Pair of Indian World Medalists Fall Short of Finals on Last Day in New Delhi

Sunday, February 23, 2020 - 10:36 By Ken Marantz

NEW DELHI (Feb. 23)—It was a tough day for a pair of Indian world medalists, as neither Rahul AWARE (IND) nor Deepak PUNIA (IND) advanced to the gold-medal matches on the final day of the Asian Championships on Sunday.

Indian hopes in the five freestyle finals in the night session at New Dehli’s K.D. Jahrav Wrestling Stadium will lie in Jitender JITENDER (IND), who earned a meeting with defending champion Daniyar KAISANOV (KAZ) for the 74kg title.

Kazakhstan, Japan and Iran all put two wrestlers into the finals, while Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, India and Mongolia have one each.

Aware, a bronze medalist at last year’s World Championships in Nur-Sultan, was upended in the semifinals by world U-23 champion Ulubek ZHOLDOSHBEKOV (KGZ), who sewed up a 5-3 win with a takedown with 21 seconds left.

In the final, Zholdoshbekov, who won Asian bronzes in 2016 and 2018, will face Muhammad IKROMOV (TJK), a 4-4 winner on criteria over Ryuto SAKAKI (JPN). Ikromov will attempt to end Tajikistan’s 17-year quest for a second Asian gold medalist.

Against Zholdoshbekov, Aware trailed 2-0 when he challenged an exposure that was not called. He lost that challenge, but came back with a takedown that cut the deficit to 3-2. Except that he got the scores mixed up.

“I thought I was leading 3-2, but it was him that was leading 3-2,” Aware said. “In my challenge, I wanted the points for my second action, but in the replay, they saw only the first action and finished. I was disturbed and wanted them to see the second action and I lost my focus.

“I heard my name from the stands and I looked up to see who it was and then at the scoreboard to see the score. I have never lost my focus like this before in a bout. “

Zholdoshbekov then put the nail in the coffin with a takedown, although he also gave up a late penalty point.

Aware had to survive a scare in the quarterfinals against Jahongirmirza TUROBOV (UZB). Trailing 8-6 heading into the second period, Aware came back to take a 10-9 into the final seconds. Turobov got in deep on a tackle and, with Aware atop his back, tried everything to expose him to the mat. With Aware pirouetting on his head on the mat, time ran out. A lost challenge point made it an 11-9 victory.

Shutaro YAMADA (JPN) defeated No. 3 Deepak PUNIA (IND) en route to the 86kg gold-medal match. (Photo: Kadir Caliskan)

Punia, coming off winning the world junior title and the world senior silver medal over a one-month span last year at 86kg, met his match in unheralded Shutaro YAMADA (JPN), who wrapped up a 4-1 victory with a takedown with just under a minute to go.

“I’m so happy,” said Yamada, a sophomore at Yamanashi Gakuin University. “I knew that he wrestles like sumo or Greco-Roman. I watched many videos of him. My wrestling is similar. But more than techniques, it came down to a clash of wills.”

On gaining the late takedown, Yamada said, “To be sure of victory, I thought to put priority on defending rather than scoring points. This is the home of the opponent, which could be a disadvantage for me.”

Yamada appeared at both the world cadet and junior championships twice each, but never finished higher than fifth. Whether his first foray into an international senior event results in a gold or silver will depend on how he fares against Ahmad BAZRIGHALEH (IRI).

Bazrighaleh, the 2019 Asian U-23 champion, advanced with a 16-5 technical fall over Isa SHAPIEV (UZB).

Jitender made the 74kg final with a razor-thin 2-1 victory over Sumiyabazar ZANDANBUD (MGL), while Kaisanov swept aside Daichi TAKATANI (JPN), 9-4

“I never want to give up points, it doesn’t matter how many I score,” Jitender said. “If it’s 2-1 or 10-1, I still win.”

Most significantly, Jitender has clinched his first medal in five trips to the Asian Championships. “It cannot be a better platform to win my first medal, in front of the home crowd.”

Takuma OTSU (JPN) will take on Mohammadjavad EBRAHIMIZIVLAEI (IRI) in the 92kg finals. (Photo: Sachiko Hotaka)

The fight for the 92kg title has come down to a clash between 2018 Asian champion Mohammadjavad EBRAHIMIZIVLAEI (IRI) and Takuma OTSU (JPN), the Asian junior silver medalist that year.

Ebrahimizivlaei advanced with a 10-2 win over Ajiniyaz SAPARNIYAZOV (UZB), while Otsu dominated Tsogtgerel MUNKHBAATAR (MGL) to win by 11-1 technical fall.

The final match of the tournament, for the 125kg gold, will pit 2019 world U-23 bronze medalist Yusup BATIRMURZAEV (KAZ) against Khuderbulga DORJKHAND (MGL).

In the semifinals, Batirmurzaev made short work of Parviz HADIBASMANJ (IRI), locking up his arms and slamming him onto his back with a lateral drop for a fall in 28 seconds. Dorjkhand, a 2016 Asian bronze medalist, ousted NAM Koungjin (KOR) 8-0.

Day 6 Results

Freestyle

61kg (13 entries)
SEMIFINAL – Muhammad IKROMOV (TJK) df. Ryuto SAKAKI (JPN), 4-4
SEMIFINAL – Ulubek ZHOLDOSHBEKOV (KGZ) df. Rahul AWARE (IND), 5-3

74kg (12 entries)
SEMIFINAL – Daniyar KAISANOV (KAZ) df. Daichi TAKATANI (JPN), 9-4
SEMIFINAL – Jitender JITENDER (IND) df. Sumiyabazar ZANDANBUD (MGL), 2-1

86kg (9 entries)
SEMIFINAL – Ahmad BAZRIGHALEH (IRI) df. Isa SHAPIEV (UZB) by TF, 16-5, 5:24
SEMIFINAL – Shutaro YAMADA (JPN) df. Deepak PUNIA (IND), 4-1

92kg (8 entries)
SEMIFINAL – Takuma OTSU (JPN) df. Tsogtgerel MUNKHBAATAR (MGL) by TF, 11-1, 2:25
SEMIFINAL – Mohammadjavad EBRAHIMIZIVLAEI (IRI) df. Ajiniyaz SAPARNIYAZOV (UZB), 10-2

125kg (12 entries)
SEMIFINAL – Khuderbulga DORJKHAND (MGL) df. NAM Koungjin (KOR), 8-0
SEMIFINAL – Yusup BATIRMURZAEV (KAZ) df. Parviz HADIBASMANJ (IRI) by Fall, :28 (4-0)

#wrestlebishkek

Asian Championships: Iran Puts Four into Greco-Roman Finals

Monday, April 6, 2026 - 16:52 By Ken Marantz

Erfan JARKANI (IRI) celebrates after reaching the 63kg final at the Asian Championships in Bishkek. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan (April 6) – On an opening day bereft of big surprises, the Iranians were their usual dominant selves, while local hero Azkhol MAKHMUDOV (KGZ) sent the partisan crowd into a frenzy by doing what he does best.

Amin MIRZAZADEH (IRI) and fellow reigning world champion Gholamreza FAROKHI (IRI) were among four Iranians who qualified for the finals in the five Greco-Roman weight classes in action on the first day of the Asian Championships on Monday in Bishkek.

For the first time, the two-day format for all weight classes is being used at the Asian Championships, so that the five divisions on the first day were competed only through the semifinals.

Amin MIRZAZADEH (IRI) turns Minseok KIM (KOR) during the 130kg semifinal at the Asian Championships. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

Mirzazadeh’s march toward a fourth Asian gold at 130kg over a seven-year span could not be regarded as unscathed – he was on the receiving end of a painful head butt in his 8-0 semifinal victory over Minseok KIM (KOR).

Other than that, it was smooth sailing as the Paris Olympic bronze medalist and two-time world champion advanced with a pair of wins by technical superiority.

Mirzazadeh and Farokhi were joined in the finals by Erfan JARKANI (IRI) and Ali OSKOU (IRI) as Iran looks on track to surpass its 2025 gold medal tally of five in Amman, Jordan.

“We were expecting Farokhi and Mirzazadeh to reach the final, but over the last two years, both Jarkani and Oksou have improved a lot and good results were expected from them and they showed that,” Iran head coach Hassan RANGRAZ said. “Hopefully, tomorrow also our wrestlers will achieve good results.”

Against Kim, Mirzazadeh jumped out to a 5-0 lead with a pair of gut wrenches in par terre. In the second period, Kim rose his head as Mirzazadeh approached, causing a collision that left both rubbing their wounds.

Kim was assessed a 2-point penalty, and when a Korean challenge of the call was denied, that gave the Iranian his eighth and decisive point.

In the final, Mirzazadeh will face a newcomer to the Asian scene, former Russian national champion Rafael TSITSUASHVILI (UZB), who advanced with a 7-2 victory over two-time bronze medalist Yuta NARA (JPN).

Gholamreza FAROKHI (IRI), the world champion at 82kg, defeated Sunil KUMAR (IND) in 87kg semifinals at the Asian Championships. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

In one of those blink-and-you-missed-it dominant victories, Farokhi swiftly powered to an 8-0 victory over three-time Asian medalist Sunil KUMAR (IND) to advance to the 87kg final.

Farokhi, last year’s world champion at 82kg who has not lost an international match since 2022, shrugged Kumar by to get behind, then used an arm lock for four quicksilver back-and-forth exposures to end the match in 37 seconds.

In the final, Farokhi will take on world bronze medalist Asan ZHANYSHOV (KGZ), who put together a slightly less dominant 8-0 victory over Nursultan TURSYNOV (KAZ) to become one of three wrestlers from the host country to make the finals.

Zhanyshov, a two-time Asian U23 champion, finished up the win with a go-behind takedown to top Tursynov, who has three Asian medals over a 10-year span – from a gold in 2014 to silvers in 2015 and 2023.

Akzhol MAKHMUDOV (KGZ) launches Doniyorkhon NAKIBOV (UZB) for four points during the 77kg semifinals in Bishkek. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

The biggest cheers of the night at the new Zhastyk Arena came in response to the exploits at 77kg of Makhmudov, who first stole the spotlight when he won the first of his three Asian golds in 2018 across the street at the Soviet-era Kojomkul Sports Palace.

Facing 2024 Asian bronze medalist Doniyorkhon NAKIBOV (UZB), Makhmudov got the first shot at par terre and took full advantage, thrilling the crowd with not one but two powerful reverse body lifts in which he flipped his opponent over like a pancake on the griddle.

Makhmudov, a two-time world champion and two-time Olympic medalist, began the year on a sluggish note, falling in the 82kg quarterfinals of the Tirana Ranking Series tournament in February to Tunjay VAZIRZADE (AZE).

But back at his usual weight, Makhmudov is looking more like his old self – and he’ll need to be in that form in a challenging final against Iran’s Oskou, this year’s Zagreb Ranking Series champion and a 2024 world U23 bronze medalist.

Oskou had a pair of four-point throws and, while having to fight off his back when one roll attempt was stopped, still managed to forge a solid 13-3 victory over AMAN (IND) in the other semifinal.

Erfan JARKANI (IRI) battles it out with Islomjon BAKHRAMOV (UZB) in the 63kg semifinal. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

At 63kg, Zagreb Open champion and 2024 world U23 and U20 bronze medalist Jarkani held off former Asian champion Islomjon BAKHRAMOV (UZB) in a 5-3 win to advance to the final in his senior Asian debut.

Jarkani opened with a takedown, then quickly went up 5-0 when he received single points for passivity, fleeing and an unsuccessful challenge.

In the second period, Bakhramov showed the fight that led him to the 60kg gold in 2019, but could only manage a single gut wrench from par terre to fall short of victory.

Bakhramov, a world bronze medalist in 2023, still has a chance for his fourth career Asian medal and third bronze.

Jarkani will battle for the gold against Aftandil TAALAIBEK UULU (KGZ), who become the first wrestler from the home team to make the finals when he bulldozed his way to a 10-0 victory over Azatjan ACHILOV (TKM) in the other semifinal.

Taalaibek Uulu started the rout with a four-point arm throw onto which a challenge point was added. A passivity call put Taalaibek Uulu on top in par terre, and he hit his second four-pointer of the match to end it at 2:05.

Ikhtiyor BOTIROV (UZB) raises the hand of Ulan MURATBEK UULU (KGZ) after beating the home wrestler in the 55kg semifinal. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

At 55kg, two-time bronze medalist Ikhtiyor BOTIROV (UZB) shrugged off the vocal partisan crowd and a potentially costly penalty against 2024 bronze medalist Ulan MURATBEK UULU (KGZ), riding a five-point first period to a 5-3 victory and a place in tomorrow’s final.

Botirov, the silver medalist in Zagreb, reeled off a pair of gut wrenches from par terre for a 5-0 lead. In the second period, Muratbek Uulu was put on top and before the action even started, Botirov was assessed a two-point penalty for moving too soon.

Despite the crowd’s efforts to spur their wrestler on, Botirov withstood Muratbek Uulu’s late attacks and assured he will improve on the bronze medals he won last year and in 2023 by making the final, where he will face LALIT (IND).

Botirov earlier defeated the only Iranian to not make the final on the day, Hajiali HOSSEINVAND (IRI), in the quarterfinals.

“Hosseinvand, too, should have been in the final given his recent performances, but it was unfortunate that he lost 8-0 [officially 10-0] against the Uzbekistan wrestler,” Rangraz added. “He beat him in February and he deserved to reach the final.”

LALIT (IND) reached the 55kg final after beating Houying SHI (CHN), 11-3. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

Lalit put himself in position to become just the fourth Asian champion from India in Greco and first since 2020 when he battled back after losing the lead to defeat world bronze medalist Huoying SHI (CHN) 11-3.

Lalit, who likes to use a standing roll through from par terre, hit the move to take a 3-1 lead in the second period, but got stuck when he tried it again and Shi got around front, clamped on a front headlock and bulled Lalit over to go ahead 3-3 on criteria.

But Lalit struck back right away with a slick duck under for a takedown, then went to the roll through for two more, with an unsuccessful challenge point tacked on. A stepout and a defensive takedown gave Lalit the win by technical superiority as time ran out.

RESULTS

55kg
GOLD: LALIT (IND) vs. Ikhtiyor BOTIROV (UZB)

SF 1: Ikhtiyor BOTIROV (UZB) df. Ulan MURATBEK UULU (KGZ), 5-3
SF 2: LALIT (IND) df. Huoying SHI (CHN), 11-3

63kg
GOLD: Aftandil TAALAIBEK UULU (KGZ) vs. Erfan Behnam JARKANI (IRI)

SF 1: Erfan JARKANI (IRI) df. Islomjon BAKHRAMOV (UZB), 5-3
SF 2: Aftandil TAALAIBEK UULU (KGZ) df. Azatjan ACHILOV (TKM), 10-0

77kg
GOLD: Ali OSKOU (IRI) vs. Akzhol MAKHMUDOV (KGZ)

SF 1: Akzhol MAKHMUDOV (KGZ) df. Doniyorkhon NAKIBOV (UZB), 9-0
SF 2: Ali OSKOU (IRI) df. AMAN (IND), 13-3

87kg
GOLD: Asan ZHANYSHOV (KGZ) vs. Gholamreza FAROKHI (IRI)

SF 1: Gholamreza FAROKHI (IRI) df. Suni KUMAR (IND), 8-0
SF 2: Asan ZHANYSHOV (KGZ) df. Nursultan TURSYNOV (KAZ), 8-0

130kg
GOLD: Amin MIRZAZADEH (IRI) vs. Rafael TSITSUASHVILI (UZB)

SF 1: Rafael TSITSUASHVILI (UZB) df. Yuta NARA (JPN), 7-2
SF 2: Amin MIRZAZADEH (IRI) df. Minseok KIM (KOR), 8-0

Pair of Indian World Medalists Fall Short of Finals on Last Day in New Delhi

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Asian Championships: Iran Puts Four into Greco-Roman Finals