#Grappling

Kazakhstan wins all four team titles at Asian Grappling Championships

By Vinay Siwach

ASTANA, Kazakhstan (June 25) -- Continuing their success from the age-group categories, Kazakhstan dominated the Asian Grappling Championships, winning men's and women's Grappling and Grappling Gi titles.

The team in Grappling Gi won eight out of our eight gold medals winning the team title with 200 points. Iran finished second with 82 points while India was third with 45 points.

In the women's Grappling Gi, Kazakhstan finished with 120 points and emerged as the top team. Out of the five gold medals, four were won by Kazakhstan. The only other country to win gold was the Philippines.

Grappling also saw Kazakhstan win seven gold medals. Iran denied the clean sweep of the medals and won the gold at 130kg. But it did not stop Kazakhstan from winning the team title. It finished first with 190 points. Iran was second with 87 points while Kyrgyzstan was third with 42 points.

Kazakhstan and the Philippines were the top teams in women's Grappling with the former winning four gold medals. The Philippines won one gold medal at 53kg.

Grappling

RESULTS

Men's Grappling Gi

62kg
GOLD: Zhassulan ZHETPISBAY (KAZ)
SILVER: Armat KABDOLOV (KAZ)
BRONZE: Nathanielle ORTIZ (PHI)

66kg
GOLD: Aibar ORAZALY (KAZ)
SILVER: Daulet ZHUMADULLAYEV (KAZ)

71kg
GOLD: Sarsen ZHETIBAYEV (KAZ)
SILVER: Fierre AFAN (PHI)
BRONZE: Raghav JAMWAL (IND)

77kg
GOLD: Nurbek TALBUDIN (KAZ)
SILVER: Radheshyam YADAV (IND)
BRONZE: Sadegh ZARE (IRI)

84kg
GOLD: Temirzhan TULEBAYEV (KAZ)
SILVER: Amirhossein JINOUR (IRI)
BRONZE: Azamat SARBASSOV (KAZ)

92kg
GOLD: Ravshan URAZOV (KAZ)
SILVER: Kambar KOKOMBAY (KAZ)
BRONZE: Azizbek SHARIPOV (UZB)

100kg
GOLD: Bakdaulet ABYZOV (KAZ)
SILVER: Arbi UMAROV (KAZ)
BRONZE: Arman ATAEITOSANLOU (IRI)

130kg
GOLD: Saulet ABUSSALIKHOV (KAZ)
SILVER: Ali Reza SHAHRIARIYANEHSARI (IRI)
BRONZE: Rustam SARTBAEV (KAZ)

Women's Grappling Gi

53kg
GOLD: Maria RATCLIFF (PHI)
SILVER: Ulbolgan ZHAKSYLYKOVA (KAZ)
BRONZE: Alina KASKINOVA (KAZ)

58kg
GOLD: Botakoz YELDOSKYZY (KAZ)
SILVER: Nuraiym MUNAITBAS (KAZ)

64kg
GOLD: Fariza KULYNTAY (KAZ)
SILVER: Zamira BOLATOVA (KAZ)

71kg
GOLD: Meruyert SATYBALDIYEVA (KAZ)
SILVER: Shynar UZBEKOVA (KAZ)

90kg
GOLD: Assel KABDYGALYMOVA (KAZ)
SILVER: Aikorkem IKHSANOVA (KAZ)

Men's Grappling

62kg
GOLD: Arulan KURMANALIYEV (KAZ)
SILVER: Arystanbek GIZZATOV (KAZ)
BRONZE: Michael TABAMO (PHI)

66kg
GOLD: Bekzat KAPASHOV (KAZ)
SILVER: Saveliy KAZAKOV (KAZ)
BRONZE: Syimyk MAKHMEDOV (KGZ)

71kg
GOLD: Sarsen ZHETIBAYEV (KAZ)
SILVER: Fierre AFAN (PHI)
BRONZE: Raghav JAMWAL (IND)

77kg
GOLD: Adlan MADAYEV (KAZ)
SILVER: Nurbek TALBUDIN (KAZ)
BRONZE: Adilet KHUPTUEV (KGZ)

84kg
GOLD: Azamat SARBASSOV (KAZ)
SILVER: Temirzhan TULEBAYEV (KAZ)
BRONZE: Amirhossein JINOUR (IRI)

92kg
GOLD: Azizbek SHARIPOV (UZB)
SILVER: Ramazan KUSSAINOV (KAZ)
BRONZE: Rakhmatulla ABDUZHALILOV (KAZ)

100kg
GOLD: Arbi UMAROV (KAZ)
SILVER: Ramazan ABDRAKHIMOV (KAZ)
BRONZE: Mohammad JAFARITIRTASHI (IRI)

130kg
GOLD: Amir FARHADPOR (IRI)
SILVER: Rustam SARTBAEV (KAZ)
BRONZE: Vadim SIMACHENKO (KAZ)

Women's Grappling

54kg
GOLD: Maria RATCLIFF (PHI)
SILVER: Gulnaz ABDRAKHMANOVA (KAZ)
BRONZE: Alina KASKINOVA (KAZ)

58kg
GOLD: Nuraiym MUNAITBAS (KAZ)
SILVER: Aizhan ISMAGULOVA (KAZ)

64kg
GOLD: Fariza KULYNTAY (KAZ)
SILVER: Zamira BOLATOVA (KAZ)

71kg
GOLD: Shynar UZBEKOVA (KAZ)
SILVER: Meruyert SATYBALDIYEVA (KAZ)

90kg
GOLD: Assel KABDYGALYMOVA (KAZ)
SILVER: Aikorkem IKHSANOVA (KAZ)

UWW Lifts Restrictions on Belarus, Russia Wrestlers

By United World Wrestling Press

CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (May 15) -- United World Wrestling will allow Belarusian and Russian wrestlers to compete without restrictions at upcoming UWW competitions with immediate effect.

Under the updated participation guidelines, wrestlers from Belarus and Russia will compete under their respective national flags at all age-group levels, including senior. Athlete and staff uniforms may now bear the country initials “RUS” and “BLR,” while the national anthems of both countries will be played during medal ceremonies at UWW events if their wrestlers win gold medals or a team wins a championship.

All other standard UWW competition protocols will remain in effect in accordance with international wrestling rules.

In January, UWW had approved the participation of all wrestlers from the two countries up to the U23 age-group level under their respective national flags following an IOC recommendation that youth athletes holding Belarusian or Russian passports should no longer face restrictions on participation in sports events, including team competitions.

UWW first issued a statement on the geopolitical situation surrounding Ukraine in March 2022 and aligned with measures recommended by the IOC. At the time, UWW decided that wrestlers and officials belonging to affiliated and associated federations in Belarus and Russia would not be invited or allowed to participate in international competitions on the UWW calendar.

In April 2023, UWW formed an independent panel to verify the eligibility of wrestlers from Belarus and Russia based on the IOC’s recommended conditions of participation. At the same time, UWW approved wrestlers in the U15 and U17 age categories to compete as neutral athletes in international competitions.

UWW issued another update to the eligibility criteria for Belarusian and Russian wrestlers in September 2024. In February 2025, UWW announced that all eligible wrestlers from Belarus and Russia would compete under the UWW flag, removing the “Individual Neutral Athletes” designation. However, UWW did not authorize the use of national anthems or references to the flags, symbols, or coats of arms of Belarus and Russia.