Otoguro Dominates in Rematch With Punia for 65kg Asian Gold

Saturday, February 22, 2020 - 18:34 By Ken Marantz

New Delhi (Feb. 22)—Former world champion Takuto OTOGURO (JPN) came out on top quite convincingly in the rematch on his rival’s home soil. Whether he can repeat it back in his own country—when it would matter most---is a matter for another time.

Otoguro effectively used a low-single attack to grind out a 10-2 victory over Bajrang PUNIA (IND) in the freestyle 65kg final at the Asian Championships on Saturday night in New Delhi.

The victory in the highly anticipated rematch of the final at the 2018 World Championships, in which Otoguro rambled to with a wild 16-9 win, gives the young Japanese a confidence boost heading toward the Tokyo Olympics—particularly taking into consideration his disappointing fifth-place finish at last year’s worlds in Nur-Sultan.

“Last year, I feel like I was only losing and I went through various experiences,” Otoguro said. “From now, this is an Olympic year, and I feel I’ve gained some momentum. But I still have room to improve. How strong I can get from here, I’m also looking forward to finding out.”

Punia, a bronze medalist in Nur-Sultan, was looking to defend the Asian title he won last year in Xi’an, China. But he had no answer for Otoguro’s attacks and counters, as the Japanese put the match away with seven unanswered points in the second period.

Asked about his low-single approach, Otoguro replied, “When I shot for the low single, his leg was sweaty, so I went for his shoe so I wouldn’t slip off.”

Punia was not immediately available for comment, but his personal coach, Shako Bentinidis, said people should not read into the loss too much.

“I am happy with the silver medal today,” Bentinidis said. “Sometimes it is possible for him to lose, but not at Olympics. I think this is no problem. Better to lose now before Olympics.”

Bentinidis issued a warning to the Indian media, saying, “We must stay relaxed, and not so much ‘Bajrang, Bajrang.’”

For the 21-year-old Otoguro, it was his first continental championship since winning the Asian cadet crown in 2014. He said that heading into the Tokyo Olympics, he is undecided if he will enter an overseas tournament, and is leaning toward attending a training camp abroad.

One thing he knows is that since winning the 2018 world title, which made him Japan’s youngest-ever world freestyle champion, his rivals are looking for holes in his game to exploit.

“Of course, I feel that others have been studying me,” he said. “I really felt it over the last year. Since then, I have been making adjustments looking ahead to the Olympics.”

Kumar RAVI (IND) cruised to the 57kg title with a 10-0 win over Hikmatullo VOHIDOV (TJK) in the gold-medal match. (Photo: Kadir Caliskan)

Ravi rolls to 57kg gold before home crowd
Host India had three wrestlers in the five finals on the opening day of freestyle, and Kumar RAVI (IND) gave the home crowd a thrill with a one-sided win in the 57kg final that capped a day of dominance.

With the order of bouts reversed for the night session, Ravi concluded the festivities with a 10-0 technical fall over Hikmatullo VOHIDOV (TJK), who was aiming to become only Tajikistan’s second Asian champion in history.

“I just thought I had to win the gold medal for India because it is my home country and I was wrestling in front of my family,” said Ravi, a world bronze medalist in Nur-Sultan who captured his first senior Asian title. “It was a perfect day for me.”

Ravi said he knows he has raised national hopes for his success at Tokyo 2020. “Because of this gold medal, there are more expectations on me from my country,” he said. “Going into the Tokyo Olympics, the gold medal means a lot to me in my Olympic journey.”

Ilyas BEKBULATOV (UZB) back-tripped Amirhossein HOSSEINI (IRI) for four points en route to 10-6 win in the 70kg finals. (Photo: Kadir Caliskan)

Russia ostensibly provided two champions when transplants Arsalan BUDAZHAPOV (KGZ) and Ilyas BEKBULATOV (UZB) won gold medals at 79kg and 70kg, respectively.

In a frenetic 79kg final that saw the lead change hands five times, Budazhapov notched the winning takedown with 15 seconds left to upend Baliyan GOURAV (IND) 7-5.

Budazhapov, a three-time winner of the Mongolian Open while competing for Russia, took a 2-1 lead into the second period when Gourav started a string of alternating takedowns. On the final one, Budazhapov came out the back door to secure the points, then gained another on a lost challenge.

“I don’t know how it happened, but I was very tired and a bit groggy,” Budazhapov said of the back-and-forth exchanges.

As for reaching the top of the Asian medal podium for the country of his grandmother, Budazhapov said, “It’s very good for me. I am happy. In the future I have to work harder.”

Budazhapov is also making his mark off the mats. A businessman, he owns a chain of four wrestling shops in Russia, called Olimpic Shop, that also sells globally online and has received endorsements from the likes of Abdulrashid SADULAEV (RUS), Kyle SNYDER (USA) and Zaur UGUEV (RUS).

Bekbulatov pulled off the move of the day in his 10-6 victory in the 70kg final over Amirhossein HOSSEINI (IRI) as the 29-year-old added an Asian gold to his collection of three European medals that includes a 2017 gold.

With a 4-2 lead in the second period, Hosseini got in on a single leg and lifted it into the air. But before he knew what hit him, Bekbulatov leaped up and back-tripped for a 4-point move.

“When I wrestle, I never plan what I’m going to do, because I wrestle by the situation,” Bekbulatov said. “You take my leg, I do this trick. If I don’t do this trick, I will try another.”

Bekbulatov, who twice participated in the Pro Wrestling League in India, said he was happy to wrestle in the Asian Championships.

“I’m very happy for every competition,” he said. “To participate for the Uzbek national team is good for me, because my main goal is to wrestle in the Olympic Games. “

Bekbulatov said he will drop down to 65kg for next month’s Asian Olympic qualifying tournament, which would only deepen an already stacked weight class.

Mojtaba GOLEIJ (IRI) upgraded his silver medal from last year with a win over Salywart KADIAN (IND) in the 97kg finals. (Photo: Kadir Caliskan)

World U-23 champion Mojtaba GOLEIJ (IRI) improved on his silver medal from 2018 when he outmuscled Salywart KADIAN (IND) to take the 97kg gold with a 10-0 technical fall.

After gaining a point on the activity clock, Goleij bulled Kadian out for three stepouts, then faced little resistance in scoring three takedowns, the last one on a snap down that ended the match at 5:30.

In the bronze-medal matches, 2018 world champion Yuki TAKAHASHI (JPN) bounced back from his loss earlier in the day to Ravi by overwhelming 2019 world bronze medalist Nurislam SANAYEV (KAZ) 14-5 at 57kg for his second straight Asian bronze.

World 65kg silver medalist Daulet NIYAZBEKOV (KAZ) had a little harder time with Nyamdorj BATTULGA (MGL), but forged out a 4-1 win to add the bronze to his 2018 gold.

Shinkichi OKUI (JPN), making his international debut, scored a takedown and a stepout in the last half-minute, then deftly walked a tightrope to avoid being forced out himself in the final seconds as he held on for a 4-3 victory over Batzul DAMJIN (MGL) at 79kg.

Kazakhstan came away with three bronzes, including a second straight for Alisher YERGALI (KAZ) at 97kg, while Japan, Iran and Kyrgyzstan claimed two each and Tajikistan one.

Day 4 Results

Freestyle

57kg (11 entries)
GOLD – Kumar RAVI (IND) df. Hikmatullo VOHIDOV (TJK) by TF, 10-0, 3:27
BRONZE – Bekbolot MYRZANAZAR UULU (KGZ) df. Sardor RUZIMOV (UZB) by Fall, 4:53 (7-0)
BRONZE – Yuki TAKAHASHI (JPN) df. Nurislam SANAYEV (KAZ), 14-5

65kg (14 entries)
GOLD – Takuto OTOGURO (JPN) df. Bajrang PUNIA (IND), 10-2
BRONZE – Daulet NIYAZBEKOV (KAZ) df. Nyamdorj BATTULGA (MGL), 4-1
BRONZE – Amirhossein MAGHSOUDI (IRI) df. Abbos RAKHMONOV (UZB), 2-0

70kg (9 entries)
GOLD – Ilyas BEKBULATOV (UZB) df. Amirhossein HOSSEINI (IRI), 10-6
BRONZE – Meirzhan ASHIROV (KAZ) df. Naveen NAVEEN (IND) by TF, 12-1, 3:53
BRONZE – Islambek OROZBEKOV (KGZ) df. Temuulen ENKHTUYA (MGL) by Default

79kg (8 entries)
GOLD – Arsalan BUDAZHAPOV (KGZ) df. Baliyan GOURAV (IND), 7-5
BRONZE – Shinkichi OKUI (JPN) df. Batzul DAMJIN (MGL), 4-3
BRONZE – Ali SAVADKOUHI (IRI) df. Galymzhan USSERBAYEV (KAZ), 5-0

97kg (11 entries)
GOLD – Mojtaba GOLEIJ (IRI) df. Salywart KADIAN (IND) by TF, 10-0, 5:30
BRONZE – Rustam ISKANDARI (TJK) df. Zaid SHISHANI (JOR) by Fall, 1:33 (6-0)
BRONZE – Alisher YERGALI (KAZ) df. Magomed MUSAEV (KGZ), 11-5

#UnitedWorldWrestling

UWW announces 2024 Hall of Fame inductees

Wednesday, July 31, 2024 - 10:07 By United World Wrestling Press

PARIS (July 31) -- In his earlier life, Steeve GUENOT (FRA) was a railwayman. He juggled his day job with his passion, wrestling, which led him to the Olympics.

There, on the biggest stage of all in Beijing 16 years ago, the Frenchman scripted history—winning a gold medal to end his country's 80-plus-year drought of producing an Olympic champion wrestler. That moment changed his life, and Guenot went on to inspire a generation of wrestlers.

For his path-breaking achievements on the mat and his restoration of belief in an entire nation, the French hero was inducted into the United World Wrestling Hall of Fame days before the Paris Olympics were declared open.

The Beijing Games gold medallist, who also won a bronze at London 2012 and a bronze medal in the 2007 World Championship, was among the three wrestlers included in this year's list. The other two were freestyle legend Mavlet BATIROV (RUS) and Canadian trailblazer Tonya VERBEEK (CAN).

Additionally, referee Vassilis PAGONIS (GRE) and legendary Armenian coach Levon JULFALAKYAN (ARM), too, were accorded the prestigious honor this year.

The Hall of Famers are permanently recognized on UWW's website, at the organization's headquarters in Vevey, Switzerland, and in the international wing of the USA Hall of Fame in Stillwater, Oklahoma.

Mavlet BATIROV (RUS) is a two-time Olympic champion. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Martin Gabor)

A 66kg category Greco-Roman champion, Guenot was born to a family of wrestlers in 1985. Both his parents were involved in the sport, and his siblings were, too. Like him, Guenot’s brother Christophe is an Olympic medallist. But no one scaled the heights that Guenot did.

France hadn't won an Olympic gold medal in wrestling since the 1936 Games when Emile Poilve finished on top of the podium.

Guenot broke that hoodoo and went on to win a lot more. After a highly successful playing career, he moved to coaching and was involved in grooming young wrestlers at his club in Dijon, something he has done to date.

Joining him on the list of honors is a Russian legend whose name is synonymous with excellence. One of the true greats of the sport, Batirov won admirers all over the world with his gritty wrestling style. He was one of the most dominant wrestlers in the noughts, particularly in the 55kg men's freestyle category, before he moved to 60 kg due to weight class adjustment.

Born in 1983, Batirov’s first big moment came in 2004, when he won the gold medal in the 55 kg category at the Athens Olympics. He went on to win his second Olympic gold medal four years later while competing in the 60 kg category and during that four-year cycle, he won the world title as well as a world championship bronze at 60kg.

These results, combined with multiple European championship medals, sealed his status as one of the finest wrestlers to ever step on the mat. After he retired from the sport, Batirov gave back to it by mentoring and coaching young wrestlers and sharing his deep insights into the game with them.

Tonya VERBEEK (CAN) was the head coach of the Canadian national team. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Tony Rotundo)

Like Guenot and Batirov, Verbeek too has had an outsized influence on the sport, especially in her country.

After the Ontario native picked the sport as a schoolgirl at age 11, Verbeek reportedly remained undefeated throughout her career as a school-level wrestler. She nearly mirrored that level of success as a senior in international wrestling.

Despite the total dominance of Japanese wrestlers, Verbeek carved out a niche for herself with her fearless style of play. She was the first Canadian woman to win a wrestling medal at the Athens Games, a silver, went on to add a bronze to her collection four years later in Beijing and completed the hattrick of medals by clinching the silver medal at the London Olympics. Apart from these, she has multiple worlds, Pan-Am and Commonwealth Games medals.

After retiring, Veerbek would break more barriers, becoming the head coach of both the men's and women's Canada teams. She currently coaches the women's program at the University of Iowa.

Armenia coach Levon JULFALAKYAN (ARM) inducted into UWW Hall of Fame. (Photo: United World Wrestling)

While all these wrestlers across the three events are legends in their own right, few actually come close to doing what Julfalakyan did.

As a wrestler, he has won it all -- Olympic gold, World Championship gold, and European Championship gold. His Olympic title in 1988 was a great exhibition of his art, as he won all his bouts in a one-sided manner to romp through the field and win the gold.

After he hung his boots, Julfalakyan turned to coaching. The academy where he coached turned into a conveyor belt of talented wrestlers. He has produced an Olympic champion, and multiple Olympic silver bronze medallists, as well as seven world and 14 European champions.

His elder son, Arsen, went on to win a silver medal at the London Olympics. In 2011, Julfalakyan was also feted at home after the country's government released postage stamps in his honor.

Vassolos PAGONIS, referee. (Photo: United World Wrestling)

Last but not least, referee Pagonis has also been included in the Hall of Fame. The Greek referee has officiated in five Olympics, 20 World Championships, and 25 European Championships. At the 1996 Olympics, Pagonis was feted with a Golden Whistle award.

Otoguro Dominates in Rematch With Punia for 65kg Asian Gold

Comments

UWW announces 2024 Hall of Fame inductees