#WrestleAlmaty

LIVE BLOG: Senior Asian Championships, Day Two

Wednesday, April 14, 2021 - 04:51 By United World Wrestling Press

Share this article

Day two of the Asian Championships in Almaty as Greco-Roman rolls into the second day of action. Five new Asian champions will be crowned on Wednesday in 60kg, 67kg, 72kg, 82kg and 97kg. DAY 1 FULL RECAP

WATCH LIVE | MATCH ORDER

2020 hrs: GOLD MEDAL! Mehdi BALIHAMZEHDEH (IRI) claims the final gold medal of the day with a 9-5 win over Seungjun KIM (KOR). He is the Asian champion at 130kg

1950 hrs: GOLD MEDAL! Jalgasbay BERDIMURATOV (UZB) has done it! He gets the fall over Kalidin ASYKEEV (KGZ) and will be an Asian champion!

1930 hrs: GOLD MEDAL! Hansyu RYU (KOR) will win the gold medal at 72kg. The Tokyo Olympian shows why experience matters most. He beats Ruslan TSAREV (KGZ) 6-5

1930 hrs: Final bout of the 77kg as Hansyu RYU developing a big 5-0 lead but Tsarev comes back after to level it 5-5. Tsarev wants two for that lift. Challenges. The challenged is lost and Ryu leads 6-5.

1900 hrs: GOLD MEDAL! Big win for Tsuchika SHIMOYAMADA (JPN). He comes back from 0-4 to beat four-time world medalist Almat KEBISPAYEV (KAZ) via fall. Huge win for the Japan wrestler

1830 hrs: GOLD MEDAL! Aidos SULTANGALI (KAZ) avenges his lost from last year's Asian Championships and beats Mehdi MOHSEN NEJAD (IRI) 8-4

1800 hrs: Welcome back to the final session of day two at the Asian Championships. We will have five new champions 

1250 hrs: We are close to the semifinal bouts on day two. Mat A and Mat B will see all the action

1240 hrs: Amin KAVIYANINEJAD (IRI) scripts an epic comeback after being thrown for a five-pointer. He beats  Azat SADYKOV (KAZ) 8-6 to advance to the semifinal

1235 hrs: Hansyu RYU (KOR) has a good outing in his first bout of the day. He storms to a technical superiority win over HORIE (JPN)

1210 hrs: Aidos SULTANGALI (KAZ) goes back-to-back headlocks and drops Seunghak KIM (KOR) at the 60kg quarter-final. Technical superiority for the Kazak wrestler

1200 hrs: Iraq has a winner! Karrar Abbas Mukasr ALBEEDHAN (IRQ) with a fall over GYANENDER (IND) at 60kg to advance to the semifinal

1144 hrs: Stunning show from Mehdi MOHSEN NEJAD (IRI) on Mat B. He takes only 42 seconds to win 8-0 against Kuttubek ABDYKERIM UULU (KGZ)

1141 hrs: World Championships bronze medalist Jalgasbay BERDIMURATOV (UZB) does it in style. He beat the defending Asian champion Mahdi EBRAHIMI (IRI) at 82kg Round 1

1140 hrs: Interesting start to the day as Hyeonwoo KIM (KOR) pulls out injured in his first bout at 82kg against Yevgeniy POLIVADOV (KAZ)

1130 hrs: All set for day two of the Asian Championships as five more Greco-Roman weight categories will see the champions 

Development

More Than Medals Americas wraps up in Rio de Janeiro

Tuesday, July 8, 2025 - 14:07 By United World Wrestling Press

Share this article

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (July 8) — With young athletes at the center of United World Wrestling’s development strategy, the 2025 edition of *More Than Medals Americas* was held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from June 23rd to 29th, following the U17 Pan-American Championships.

Over the course of seven days, 46 wrestlers and 10 coaches from 11 countries came together for a full program of training sessions, educational workshops, cultural excursions, and recreational activities making this a comprehensive experience beyond the mat.

Held at the state-of-the-art facilities of CEFAN (Centro de Educação Física Almirante Adalberto Nunes), the camp kicked off with a vibrant opening ceremony, attended by Brazilian Wrestling Federation President Flavio Cabral and UWW Education Director Zach Erret. The schedule included three daily meals, on-site accommodation, and seamless logistics that contributed to the event's success.

Among the educational highlights were sessions on safe sport, mental health, injury prevention, and anti-doping each delivered by expert facilitators in a format designed to foster active participation from the athletes. These workshops aimed to equip young wrestlers not only with athletic tools but with life skills as well.

The technical sessions were held on four official mats, strength training, and physical conditioning. Coaches collaborated in a joint planning meeting to create an integrated training environment, where athletes learned from each other’s styles and backgrounds.

Outside the gym, participants explored the iconic city of Rio de Janeiro. They visited Sugarloaf Mountain, Christ the Redeemer, and the historic Maracanã Stadium. An ecological outing to Copacabana Beach was also part of the program, emphasizing environmental awareness—even if a planned cleanup was rendered unnecessary thanks to local conservation efforts.

This edition of *More Than Medals* once again demonstrated the transformative power of sport. Participants described the experience as “great,” and organizers emphasized that the success of the program lies in its ability to holistically nurture the next generation of wrestlers not just as athletes, but as global citizens.