bounds; the first gave Fujinami a point for an unsuccessful challenge and the other one for himself for a stepout.

Down 4-3 with 10 seconds left, a flurry starting with Okui's single-leg attempt ended with Fujinami, a 2017 world bronze medalist at 70kg, on all fours. At the buzzer, Okui pulled off a roll---this time well in bounds---that was confirmed by video to be in time.

"I thought, 'If I don't get it now, everything I've done up to now will have no meaning,' and I just went for the tackle," Okui said.

At the Meiji Cup, Okui scored a victory by fall in the semifinals over a less-than-par Fujinami, who was still recovering from a knee injury suffered at the Asian Championships and a back injury suffered a week before the tournament.

At freestyle 125kg, Nobuyoshi ARAKIDA spun behind off a front headlock for a late takedown and a 4-1 win over Yasuhiro YAMAMOTO to earn his fifth trip to the World Championships and first in five years.

That reversed the outcome of a playoff last year between the two that Yamamoto won by the same score.

Shohei YABIKU, a former world junior bronze medalist, will look for his first hardware on the senior level in three tries after defeating Naotsugu SHOJI by 9-0 technical fall at Greco-Roman 77kg.

#wrestlebishkek

Iran Caps Asian Championships with Three Golds, Team Title

Sunday, April 12, 2026 - 18:22 By Ken Marantz

BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan (April 12) -- World champion Amir Hossein ZARE (IRI) capped a trifecta of victories for Iran in the last three finals of the Asian Championships, regaining the Freestyle 125kg gold after a one-year absence.

Zare followed Kamran GHASEMPOUR (IRI) and Mobin AZIMI (IRI) onto the top of the medal podium by defeating Shamil SHARIPOV (BRN) 4-0 – his fifth win in five meetings in a two-year span over the Russian-born foe – as the competition wrapped up with the last five Freestyle weight classes.

“Representing Iran despite the hard situation in my country made this gold medal even more meaningful,” Zare said.

World bronze medalist Ghasempour started the Iranian gold rush with a victory by fall in the 86kg final for his third Asian title and first since 2021, and Azimi followed suit by cruising to the 92kg gold to become a first-time champion.

The match of the day came at 61kg, in which Kwang Myong KIM (PRK) came out on top of a 23-point free-for-all over Olympic bronze medalist AMAN (IND), while world 70kg champion Yoshinosuke AOYAGI (JPN) made a successful move up to 74kg by making his fourth Asian medal golden for the first time.

Iran, which also took home two bronzes on the final day at Zhastyk Arena and had five champions overall, finished with 178 points to capture the team title for the third straight year and seventh time in eight years. India, with three golds and three silvers, finished second with 162, while Japan placed third with 127 behind two golds.

Amir Hossein ZARE (IRI) scores a takedown on Shamil SHARIPOV (BRN) during the 125kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

Zare, who missed last year’s tournament in lieu of eventual champion Amirreza MASOUMI (IRI) when Iran dispatched a young team to Amman, defeated Sharipov in a final devoid of high drama, which the Iranian said was due to his still recovering from a recent cold.

After receiving an activity point in the first period, Zare sandwiched a pair of stepouts around a second activity point for a 4-0 victory that never saw him in danger.

“Fighting through a severe cold infection, I lost seven kilograms three weeks before this competition,” Zare said. “I struggled to even finish an hour of training three days before this competition.

“Yet, with the help of my coaches, the prayers of the people, and God's grace, I’ve become a three-time Asian champion,” he added, counting his 2023 Asian Games gold into the total.

While Zare has seen limited action on the continental level, he has certainly made his mark on the global stage. In addition to a 2021 Tokyo Olympic bronze to go with his Paris silver, he has world golds from 2021, 2023 and 2025, as well as a 2022 bronze.

Zare, who was competing for the first time in 2026, has only three losses dating back to 2019 – to Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO) in the semifinals at the Tokyo Olympics, to Taha AKGUL (TUR) in the semifinals at the 2022 World Championships, and to Petriashvili again in the Paris Olympic final.

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Ghasempour, competing for the first time this year, was leading Mukul DAHIYA (IND) 3-0 in the 86kg final when he stuck the Indian for a 4-pointer that he turned into a fall at 2:43.

Ghasempour had just received an activity point when he scored with a single-leg takedown. In the next action, Dahiya shot for a takedown, but Ghasempour got the underhooks in and suddenly pancaked the Indian over to his back.

“This is my first international stage of 2026, and I’m so thankful I could start it all with a gold medal,” Ghasempour said. “I hope to keep this streak going through the next competition.”

Ghasempour won his first Asian gold at 86kg in 2019, then moved up to 92kg and won the Asian title in 2021 and back-to-back world golds in 2021 and 2022. He was absent from the global scene until reappearing at last year’s World Championships, where he took a bronze.

“My aim is to keep this path strong through the 2026 World Championships and finish the year on top, setting the stage for the 2028 Olympics,” he said.

Mobin AZIMI (IRI) blanked Magomed SHARIPOV (BRN), 11-0, in the 92kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

World U23 champion Azimi, who moved down to 92kg after taking a bronze at 97kg last year, finished up an 11-0 victory over Magomed SHARIPOV (BRN) with just under a minute to go – and 10 seconds after scoring his first takedown of the match.

Azimi built up a 7-0 lead with a flurry of stepouts – five in all – before combining a takedown and gut wrench to conclude the match at 5:01.

Sharipov, a world U23 bronze medalist, added the Asian silver to his bronzes from 2023 and 2024.

For those who like their championship matches freewheeling, the 61kg final could hardly have been more entertaining.

Kwang Myong KIM (PRK) celebrates after defeating AMAN (IND), 13-10, in an electric 61kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

India’s Aman, a Paris bronze medalist and 2023 Asian champion at 57kg, was the main instigator of the action, shooting for takedowns at will that Kim, a 2025 Asian U23 bronze medalist, did his best to counter – successfully, enough times.

Kim jumped out to a 4-0 lead with a counter arm throw and a roll with his head between Aman’s thighs, before Aman connected on a single for a takedown. Kim gained a stepout fighting off another attempt, then got 2 more with a whizzer counter, only for Aman to get a late double-leg takedown that left Kim up 7-4 at the break.

Aman charged back and went ahead 9-7 in the second period with a stepout and two takedowns. Kim used his lethal whizzer again for the stepout, then got behind countering a shot to move ahead 10-9 with 1:10 left.

With Aman wildly pressing for the winning takedown, Kim appeared to clinch the win with a stepout with :05 left. But the scoring wasn’t finished, as Kim was hit with a 1-point fleeing penalty in the final seconds to make it 11-10.

A last-second shot by Aman fell short and Kim spun behind just before the buzzer to account for the final margin of victory.

“I'm very happy that I won today, but I'm not going to think about this gold medal, instead I will move forward preparing for the World Championships,” said Kim, who won the lone gold for the DPR Korea in Bishkek.

Yoshinosuke AOYAGI (JPN) celebrates after winning the 74kg gold with fellow Yamanashi Gakuin University alumnus, former Olympic champion, and now Freestyle coach of Japan Takuto OTOGURO (JPN), left. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

Japan’s Aoyagi, whose matches often have their fair share of fireworks, captured his first Asian gold with a staid 2-0 victory over two-time bronze medalist Magomedrasul ASLUEV (BRN) in the 74kg final.

The gold ended a run of bronze, silver, bronze over the past three years at 70kg. “I was continually unable to win the title at 70kg, which was really disappointing, so to move up to 74kg and win the gold medal for the first time, and also my first gold medal [at this weight] overseas, I’m really happy,” Aoyagi said.

Aoyagi scored a takedown with a low single in the first period, then left no openings for an opponent who seemed reticent to go on the offensive.

“With victory within reach, I think my movement became a little stiff,” Aoyagi said of the lack of spark in the match. “I consider myself to be a wrestler who is particularly good at defense.”

Just getting to Bishkek was an accomplishment in itself for Aoyagi. As a sign of the depth in Japan, Aoyagi had to defeat reigning world 74kg champion Kota TAKAHASHI (JPN) at last December’s All-Japan Championships, winning a close 4-4 decision in the final.

To make the team to this year’s World Championships and Asian Games, Aoyagi will likely have to go through Takahashi again at next month’s Meiji Cup All-Japan Invitational Championships.

“Of course, [the win in December] gave me confidence,” Aoyagi said. “But I think he is still stronger than me. I still have a month to prepare. I want to beat him again.”

Since making the move up to the Olympic weight, Aoyagi placed third at the 2025 World U23 Championships and second at Zagreb Ranking Series event earlier this year. He said he is still making the physical adjustment.

“I still feel the difference [of opponents] being taller, having longer legs and longer reach,” Aoyagi said. “But there is nothing I can do to increase those in me. I can just add bulk to my body size and little by little be able to respond.”

Alp Arslan BEGENJOV (TKM) became Turkmenistan's first-ever Asian medalist in Freestyle. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

Begenjov claims first-ever Freestyle medal for Turkmenistan

Alp Arslan BEGENJOV (TKM) became Turkmenistan’s first-ever Asian medalist in Freestyle, taking home an 86kg bronze with a stunning victory by fall over Yudai TAKAHASHI (JPN).

Begenjov, the 2024 world U20 champion and 2025 Asian U23 silver medalist at 79kg, had scored his second 4-point move when Takahashi reversed to cut Begenjov’s lead to 8-5. But Begenjov stuffed an attempted roll and secured the fall at 5:09.

Begenjov had started the match with a back trip for 4, before the brawny Takahashi, a 2022 bronze medalist at 79kg and the older brother of Kota, came back with takedowns to end the first period and start the second.

Trailing 4-4 on criteria, Takahashi got in on a tackle, only to be pancaked to his back. The Japanese then reversed, only to be stopped midway through and then held down for the fall.

It was also Turkmenistan’s first medal overall since 2018, and just the ninth in the nation’s history.

Khidir SAIPUDINOV (BRN), a world 79kg bronze medalist, claimed the other 86kg bronze and his third straight with a 2-1 win over returning silver medalist Bolat SAKAYEV (KAZ), with all of the points scored on the activity clock.

At 92kg, veteran Azamat DAULETBEKOV (KAZ) added to his vast collection of Asian medals, scoring all of his points in the first period to defeat Takashi ISHIGURO (JPN) 6-0 and make the podium for the fifth straight year.

Dauletbekov, who also has a pair of world bronzes to his credit, now has seven Asian medals, including three straight golds from 2022 to 2024 at 86kg. Ishiguro was denied a second straight bronze and what would have been his third overall.

Asian U20 bronze medalist Iakov CHAPLIN (KGZ) claimed the lone medal of the final night for the host country, outlasting Hade AYIDUSI (CHN) 6-4 for the other 92kg bronze.

While Ayidusi was piling up single points, Chaplin went ahead in the second period with a takedown and roll for a 4-3 lead with 1:20 left. Ayidusi picked up his third stepout to tie the score, but still trailed on criteria, and a desperation shot allowed Chaplin to get behind in the last second.

At 57kg, world medalists Ahmad JAVAN (IRI) and Gulomjon ABDULLAEV (UZB) both assured they would not be leaving Bishkek empty-handed by grabbing the bronzes with one-sided victories.

Javan, the world silver medalist, secured his second straight Asian bronze by overwhelming Changsu KIM (KOR) 12-0, scoring a takedown and three back-and-forth rolls, then finishing the match with a 4-point takedown at 1:30.

Abdullaev, who won bronze medals at the 2024 Paris Olympics and last year’s World Championships at 57kg, was taken into the second period, but came up with a similar 11-0 victory over Azatberdi ASHYRGULYYEV (TKM).

He followed an initial takedown by using a grapevine for an exposure, then grabbed another exposure off a counter. In the second period, he ended it at 3:40 with a takedown-gut wrench combination.

At 74kg, former Asian champion and two-time world medalist Amirmohammad YAZDANI (IRI) added another bronze to the Iranian tally, notching three takedowns in a 9-3 victory over last year’s silver medalist, Orozobek TOKTOMAMBETOV (KGZ).

Mustafo AKHMEDOV (TJK), a four-time Asian U23 medalist, earned his first senior medal by taking the other 74kg bronze with an entertaining 7-6 win over Begijon KULDASHEV (UZB).

The match saw six lead changes, with Akhmedov scoring a takedown with :27 left for the decisive points.

The 125kg bronze-medal matches also saw an engaging encounter, in which world and Asian U20 champion Yedige KASSIMBEK (KAZ) reversed BUHEEERDUN (CHN) twice in the first period before holding on for an 8-7 win.

Buheeerdun, a two-time bronze medalist, started the proceedings with a takedown, but Kassimbek reversed, then scored a takedown and gut wrench to lead 5-2. Buheeerdun replied with a takedown-roll combination of his own, but again Kassimbek reversed, then added a roll to make it 8-6. Kassimbek limited the Chinese to a stepout in the second period to secure the win.

DINESH (IND) won his second straight bronze at 125kg, storming to a 12-1 win over Arslanbek TURDUBEKOV (KGZ) that he completed as time ran out.

Day 7 Results

Freestyle

61kg (11 entries)
GOLD: Kwang Myong KIM (PRK) df. AMAN (IND) 13-10

BRONZE: Ahmad JAVAN (IRI) df. Changsu KIM (KOR) by TS, 12-0, 1:30
BRONZE: Gulomjon ABDULLAEV (UZB) df. Azatberdi ASHYRGULYYEV (TKM) by TF, 11-0, 3:40

74kg (14 entries)
GOLD: Yoshinosuke AOYAGI (JPN) df. Magomedrasul ASLUEV (BRN), 2-0

BRONZE: Mustafo AKHMEDOV (TJK) df. Begijon KULDASHEV (UZB), 7-6
BRONZE: Amirmohammad YAZDANI (IRI) df. Orozobek TOKTOMAMBETOV (KGZ), 9-3

86kg (15 entries)
GOLD: Kamran GHASEMPOUR (IRI) df. Mukul DAHIYA (IND) by Fall, 2:43 (7-0)

BRONZE: Alp Arslan BEGENJOV (TKM) df. Yudai TAKAHASHI (JPN) by Fall, 5:09 (10-5)
BRONZE: Khidir SAIPUDINOV (BRN) df. Bolat SAKAYEV (KAZ), 2-1

92kg (12 entries)
GOLD: Mobin AZIMI (IRI) def. Magomed SHARIPOV (BRN) by TS, 11-0, 5:01

BRONZE: Iakov CHAPLIN (KGZ) df. Hade AYIDUSI (CHN), 6-4
BRONZE: Azamat DAULETBEKOV (KAZ) df. Takashi ISHIGURO (JPN), 6-0

125kg (11 entries)
GOLD: Amir Hossein ZARE (IRI) df. Shamil SHARIPOV (BRN), 4-0

BRONZE: Yedige KASSIMBEK (KAZ) df. BUHEEERDUN (CHN), 8-7
BRONZE: DINESH (IND) df. Arslanbek TURDUBEKOV (KGZ) by TS, 12-1, 6:00

Kawai Topples Icho in Playoff for World Team; Otoguro In, Susaki Out

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Iran Caps Asian Championships with Three Golds, Team Title