Russia, Iran Share Two FS Titles to Deny Azerbaijan at #WrestleUfa

Tuesday, August 17, 2021 - 18:54 By Vinay Siwach

UFA, Russia (August 17) – Ramazan BAGAVUDINOV (RUS) had been touted as the next big thing out of Dagestan and Russia but his previous international outings had resulted in only a bronze medal at the 2019 European Championships.

But that changed Tuesday as the young Russian clinched the junior world title in a stunning comeback win over Muhammed KARAVUS (TUR) in the 57kg final. Winning the title in front of his home crowd in Ufa, Russia made it extra special.

“I am really happy that I could finally get the gold,” Bagavudinov said.

Five freestyle world titles were awarded on the second day of the Junior World Championships which began in Ufa Monday with Russia and Iran winning two each while the USA also claimed one title.

Azerbaijan, which had three finalists Tuesday, failed to win the gold medal and returned with three silver medals which left the coaches disappointed.

Turkey also failed to win a gold medal despite having two finalists. Karavus was a point away from winning the gold but Bagavudinov scripted a win for the ages.

It began with a exposure for Karavus and then two points for a takedown. He then exposed the Russian with two guts and added a stepout to lead 9-0. But then came the offensive onslaught.

Bagavudinov began with a big four-point throw and added a stepout to make it 9-5. A single takedown reduced the lead to 9-7 before he tripped Karavus for two more points to lead 9-9 on criteria.

“After I got the four-point throw, I was planning to keep pressing more as I knew he would get tired eventually,” he said.

With less than 30 seconds to go, he managed to defend all attacks from the Turkey wrestler who was running out of steam. But in one final effort, Karavus got a chest wrap and exposed Bagavudinov for two points but also gave up two points when he could not get out of the Russian's grip.

“Honestly, I thought they wouldn’t give the two points to the Turkish wrestler, but then I saw the scoreboard, it was 11-11, and then I realized that I won,” he said.

The 11-11 win got huge reception from the limited crowd in Ufa Arena as fans who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or can provide proof of a negative COVID-19 report using a RT-PCR method are allowed.

Shamil MAMEDOV (RUS) won the 65kg gold medal. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

The second gold medalist for Russia came at 65kg as Shamil MAMEDOV (RUS) defeated Ziraddin BAYRAMOV (AZE) 4-1 in the gold medal bout.

In contrast to the win of Bagavudinov, Mamedov had a controlled final and put on a defensive masterclass against Bayramov.

Bayramov opened the scoring when Mamedov gave up a point for being passive. But then the Russian upped his game and scored a takedown to lead 2-1. Bayramov managed to open scoring options but Mamedov's defense was on point throughout the match.

“I knew if I gave him a single leg, I would have still been able to defend, but a double leg would have been much tougher,” Mamedov said. “The final match was tough, as it always is. I was controlling the match and I managed to defend my lead, so I won.”

His ankle pick while defending a single leg gave Mamedov the two points and he defended another attack with a reverse lock to win 4-1.

Mamedov said winning the gold medal with his room partner Bagavudinov was a great experience and he had some nervous moments when his friend was trailing 0-9 in the 57kg final. But the comeback motivated Mamedov for his final as well.

“We are friends, We even stay in the same room. I am so happy we both won the gold medals,” he said. “I was watching him from the stands and I was worried a lot when the score was 9-0. When he won, it gave me more motivation to win.”

In the two Iran-Azerbaijan finals, both Iran wrestlers came out on top, ending Azerbaijan's day in disappointment.

Erfan ELAHI (IRI) stunned Dzharbrail GADZHIEV (AZE) in the 70kg final. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Elahi was the first one to stun Dzharbrail GADZHIEV (AZE) in the 70kg final as he kept on the pressure and ultimately won 7-5.

Gadzhiev, a U23 European champion, began the scoring with a stepout but Elahi also scored a stepout. Gadzhiev scored a quick takedown to make it 3-1. Bur Elahi then managed three stepout against a tiring Gadzhiev to make it 4-3. Two stepouts from each wrestler changed the score to 6-5 but that was not enough for Gadzhiev. Iran got an extra point for a lost challenge from Azerbaijan.

Elahi said that his bouts were difficult but it was his training in Iran that helped him win in Ufa.

“I was on the mat for five matches and bouts were tough and high-pressure,” Elahi said. “I trained very hard before competition, even more than what I did on mat during competition.”

Elahi began as a gymnast before switching to wrestling and said that he will now look forward to winning the trial for Oslo World Championships and work towards the Paris Olympics by moving up to 74kg.

“This competition is one step for me for Norway so that I can enter the selection trials for the World Championship,” he said. “I will not remain in70kg because I am thinking about the Olympic Games and I will be 74kg for the Paris Games.”

Mohammad Ashghar NOKHODILARIMI (IRI Mohammad NOKHODILARIMI (IRI) won the 79kg gold after defeating Ashraf ASHIROV (AZE). (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

At 79kg, Mohammad NOKHODILARIMI (IRI) defeated Ashraf ASHIROV (AZE) with an identical score of 7-5, giving Iran the second gold of the day.

Like Gadzhiev, it was Ashirov who began the scoring and got a takedown. But Nokhodilarimi reversed and got two points as well. He then went for a duck under but pulled out and scored a takedown to make 4-2. A gut wrench increased the score to 6-2.

Ashirov began the second period with a fake to the right leg then scored a takedown from the left to reduce the lead. But he gave up one stepout before scoring one at the end which was not enough for a win.

Nokhodilarimi said that he was the underdog against Ashirov which made the win a special one for him. “I was underrated to my opponent,” he said before adding, “and he was dangerous for me but God helped me to win.”

Amos Braxton AMOS (USA) claimed the gold medal at 97kg for USA. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

The final gold of the went to Braxton AMOS (USA). He defeated Polat POLATCI (TUR) 11-4 in the 97kg final with ease. The two big wrestlers exchanged throws to keep the crowd on its feet but Amos' breathtaking five-point throw was the move of the day.

Amos began with five stepout in the first period but just before the break, he locked with Polatci who managed to throw him and score four.

In the second period, Polatci tried to trip Amos but the USA wrestler went for an outside trip of his own and made a perfect back-arch to get the five-point throw. A step out at the end gave him one more point and he won 11-4.

Amos said it was a risky move to throw for five but it was worth taking. The West Virginia native is not focused on winning a NCAA title back in America.

“It's hard to explain to be world champ,” Amos said. “It means everything to me and I am thankful to everybody. I can't express anything.

“When I threw him for five, it was either I was going on my back or he was. I had to go for it and whatever happened, happened. When I get home, it's back to work. I have an NCAA title to win.”

Iran Continues Stunning Run

Iran's performance on Tuesday more or less confirmed the team title for them. They also made it to four out of the five remaining finals which will be played on Wednesday. The performance will give them their first-ever team title win since 2015.

Two-time cadet world champion Rahman AMOUZADKHALILI (IRI) led the way with a victory via fall over Fedor BALTUEV (RUS) in the 61kg final. He will face two-time cadet bronze medalist RAVINDER (IND) who won 12-2 over Levik MIKAYELYAN (ARM).

Amouzadkhalili began with an exposure for two and a stepout to lead 3-0 but Baltuev lifted him for four and then an exposure to lead 6-3. Iran challenged the call but lost. In the second period, Amouzadkhalili pressed Baltuev towards the danger and then picked him for four points. Using her trademark whipovers, he managed to get the Russian in the grip and pinned him with 47 seconds remaining.

Ravinder worked hard for his 12-2 win over Mikayelyan. Both were tied 2-2 before Ravinder's pressure tired out the Armenian. A series of takedown and then a single leg for four finished the match 12-2.

He said it doesn't matter who he is facing in the final. “The world titles of the Iranian opponent don’t matter,” he said before adding, “I’ll just consider him as another opponent.”

At 74kg, Keegan OTOOLE (USA) created some outwardly moves to pin Idar KHATANOV (RUS). The Russian used cradle to exposure to lead 10-5 but Otoole used a cradle of his own to get a pin over Khatanov. In the quarterfinal, he stunned Turan BAYRAMOV (AZE) with a similar move despite trailing.

He will wrestle Nurdaulet KUANYSHBAY (KAZ) in the final after he won 11-1 Stambul ZHANYBEK UULU (KGZ) using a leg lace.

France will have a chance to win their first freestyle junior world title in seven years as Rakhim MAGAMADOV (FRA) made it to the final at 86kg. He defeated Emre CIFTCI (TUR) 4-2.

But his task will be cut out against Amirhossein FIROUZPOURBANDPEI (IRI) who is a cadet world champion from 2019. The Iran wrestler was in his element against Daviti KOGUASHVILI (GEO) to win 14-4.

Iran will have a chance to win a gold at 92kg as Mahdi HAJILOUEIANMORAFAH (IRI) made it to the final and will face Rocky ELAM (USA). The Iran wrestler won 10-0 Nicolaas DE LANGE (RSA) while Rocky ELAM (USA) defeated Ivan KIRILLOV (RUS) 5-3 in the other semifinal.

At 125kg, Ali AKBARPOURKHORDOUNI (IRI) can add a sixth gold to cap off a remarkable campaign for them. He scored a top-notch win over Wyatt HENDRICKSON (USA) 8-5. He will face 2021 junior Euro champion Lyova GEVORGYAN (ARM).

Gevorgyan scored another win over Aydin AHMADOV (AZE) 10-0 as he did in the junior European Championships final.

Women's wrestling will begin Wednesday with 50kg, 55kg, 59kg, 68kg and 76kg.

RESULTS FS Medal Bouts

57kg
GOLD: Ramazan BAGAVUDINOV (RUS) df Muhammet KARAVUS (TUR), 11-11

BRONZE: Assylzhan YESSENGELDI (KAZ) df Nuraddin NOVRUZOV (AZE), 12-6
BRONZE: Manvel KHNDZRTSYAN (ARM) df Abdymalik KARACHOV (KGZ), 6-2

65kg
GOLD: Shamil MAMEDOV (RUS) df Ziraddin BAYRAMOV (AZE), 4-1

BRONZE: Beau BARTLETT (USA) df Mustafo AKHMEDOV (TJK), 7-4
BRONZE: Bekzat YERMEKBAY (KAZ) df Seyedhassan EBADIMERMETI (IRI), 8-5

70kg
GOLD: Erfan ELAHI (IRI) df Dzhabrail GADZHIEV (AZE), 7-5

BRONZE: Stanislav SVINOBOEV (RUS) df Kevin MAKOTA STROEM (SWE), 12-1
BRONZE: Bryce ANDONIAN (USA) df Stanislav NOVAC (MDA), 18-8

79kg
GOLD: Mohammad NOKHODILARIMI (IRI) df Ashraf ASHIROV (AZE), 7-5

BRONZE: Gourav BALIYAN (IND) df Richard SCHROEDER (GER), 10-0
BRONZE: Mukhammad ABDULLAEV (KGZ) df Makhambet NURZHAUBAYEV (KAZ), 4-1

97kg
GOLD: Braxton AMOS (USA) df Polat POLATCI (TUR), 11-4

BRONZE: Alireza ABDOLLAHI (IRI) df Radu LEFTER (MDA), 5-4
BRONZE: DEEPAK (IND) df Milan KORCSOG (HUN), 3-2

RESULTS Semifinals

61kg
GOLD: RAVINDER (IND) vs Rahman AMOUZADKHALILI (IRI)

SF 1: RAVINDER (IND) df Levik MIKAYELYAN (ARM), 12-2
SF 2: Rahman AMOUZADKHALILI (IRI) df Fedor BALTUEV (RUS), via fall

74kg
GOLD: Keegan OTOOLE (USA) vs Nurdaulet KUANYSHBAY (KAZ)

SF 1: Keegan OTOOLE (USA) df Idar KHATANOV (RUS), via fall
SF 2: Nurdaulet KUANYSHBAY (KAZ) df Stambul ZHANYBEK UULU (KGZ), 11-1

86kg
GOLD: Rakhim MAGAMADOV (FRA) vs Amirhossein FIROUZPOURBANDPEI (IRI)

SF 1: Rakhim MAGAMADOV (FRA) df Emre CIFTCI (TUR), 4-2
SF 2: Amirhossein FIROUZPOURBANDPEI (IRI) df Daviti KOGUASHVILI (GEO), 14-4

92kg
GOLD: Mahdi HAJILOUEIANMORAFAH (IRI) vs Rocky ELAM (USA)

SF 1: Mahdi HAJILOUEIANMORAFAH (IRI) df Nicolaas DE LANGE (RSA), 10-0
SF 2: Rocky ELAM (USA) df Ivan KIRILLOV (RUS), 5-3

125kg
GOLD: Ali AKBARPOURKHORDOUNI (IRI) vs Lyova GEVORGYAN (ARM)

SF 1: Ali AKBARPOURKHORDOUNI (IRI) df Wyatt HENDRICKSON (USA), 8-5
SF 2: Lyova GEVORGYAN (ARM) df Aydin AHMADOV (AZE), 10-0

#wrestlebishkek

Badaghimofrad First Qatar Wrestler to Reach Asian Championships Greco Final

Tuesday, April 7, 2026 - 05:29 By Ken Marantz & Vinay Siwach

BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan (April 7) -- Shahin BADAGHIMOFRAD (QAT) won a historic bronze medal for Qatar at the 2025 Asian Championships. In Bishkek, he created another history.

Badaghimofrad became the first-ever Qatar wrestler to reach the final in Greco-Roman at the Asian Championships on Tuesday after he defeated Ibragim MAGOMADOV (KAZ), 9-8, in a thrilling bout at 82kg.

In an all but lost semifinals, the Qatar wrestler, made a huge comeback against the former Asian champion, who led 7-2 at one point. Badaghimofrad scored a stepout but Qatar challenged for two points. It, however, lost it which made the score 8-3 for Magomadov.

But it was all Badaghimofrad after that as he scored a takedown, two stepouts, a point for par terre and also got a fleeing point for his 9-8 win.

He will now look to become Qatar's first-ever Asian champion in any style when he faces Amin HOSSEINI (IRI) in the final on Tuesday.

Hosseini became the sixth Iran wrestler to reach the final at this Asian Championships after he defeated PRINCE (IND) 10-0. Hosseini scored a four-point throw from par terre to lead 5-0 and then Iran challenged for a leg foul from Prince which was confirmed on review. With a 7-0 lead, Hosseini completed a correct throw for two points. India challenged asking for no points but lost it to give one more point to Hosseini.

In other weight classes, Hadi SARAVI (IRI) is a win away from defending his Asian title at 97kg after he reached the final in Bishkek with a 3-1 win over Islam YEVLOYEV (KAZ) in the semifinal. He scored a turn from par terre and was content to defend his lead. He will face returning bronze medalist NITESH (IND) in the final after the Indian scored a 7-2 win over Zegang WANG (CHN).

Nitesh got the par terre in the first period and turned Wang for a 3-0 lead before launching a throw for four points to make it 7-0. No par terre was awarded in the second period but Wang scored a drag to takedown to score two points but with just five seconds left.

72kg semifinals - Javad REZAEI (IRI) had to throw Shakhzod KUCHKOROV (UZB) twice to complete a 9-0 victory in the semifinals. Rezaei began the semifinal with a takedown and turn to lead 4-0. He then threw Kuchkorov for four points, giving him an 8-0 win. But Uzbekistan challenged and on review, Kuchkorov's head was outside before the throw, reversing the score to 4-0. Soon, Rezaei was awarded the par terre position and he made no mistake this time, completing a 9-0 win.

He will face Almatbek AMANBEK (KAZ) for the gold medal after the Kazakhstan wrestler got a 3-1 win over Amantur ISMAILOV (KGZ) in the other semifinal. Amanbek was leading 1-1 on criteria when he got the par terre position, making his lead 2-1. He then scored a stepout against a tiring Ismailov which was enough to confirm his winning score.

67kg semifinals - Kyrgyzstan got it's fourth finalist when returning silver medalist Razzak BEISHEKEEV (KGZ) defeated Ahmadreza MOHSEN NEZHAD (IRI) in the 67kg semifinals. Awarded the first par terre, Beishekeev used two reverse body throws for four points each to win. Iran challenged and the first throw was scored two points after review. However Mohsen Nezhad had committed a defensive foul while defending the second period. He was docked two points for the foul, which eventually still gave the win to the Kyrgyz wrestler.

Beishekeev will look to change the color of his medal on Wednesday when he faces Kensuke SHIMIZU (JPN) who got the better of Abdumalik AMINOV (UZB), 5-2, in the semifinal. Aminov was awarded a par terre and a stepout in the first period to lead 2-0.

Shimizu got similar scoring the second period to lead 2-2 on criteria. Aminov challenged for a point when Shimizu did not complete a throw and Aminov landed on top. But Uzbekistan lost the challenge which gave the additional point to the Japanese wrestler. Aminov tried an arm throw but Shimizu blocked it for a takedown which gave him two more points.

60kg semifinals - The 60kg gold medal bout will be a repeat of last year's Asian Championships final as both Se ung RI (PRK) and Alisher GANIEV (UZB) marched into final with commanding victories.

Defending champion and world and Olympic bronze medalist Ri took just 27 seconds to reach a second straight Asian Championships. He used a four-pointer and then two front chestwrap rolls to finish the bout 8-0 against Yerbol KAMALIYEV (KAZ).

In the other semifinal, Ganiev got first par terre against Yu SHIOTANI (JPN) and lifted before slamming him on the mat for four points. He continued the sequence and completed another four-point throw to win the bout. Japan challenged for a foul but lost the challenge to give one more point to Ganiev, making him a 10-0 winner.

RESULTS

60kg
SF 1: Alisher GANIEV (UZB) df. Yu SHIOTANI (JPN), 10-0
SF 2: Se ung RI (PRK) df. Yerbol KAMALIYEV (KAZ), 8-0

63kg
SF 1: Razzak BEISHEKEEV (KGZ) df. Ahmadreza MOHSEN NEZHAD (IRI), 9-0
SF 2: Kensuke SHIMIZU (JPN) df. Abdumalik AMINOV (UZB), 5-2

72kg
SF 1: Almatbek AMANBEK (KAZ) df. Amantur ISMAILOV (KGZ), 3-1
SF 2: Javad REZAEI (IRI) df. Shakhzod KUCHKOROV (UZB), 9-0

82kg
SF 1: Shahin BADAGHIMOFRAD (QAT) df. Ibragim MAGOMADOV (KAZ), 9-8
SF 2: Mohammadamin HOSSEINI (IRI) df. PRINCE (IND), 10-0

97kg
SF 1: Hadi SARAVI (IRI) df. Islam YEVLOYEV (KAZ), 3-1
SF 2: NITESH (IND) df. Zegang WANG (CHN), 7-2

Qualification Highlights

13:13: Former Asian champion Ibragim MAGOMADOV (KAZ) picks up a 3-1 victory over Aram VARDANYAN (UZB) who is moving up to 82kg from 77kg in which he won Asian gold last year. Magomadov with a turn after being awarded the par terre to build a 3-0 lead. Vardanyan was the par terre position in the second period which gave him the one point but that was as the Kazakhstan wrestler advanced to the semifinals.

13:03: Shahin BADAGHIMOFRAD (QAT), who won Qatar's historic first medal in Greco-Roman at the Asian Championships last year and with hopes to change the color this year, begins with a 5-3 victory over Rui LIU (CHN). He scores two turns from par terre while allowing Liu only one to keep the lead. He advances to the semifinals at 82kg

12:57: Taishi NARIKUNI (JPN) sees his bid to add an Asian Greco gold to the one he won in Freestyle in 2022 end with a thud, as the Japanese went down to a quick 9-0 loss to Javad REZAEI (IRI) at 72kg. Rezaei, a former world U23 silver medalist who won the gold at this year's Tirana Ranking Series tournament, got the passivity call and went ahead 3-0 with a gut wrench. But the Iranian was hardly finished, as he then launched Narikuni for a 4-point throw, then ended the proceedings at 2:01 with another gut wrench to advance to the semifinals. Narikuni, who is also entered at Freestyle 70kg, is the first Japanese to compete in both styles at an Asian Championships since 1983.

12:52: Former world and Asian bronze medalist Amantur ISMAILOV (KGZ) scores a takedown and 2-point roll, then finishes off ANIL (IND) with a 4-point arm throw to end their 72kg quarterfinal with an 8-0 win in 1:05.

12:50: A takedown and two massive four-point throws from returning silver medalist Alisher GANIEV (UZB) for a 10-0 win in just a minute and four seconds at 60kg. Highlights stuff from Ganiev!

12:45: Former Asian champion Yu SHIOTANI (JPN) slips out from the bottom of par terre and gains a 2-point exposure and reversal in the second period, clinching a 6-2 victory over SAHIL (IND) and berth in the 60kg semifinals.

12:41: Reigning champion and World and Olympic bronze medalist Se Ung RI (PRK) starts his title defense at 60kg with a hard-fought 6-2 victory over 2024 world U23 and U20 champion Ali AHMADI VAFA (IRI). After giving up an early takedown, Ri spins out of an arm throw to go behind for a takedown, then goes ahead 4-2 with a gut wrench. In the second period, Ri adds another takedown and holds on for a place in the semifinals.

12:33: The Asian gold-medal hopes of world silver medalist Hanjae CHUNG (KOR) came to a painful end, as he had to default his match with Razzak BEISHEKEEV (KGZ) due to an elbow injury, shortly after giving up a 4-point throw that saw him fall behind 5-1. Whether Chung will be able to continue to add to his two Asian bronzes and one silver remains to be seen.

12:30: Olympic and defending champion Hadi SARAVI (IRI) takes his sweet time to score a technical superiority 8-0 win over Minho LEE (KOR) at 97kg. While the match went on for more than four minutes, Saravi never looked in trouble.

12:27: Zegang WANG (CHN) ends the long-shot hopes of Gankhuyag GANBAATAR (MGL) for an improbable Greco-Freestyle double gold, storming to an 8-0 win to advance to the 97kg semifinals.

12:24: Kensuke SHIMIZU (JPN) uses a cross-body lift from par terre to slam down Sachin SAHRAWAT (IND) in their 67kg quarterfinal match, but keeps the hold and secures the fall at 1:39.

12:23: In a battle of past 77kg bronze medalists, Rui LIU (CHN) takes a 4-1 lead into the second period of his 82kg bout with Yryskeldi MAKSATBEK UULU (KGZ) when he gives up a 2-point fingers-grabbing foul to suddenly make things interesting. But Liu fends off everything the home wrestler throws at him for a 4-3 win and a place in the quarterfinals.

12:19: Another quick finish on Mat C. Returning silver medalist Yuri NAKAZATO (JPN) falls to Islam YEVLOYEV (KAZ), 8-0, in just 58 seconds at 97kg

12:16: Ahmadreza MOHSEN NEZHAD (IRI) with quick 10-0 win over Sunat ABDULLOEV (TJK). The former U20 world champion took just 2:45 minutes to advance at 67kg.

12:15: Two-time Asian U23 champion Haodong TAN (CHN) hits a 4-point throw late in the first period to complete a stunning fightback against Kurmanbek ZHAPAROV (KGZ) for a 7-5 victory at 60kg. Tan had fallen behind 5-0 in the first period, with part of those points coming on a leg foul after he had apparently stopped a throw by Zhaparov. That foul came into play later after Tan cut the lead to 5-3, as the front headlock throw that he hit was initially scored as 2 points, which would have left him behind criteria. But after a referees' discussion, it was revised to 4, putting him over the top.

12:10: Taishi NARIKUNI (JPN), another wrestler trying to achieve a Greco-Freestyle double, gets his first international Greco win with a 11-2 win over Loiqi AMIRKHONZODA (TJK) at 72kg. Narikuni scored a takedown and then got the par terre position from which he scored an exposure to lead 5-0. Amirkhonzoda managed to get a reverse exposure to make it 5-2. Narikuni manages to come back on top and rolls Amirkhonzoda twice to win the 72kg bout

12:05: Ali AHMADI VAFA (IRI) built a 7-0 lead from par terre with three turns against Minwoo KIM (KOR) but used the full seconds period to score the final two points when Kim tried a desperate throw. Ahmadi Vafa was awarded the fall and he advances at 67kg.

12:00: Gankhuyag GANBAATAR (MGL), another of the gutsy wrestlers attempting the Greco-Freestyle double in Bishkek, doesn't get the venture off to a good start, as he falls behind 7-0 in the first period of his 97kg bout with Ibrahim FALLATAH (KSA). But the Mongolian hangs tough and scores a takedown before the period ends to make it 7-2. Ganbaatar gets shot at par terre, and while Fallatah resists at first, Ganbaatar's gut wrench takes him over four times. Ganbaatar adds a late takedown and walks off a 13-7 winner.

11:49: Kensuke SHIMIZU (JPN), a world bronze medalist at 63kg in 2021, rallies with a stepout and spin-behind takedown midway through the second period for a 4-3 win at 67kg over two-time Asian bronze medalist Ji LENG (CHN).

11:48: In a thriller right off the bat on Mat B, world silver medalist Hanjae CHUNG (KOR) gets a second chance at par terre in the second period, and boy did he make the most of it, launching Asian U23 champion Bagdat SABAZ (KAZ) for a 4-point throw to win 7-4 in their opening match at 67kg

11:30: Welcome to Bishkek on a hazy spring day for the second day of competition in Greco-Roman. The qualifying rounds will be held in the remaining five weight classes of 60kg, 67kg, 72kg, 82kg and 97kg, with world and Olympic champion Hadi SARAVI (IRI) headlining the action as he goes for a fourth Asian title.

Russia, Iran Share Two FS Titles to Deny Azerbaijan at #WrestleUfa

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Badaghimofrad First Qatar Wrestler to Reach Asian Championships Greco Final