#wrestlenursultan

Rashidov Adds to Japanese Misery, Advances to Semifinals of Stacked 65kg; Punia Also Through

By Ken Marantz

NUR-SULTAN, Kazakhstan (Sept. 19)---Gadzhimurad RASHIDOV (RUS) moved up a weight class in a bid to get to the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. He knocked off the defending champion from Japan en route to securing a berth for Russia.

Rashidov, a two-time world silver medalist at 61kg, made the semifinals of a stacked freestyle 65kg weight class by knocking off 2018 gold medalist Takuto OTOGURO (JPN) 8-1, then defeated Haji ALI (BRN) 9-0 on Day 6 of the World Championships.

The other semifinal, to be held later in the day at the Barys Arena, will pit Bajrang PUNIA (IND), the silver medalist a year ago in Budapest and this year’s Asian champion, against Daulet NIYAZBEKOV (KAZ)

The fireworks got started early in the division, when Rashidov clashed with three-time world champion and Olympic bronze medalist Haji ALIYEV (AZE) in the first round and came out with a 4-2 win on a last-second score that left the Azeri livid.

In a rematch of the 2017 world final at 61kg won by Aliyev, Rashidov gained an activity-clock for the lone point of the first period. Aliyev went ahead in the second period when he broke away from a tackle attempt and got behind, but another wild flurry resulted in Rashidov taking the lead with a takedown with :44 left. 

The best, however, was yet to come. With the seconds ticking down, Aliyev latched onto an ankle then got behind. Rashidov stood up, and it was just a matter if Aliyev could get his opponent’s knee down for the winning point. 

But as the two moved toward the edge, Rashidov whipped Aliyev down, gaining a 1-point stepout, which was upheld in an unsuccessful challenge.

The stunned Aliyev refused to accept the decision, and it took security members to get him to leave the mat and exit the arena.


Zavur UGUEV (RUS) and Kumar RAVI (IND) will wrestle for a spot in the 57kg finals. (Photo: Gabor Martin)

At 57kg, the two finalists from a year ago, Zavur UGUEV (RUS) and Nurislam SANAYEV (KAZ) remained a collision course by advancing to separate semifinals.

Uguev will face Kumar RAVI (IND), who knocked off 2017 world champion Yuki TAKAHASHI (JPN), while Sanayev’s path the final is blocked by European champion and 2018 bronze medalist Suleyman ATLI (TUR).

Japan capped a disastrous day when Rio 2016 Olympic champion Sara DOSHO (JPN) was unceremoniously ousted in the 68kg quarterfinals by 2018 bronze medalist Tamyra MENSAH STOCK (USA), who rolled up a 10-1 victory.

Mensah Stock will face Anna SCHELL (GER), while defending champion Alla CHERKASOVA (UKR) will take on Jenny FRANSSON (SWE), who scored a buzzer-beating 2 points to stun Battsetseg SORONZOBOLD (MGL) 6-5. 

Taybe YUSEIN (BUL) will take on Marianna SASTIN (HUN) in the 62kg semifinals. (Photo: GaborMartin)

At 62kg, Taybe YUSEIN (BUL), the 2018 world champion at 62kg, advanced to a match-up with Marianna SASTIN (HUN), while Asian champion Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ) will face KIM Jong Sim (PRK)

Earlier, 2018 silver medalist Yukako KAWAI (JPN), whose older sister Risako clinched a Tokyo 2020 spot the previous day by making the 57kg final, lost by fall in the second round to Tynybekova---a repeat of the final at the Asian Championships in April in Xi’an, China.

Meanwhile, history of a sorts was made when the tiny enclave of San Marino got not only got its first-ever win at a senior World Championships, but got two from Malik AMINE (SMR) at 67kg.

Amine, who grew up in the USA state of Michigan but has dual citizenship, opened with a wild 14-11 victory over Mbunde CUMBA MBALI (GBS), which he followed by topping Branden DIAZ (MEX) 12-6. His run was ended by Muszukajev. 

Amine is one of five U.S.-born wrestlers competing at the worlds for other countries who are part of a training program at the University of Michigan. The program is headed by legendary Russian great Sergey BELAGLAZOV.

Belaglazov, serving as the San Marino coach, said historic victories were only part of the objective. “That’s not the point,” he said. “The point is to get them to qualify for the Olympic Games. That is the goal.”

For what it’s worth, Amine beat brother Myles into the San Marino sports history book. Myles is entered at freestyle 86kg, which starts on Saturday.

Day 6 Pairings

Freestyle

57kg (34 entries)
Semifinal – Suleyman ATLI (TUR) vs Nurislam SANAYEV (KAZ) 
Semifinal – Kumar RAVI (IND) vs Zavur UGUEV (RUS)

65kg (44 entries)
Semifinal – Bajrang PUNIA (IND) vs Daulet NIYAZBEKOV (KAZ) 
Semifinal – Iszmail MUSZUKAJEV (HUN) vs Gadzhimurad RASHIDOV (RUS) 

Women’s Wrestling 

57kg (31 entries)
Gold – RONG Ningning (CHN) vs Risako KAWAI (JPN) 
Bronze – Iryna KURACHKINA (BLR) vs Jowita WRZESIEN (POL)
Bronze – Anastasia NICHITA (MDA) vs Odunayo ADEKUOROYE (NGR)

59kg (18 entries)
Gold – Luibov OVCHAROVA (RUS) vs Linda MORAIS (CAN) 
Bronze – PEI Xingru (CHN) vs Pooja DHANDA (IND)
Bronze – Anhelina LYSAK (URK) vs Shoovdor BAATARJAV (MGL)

62kg (34 entries)
Semifinal – Taybe YUSEIN (BUL) vs Marianna SASTIN (HUN) 
Semifinal – Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ) vs KIM Jong Sim (PRK) 

 65kg (17 entries)
Gold – Iryna KOLIADENKO (UKR) vs Inna TRAZHUKOVA (RUS)  
Bronze – WANG Xiaoqian (CHN) vs Forrest MOLINARI (USA)
Bronze – Yuliana YANEVA (BUL) vs Elis MANOLOVA (AZE)

68kg (32 entries)
Semifinal – Alla CHERKASOVA (UKR) vs Jenny FRANSSON (SWE) 
Semifinal – Anna SCHELL (GER) vs Tamyra MENSAH STOCK (USA) 

76kg (31 entries)
Gold – Hiroe MINAGAWA (JPN) vs Adeline GRAY (USA) 
Bronze – ZHOU Qian (CHN) vs Epp MAEE (EST)
Bronze – Elmira SYZDYKOVA (KAZ) vs Aline ROTTER FOCKEN (GER)

#wrestlebishkek

Asian Championships Freestyle Finals Set

By Ken Marantz & Vinay Siwach

BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan (April 12) -- The Asian Championships enters day two with five more Freestyle weights. World champion Amir Hossein ZARE (IRI) will lead the competition at 125kg as Iran looks to build on its three gold medals won on day one.

WATCH LIVE | LIVE MATCH ORDER | DAY 1 REPORT

14:32: Amir ZARE (IRI) is safely into the 125kg final with a 5-0 victory over Shamil SHARIPOV (BRN). Zare combined three stepouts with two activity clock points and was never in danger himself as the reigning world champion earned a chance for gold in his senior Asian Championships debut.

14:27: Two-time Olympian Aiaal LAZAREV (KGZ) enters the 125kg final after beating Odgerel BATKHISHIG (MGL) 10-0 in the semifinal. This is Lazarev's 10th Asian Championships, first being in 2009, and third final. He won gold in 2015 and was silver medalist in 2021.

14:22: At 74kg, Kota TAKAHASHI (JPN) notches perhaps the biggest win of his young career, scoring a takedown in each period to knock off Hossein ABOUZARI (IRI) 4-2 and earn a place in the final in his international senior debut. The 20-year-old Takahashi opens with a textbook double-leg takedown, but gives up a single-leg takedown to trail 2-2 on criteria. In the second period, the Japanese gets the winning takedown, and then fends off all desperate attacks by Abouzari.

14:20: Viktor RASSADIN (TJK) becomes the second wrestler from Tajikistan to enter the finals at the Asian Championships after he defeated Alp BEGENJOV (TKM) 14-4 in the 74kg semifinal. Incidentally, the first finalist -- Yusup ABDULSALAMOV (TJK) -- won at 74kg as well back in 2003.

14:10: Another heartbreak for Kyrgyzstan as Nurtilek KARYPBAEV (KGZ) goes down 5-3 against Sherzod POYONOV (UZB) in the 92kg semifinal. Karypbaev could not keep up with the pace of the bout and broke down.

14:08: Amirhossein FIROUZPOUR (IRI) gets a chance to add to his 2022 gold after bulling to a 10-0 victory over Magomed SHARIPOV (BRN) in the 92kg semifinals. Sharipov just couldn't stop the charge of Firouzpour, who had six stepouts, two of which got a caution point tacked on. Firouzpour's lone takedown of the match, off a single leg, ended it at 4:14.

13:57: Javrail SHAPIEV (UZB) scored a takedown in the first period and held on that 2-0 lead against Atai IZABEKOV (KGZ). He was cautioned for open fingers on Izabekov's face but that didn't stop Shapiev from winning 2-1 and entering the 86kg final against defending champion Azamat DALUETBEKOV (KAZ). Both wrestled in the 86kg bronze-medal bout at the World Championships which the Kazakh won. But Shapiev won the Asian Games quarterfinal in October.

13:55: Azamat DAULETBEKOV (KAZ) will get a shot at a third straight Asian gold at 86kg after putting on an arm drag clinic in an 11-0 victory over Peilong LI (CHN). Dauletbekov used the arm drag to set up five takedowns, the final one coming 27 seconds into the second period to end the match.

13:47: Taiyrbek ZHUMASHBEK UULU (KGZ) pulled off a miracle victory over Reza ATRI (IRI) in the 61kg semifinals, scoring a 4-point back trip in the final second for an 11-7 victory. Atri came back from a 5-point deficit to lead 7-6, mainly with a 4-point counter lift. A fleeing point tied the score, but Atri still led on criteria. Zhumashbek Uulu did little to build up his 5-0 lead in the first period, gaining an activity point, a penalty point for a hand to the face, a takedown while countering a throw, and then a point for an unsuccessful challenge after the Iranians thought the takedown should have been called a missed throw.

13:35: Assyl AITAKYN (KAZ) enters the 61kg final after beating Akash DAHIYA (IND) 11-0. A slow start to the semifinal but Aitakyn used a takedown and two turns in the second period to claim the victory.

The semifinals will begin at 13:30 local time

13:20: In the last quarterfinal of the morning session, Kota TAKAHASHI (JPN) blanks YASH (IND) 11-0. After a 4-0 lead in the first period, Takahashi scored a stepout in the second period and countered Yash's attack. He scored two exposures to enter the 74kg semifinal. 

13:15: Local star Aiaal LAZAREV (KGZ) breaks BUHEEERDUN (CHN) in the second period and overcomes a three-point deficit and wins the 125kg quarterfinal 10-6.

13:10: Either Turkmenistan or Tajikistan will be assured of taking home a medal after Alp BEGENJOV (TJM) and Viktor RASSIDIN (TJK) advanced to a semifinal clash against each other at 74kg. Begenjov recorded a fall over Fierre AFAN (PHI), and Rassidin followed with a 9-0 victory over Kanat KERIMBEKOV (KGZ) in their respective quarterfinal matches.

13:02: Hossein ABOUZARI (IRI) stays on track to the final by crushing Yong Nam SO (PRK) 12-1 in the 74kg quarterfinals.

12:57: World champion Amir ZARE (IRI) begins his campaign with a 10-0 victory over Anirudh KUMAR (IND) in the 125kg quarterfinals. Zare took a 6-0 lead into the second period and wasted little time finishing up the technical fall.

12:55: The home crowd seems to spur on 2022 Asian U23 silver medalist Nurtilek KARYBAEV (KGZ) in the second period, when he scores three takedowns to forge a 6-1 victory over Issa AL OBAIDI (IRQ) and advances to the 92kg semifinals.

12:55: Magomed SHARIPOV (BRN) manages to keep himself from touching the mat on three points and avoids being taken down. He beats Adilet DAVLUMBAYEV (KAZ) 7-4 to advance to the semifinals at 92kg.

12:45: Javrail SHAPIEV (UZB), an Asian Games bronze medalist and fifth-place finisher at both the Olympics and World Championships, holds on for a 4-1 victory over Tatsuya SHIRAI (JPN) to advance to the 86kg semifinals. Shapiev scored a first-period takedown, and Shirai cut the gap with a stepout a minute into the second period. Shapiev clinches the win with a takedown in the final seconds off a counter from a desperate attack by the Japanese.

12:44: Amirhossein FIROUZPOUR (IRI) books his place in the 92kg semifinals with an 11-0 rout of Suhe GANG (CHN).

12:34: In one of the featured matches of the midday session, defending champion and two-time world bronze medalist Azamat DAULETBEKOV (KAZ) scores an early single-leg takedown against Hadi VAFAEIPOUR (IRI) in their 86kg quarterfinal, but the Iranian responds with a stepout. That is where the scoring ends, although Vafaeipour ended the match in deep on a single that he just couldn't finish off. The Iranians naturally challenged, but it was denied to give Dauletbekov a 3-1 win and the Iranian side its first loss of the day.

12:25: Reza ATRI (IRI) moves a step closer to his third career Asian medal and possibly second gold with a workmanlike 5-0 victory over Dzhamashed SHARIFOV (TJK) in the 61kg quarterfinals. 

12:00: Kota TAKAHASHI (JPN) with a takedown in the final 10 seconds to claim a 9-9 criteria win over Syrbaz TALGAT (KAZ) at 74kg.

11:58: Hossein ABOUZARI (IRI) scores his fourth takedown with 13 seconds left to complete a 10-0 win over Zafarbek OTAKHONOV (UZB) at 74kg to become Iran's fifth wrestler out of five in the quarterfinals. Otakhonov was the silver medalist a year ago at 70kg.

11:52: Returning bronze medalist BUHEEERDUN (CHN) moves on at 125kg with a 5-2 win over Koki YAMAMOTO (JPN). Apart from the one time he got stuck in a fall position, Buheeerdun controlled the bout.

11:48: Anirudh KUMAR (IND), a returning bronze medalist at 125kg, has no trouble in posting a safe 3-0 victory over Zaman ANWAR (PAK). He will next face world champion Amir ZARE (IRI).
 
11:38:
Another Iranian is over the first hurdle as 2022 champion Amirhossein FIROUZPOUR (IRI) cruises to an 11-0 victory over Satoshi MIURA (JPN) at 92kg.

11:36: Tatsuya SHIRAI (JPN), the world U23 silver medalist after winning the gold in 2022, scores four stepouts in muscling to a 5-0 victory over Sandeep MANN (IND) at 86kg.

11:30: Not to be for Mustafa AL OBAIDI (IRI) as Peilong LI (CHN) storms back after trailing 3-3 on criteria. Li pins Al Obaidi to win the 86kg bout.

11:28: Hadi VAFAEIPOUR (IRI), making his debut in a major tournament for Iran, easily gets past VUTHY HENG (CAM) in his opening match at 86kg, scoring a 10-0 win in 2:39. Among Vafaeipour's accolades is a victory last year on the Beach Wrestling circuit. 

11:20: In a thriller at 61kg, Akash DAHIYA (IND) twice scored exposure points in the second period while Dzhamshed SHARIFOV (UZB) was trying to turn him over, the final time to clinch a 10-8 victory.

11:12: Assyl AITAKYN (KAZ), a two-time world U23 bronze medalist, starts the action on Mat B with a 7-0 victory over Ali ABURAMAILA (PLE) at 61kg.

11:10: Kaisei TANABE (JPN), whose father Chikara was a bronze medalist in 55kg at the 2004 Athens Olympics, squanders a 4-0 lead and drops his bout against Reza ATRI (IRI) 4-4.

11:04: In the opening match on Mat A, Kum Chol Ri (PRK), an Asian cadet champion in 2014, marks his return to the international scene with a quick 10-0 win over Ibrahim GUZAN (YEM) at 61kg

11:00: Another Freestyle day at the Asian Championships in Bishkek. Wrestlers in 61kg, 74kg, 86kg, 92kg and 125kg to wrestle for the five gold medals on offer.