#WrestleUlaanbaatar

Live Blog: Asian Championships day four

Friday, April 22, 2022 - 02:34 By Ken Marantz & Vinay Siwach

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ULAANBAATAR, Mongolia (April 22) -- The Asian Championships enters day four and women's wrestling continues with more exciting matchups. The biggest of them is the potential 62kg final between two-time world champion Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ) and Nonoka OZAKI (JPN).

Akari FUJINAMI (JPN), Anshu MALIK (IND) and Tsugumi SAKURAI (JPN) will also be in action.

WATCH LIVE | MATCH ORDER

13:54: Khulan BATKHUYAG (MGL) scores all of her points in the first period of her 53kg semifinal against Zhuldyz ESHIMOVA (KAZ) and holds on for a 3-0 victory in the last match of the morning session. That puts the Mongolian into the final against Fujinami -- who beat her by technical fall in the group stage, although she took the match into the second period.

13:42: Anshu MALIK (IND) is stepping on the mat for the first time since the silver medal at Worlds in Oslo and she looks dominant. She begins her semifinal against Bolortuya KHURELKHUU (MGL) with four points and then she builds on it to win 11-0. She will face 55kg world champion Sakurai who goes past Akhmedov 12-2 and also had a four-point tackle in her win.

13:36: Can anyone or anything stop Fujinami. The freshman at Nippon Sports Science University, with her father and coach in her corner, rolled into the final with a 10-0 technical fall over Keunimjaeva. Fujinami scored the final six points with three exposures using a cross-face with legs. Her opponent in the final will be decided in the final match of the session

13:35: Ozaki and Tynybekova have set up a rematch of the 2021 world opening round. Ozaki will be well-rested for the final; she needed just 40 seconds to get a takedown and rip off four straight lace locks in a 10-0 technical fall over Manisha. Tynybekova took 2:24 to record a fall over Esinbaeva. 

13:15: Khulan BATKHUYAG (MGL) thrilled the home crowd when, while trailing, she slammed Swati SHINDE (IND) to the mat and clamped down for a fall to finish second in 53kg Group B. That puts her into the semifinals against Group B winner Eshimova. In the other semifinal, Fujinami will face Keunimjaeva.

13:15: Zhamila BAKBERGENOVA (KAZ) and Sumire NIIKURA (JPN) are on Mat B wrestling for a gold medal at 72kg. Bakbergenova will win the gold if she wins the match here. But she is trailing 1-0 at the break. In the second period, she is once again put on the clock but she gets a four-point throw. Niikura with a takedown to make it 4-4 but the Kazak wins on criteria.

13:03: Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN) is wrestling Dargis ABEN (KAZ) for the gold medal at 65kg. He gets exposure and then in the same action gets a leg lace going. She beats Aben 10-0 to win the gold medal at 65kg

12:55: Tsugumi SAKURAI (JPN) is wrestling Bolortuya KHURELKHUU (MGL) to confirm the top spot in Group B at 57kg. She begins with a stepout and then adds a takedown to lead 3-0 at the break

12:43: Fujinami was at her dominant best in swiftly putting away Swati SHINDE (IND) 10-0 in 43 seconds to clinch the top spot in 53kg Group A. The Japanese star got a takedown, then twisted Shinde like a pretzel twice for a 6-0 lead, then a pair of lace locks ended the proceedings.

12:42: RADHIKA (IND) was in some trouble early but then secures the fall over Ariukhan JUMABAEVA (UZB) at 65kg. This gives her a chance to return and still be in silver medal contention

12:36: In one of the surprises of the session, unheralded Hyungyoung OH (KOR) jumped out to an 8-0 lead against veteran Eshimova in their 53kg Group B match, only to see the 34-year-old Kazakh storm back with nine points in the final minute. The winning points came on a gut wrench with 8 seconds on the clock. 

12:28: Sumire NIIKURA (JPN) may not have been ready for that. Davaanasan ENKHAMAR (MGL) came back every time Niikura scored a takedown with stepout added with cautions to make it 6-6. But she was not able to break the criteria.

12:22: Anshu MALIK (IND) notches up another 10-0 win. She gut wrenches Danielle LIM (SGP) at 57kg. She confirms her spot in the semifinals as the topper of the group

12:21: Dariga ABEN (KAZ) keeps her gold medal hopes alive as she wins 10-0 against Ariukhan JUMABAEVA (UZB). All she needs to do is beat world silver medalist Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN)

12:20: Tsugumi SAKURAI (JPN) gets the cradle against Nilafur RAIMOVA (KAZ) and secures the fall as well at 57kg.

12:11: Zhamila BAKBERGENOVA (KAZ) wins her Round 2 bout against Svetlana OKNAZAROVA (UZB) 13-2 which included a big four-pointer from the Kazak wrestler

12:10: Mira MORIKAWA (JPN) was looking for a pin leading 6-0 but RADHIKA (IND) manages to survive. Morikawa begins the second period with a takedown which was an attempted throw from Radhika. She finishes off with another takedown to win 10-0

12:04: In a match that will likely decide who avoids Fujinami in the semifinals, veteran Zhuldyz ESHIMOVA (KAZ) got the second of the two passivity points awarded, giving her a 1-1 victory on criteria over Aktenge KEUNIMJAEVA (UZB ). Keunimjaeva might be bound for a third straight Asian bronze medal. 

12:01: Super-teen and world champion Akari FUJINAMI (JPN) needed a little time to break down the defenses of Khulan BATKHUYAG (MGL) in her opening group match at 53kg, but capped a 10-0 technical fall in 3:24 with a 4-point tackle to the back. The weight class has six entries, and Fujinami is in Group A of the two groups. 

11:55: At 57kg, Tsugumi SAKURAI (JPN) begins with a 10-0 win over Hyungjoo KIM (KOR) and on Mat A, world silver medalist Anshu MALIK (IND) beats Shokhida AKHMEDOVA (UZB) 10-0

11:50: The 62kg division has eight entries, so it is in the usual knockout format. In the semifinals, Tynybekova will face Nabira ESENBAEVA (UZB ), whom she beat by TF at the 2019 Asian Championships in Xi'an. Ozaki will next face Manisha MANISHA (IND)

11:45: Nonoka OZAKI (JPN), aiming to avenge her loss in the 2021 world final to Tynybekova, followed her on Mat A with a quick-fire 10-0 technical fall over Hanbit LEE (KOR). Time of victory: 28 seconds. 

11:40: World silver medalist Zhamila BAKBERGENOVA (KAZ) is wrestling Davaanasan ENKH-AMAR (MGL). She gives up a point for passivity and gets one as well. But Ekhamar scores a takedown to lead 3-1. Bakbergenova counters with a takedown as well. It's 3-3 Kazakhstan lead and she hangs on to it.

11:35: World champion and Olympic silver medalist Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ) launched her campaign for a fifth Asian title with a steady 7-3 over a tough Khongorzul BOLDSAIKHAN (MGL), a fifth-place finisher at the Tokyo Olympics.

11:30: We're all set for the start of Day 4 of the Asian Championships by finishing up the women's competition at 53kg, 57kg, 62kg, 65kg, 72kg. Mat C will be in the early spotlight, with Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN), Sumire NIIKURA (JPN), Tsugumi SAKURAI (JPN) and Akari FUJINAMI (JPN) up in succession from the second match. 

#WrestleBucharest

Kayaalp reaches European final; Nazaryan, Abuladze stunned

Monday, February 12, 2024 - 18:00 By Vinay Siwach

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BUCHAREST, Romania (February 12) -- Riza KAYAALP (TUR) took a step closer to a record 13th European title after reaching the 130kg final on the first day of the European Championships which began in Bucharest Monday.

The defending champion has won the gold medal at the European Championships, tying him with Aleksandar KARELIN and a win Tuesday in the final will make him the most successful wrestler in the continent.

For the gold medal, Kayaalp will take on Sergei SEMENOV (AIN), a bronze medalist from the Tokyo Olympics.

Four other Greco-Roman weight classes were also in action on Monday. Three defending champions failed to advance to the finals of their respective weight classes. Adem UZUN (TUR) dropped his quarterfinal at 55kg, Leri ABULADZE (GEO) lost to Edmond NAZARYAN (BUL) at 63kg while Istvan TAKACS (HUN) lost to Aleksandar KOMAROV (SRB) in the 1/8th final.

The only defending champion to make it to the final apart from Kayaalp was Malkhas AMOYAN (ARM) at 77kg. He defeated Alexandrin GUTU (MDA) 2-1 in the semifinal and will take on Yunus BASAR (TUR) for the gold medal.

Kayaalp was up against Beka KANDELAKI (AZE) in the semifinal and trailed 2-0 at the break. But he began the second period with a stepout before getting the point for par terre. He reached the final with a 2-2 win.

Semenov defeated Iakobi KAJAIA (GEO) 2-1 in the semifinal as he also scored an extra stepout against Kajaia's par terre point.

Malkhas AMOYAN (ARM)Malkhas AMOYAN (ARM) defeated Alexandrin GUTU (MDA) 2-1 in the semifinal. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

In a low-scoring bout, Amoyan scored a crucial pushout in the first period and then put up a strong defense in the second period to win 2-1. He got the first par terre advantage and added a stepout point from that position. Gutu got it in the second period but he was not able to score any points.

The gold-medal bout will see Amoyan take on Yunus BASAR (TUR), a repeat of the semifinal from last year that Amoyan won 6-1. Basar's path to the final included a win over 72kg world champion Ibrahim GHANEM (FRA) in the qualification round. Basar held off Antonio KAMENJASEVIC (CRO) 3-1 in the last-four bout.

Aleksandar KOMAROV (SRB)Aleksandar KOMAROV (SRB) won his quarterfinal against Zhan BELENIUK (UKR) 3-1. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

At 87kg, world champion Ali CENGIZ (TUR) will try to win his first European title as he takes on Aleksandar KOMAROV (SRB) in the final. Cengiz defeated Kiryl MASKEVICH (AIN) in the semifinal 4-1 while Komarov reached the gold medal bout after beating Islam ABBASOV (AZE) 3-1 in the semifinal.

Komarov, who first wrestled at the senior level at the European Championships in 2019 in Bucharest, looks to make his return to the city golden.

"My first time wrestling at a senior-level competition was back in 2019 in Bucharest," Komarov said. "Now I am back after five years and I want to win the gold medal. It’s my dream."

But the Zagreb Open Ranking Series bronze medalist accepted that it was a tough day in the office for him. In the pre-quarterfinals, Komarov defeated defending champion Istvan TAKACS (HUN), and stopped Olympic champion Zhan BELENUIK (UKR) in the quarterfinals before beating Abbasov.

"It’s been a tough day today," he said.

Oleksandr HRUSHYN (UKR)Oleksandr HRUSHYN (UKR) stunned Edmond NAZARYAN (BUL) 9-5 in the 63kg semifinal. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

The biggest upset of the day came in the 63kg semifinal as Oleksandr HRUSHYN (UKR) stunned Nazaryan 9-5 in a comeback victory. Nazaryan managed to take a 5-0 lead after getting the par terre advantage but Hrushyn scored a big four and then got a par terre advantage to lead 5-5 on criteria. Nazaryan tried to get a body lock but failed. Hrushyn countered one of his attempts and scored a takedown and another in the dying moments to win 9-5.

"The semifinal went almost as I planned it," Hrushyn said. "Except for the first par terre, I was expecting a different move. I was planning to do something in a standing position. I am confident that functionally I am well-prepared, better than many other wrestlers here. I was counting on that."

Hrushyn has made it to his first European Championships final but he won a bronze medal in 2022. But he is not contended with silver and hopes to win his first gold on Tuesday.

"This is my first ever European final," he said. "Not a step back, just forward. That’s it. I will prepare the same way. It’s a European Championships, so no easy opponents."

Earlier in the day, Nazaryan faced world champion Abuladze in the quarterfinal and came out with a 3-0 win. He used an arm-throw to score but Abuladze stopped him from completing the throw. As Nazaryan landed first, Abuladze was awarded two points but Bulgaria challenged the decision. On review, the judges ruled that Abuladze blocked Nazaryan and restarted the bout in par terre. Abuladze was quick to stand up but he was later warned for passivity, giving one more point to Nazaryan who led 3-0 at the break. No points were scored in the second period and Nazaryan won 3-0. But his run was cut short by Hrushyn.

For the gold medal, Hryshyn will face Murad MAMMADOV (AZE), who reached his second straight European Championships after beating Anvar ALLAKHAROV (AIN) 3-3. Till the final 30 seconds of the bout, Allakharov was destined to reach the final as he was leading 3-1. But Mammadov received a late par terre advantage, with just 40 seconds left on the clock.

Allakharov, struggling with his conditioning, failed to stop a par terre turn and conceded a 3-3 criteria lead. Mammadov kept his distance from Allakharov for the remaining time in the bout.

At 55kg, Nugzari TSURTSUMIA (GEO) failed to break his Azerbaijan curse as he suffered a 5-1 loss to Rashad MAMMADOV (AZE) in the semifinals. In his previous outings, he has lost to world champion Eldaniz AZIZLI (AZE). Mammadov will now face Artium DELEANU (MDA) for the gold medal as he won 2-2 on criteria against Manvel KHACHATRYAN (ARM).

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RESULTS

55kg
GOLD: Rashad MAMMADOV (AZE) vs. Artium DELEANU (MDA)

SF 1: Rashad MAMMADOV (AZE) df. Nugzari TSURTSUMIA (GEO), 5-1
SF 2: Artium DELEANU (MDA) df. Manvel KHACHATRYAN (ARM), 2-2

63kg
GOLD: Murad MAMMADOV (AZE) vs. Oleksandr HRUSHYN (UKR)

SF 1: Murad MAMMADOV (AZE) df. Anvar ALLAKHIAROV (AIN), 3-3
SF 2: Oleksandr HRUSHYN (UKR) df. Edmond NAZARYAN (BUL), 9-5

77kg
GOLD: Malkhas AMOYAN (ARM) vs. Yunus BASAR (TUR)

SF 1: Malkhas AMOYAN (ARM) df. Alexandrin GUTU (MDA), 2-1
SF 2: Yunus BASAR (TUR) df. Antonio KAMENJASEVIC (CRO), 3-1

87kg
GOLD: Aleksandr KOMAROV (SRB) vs. Ali CENGIZ (TUR)

SF 1: Aleksandr KOMAROV (SRB) df. Islam ABBASOV (AZE), 3-1
SF 2: Ali CENGIZ (TUR) df. Kiryl MASKEVICH (AIN), 4-1

130kg
GOLD: Riza KAYAALP (TUR) vs. Sergei SEMENOV (AIN)

SF 1: Riza KAYAALP (TUR) df. Beka KANDELAKI (AZE), 2-2
SF 2: Sergei SEMENOV (AIN) df. Iakobi KAJAIA (GEO), 2-1