#WrestleIstanbul

Saturday's U17 World Championships semifinals set

Friday, August 4, 2023 - 21:39 By Eric Olanowski

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ISTANBUL, Turkiye (August 5) --- The sixth day of wrestling at the 2023 U17 World Championships continues with freestyle action at 45kg, 51kg, 60kg, 71kg and 92kg.

The morning session, which starts at 11:00 (local time), will run through the quarterfinals before taking our mid-day break. We'll return at 17:00 for the semifinals, then roll directly into the first set of women's wrestling medal bouts at 18:00.

Friday's opening session will feature 25 medalists from this year's continental champions, including 11 wrestlers who reached the top of the podium at the 2023 Asian, European, African or Pan-American Championships.

Everything you need to know:
📍Istanbul, Turkiye 🇹🇷
🗓️: July 31-August 6
Qualification: 11:00
🥇🥈🥉= 18:00
#️⃣: #WrestleIstanbul
🖥️: uww.org 
📱: UWW App

Saturday's semifinal matches:
45kg
Ahora Farhad KHATERI (IRI) vs. Ignacio Victor VILLASENOR (USA) 
Ebubekir GUR (TUR) vs. Gor BUNIATYAN (ARM) 

51kg 
Ahora Farhad KHATERI (IRI) vs. Ignacio Victor VILLASENOR (USA) 
Ebubekir GUR (TUR) vs. Gor BUNIATYAN (ARM) 

60kg
Zandanbat BATSAIKHAN (MGL) vs. Akito MAEHARA (JPN) 
Sajad Gholamhassan PIRDAYEH (IRI) vs. Jamal ABBASOV (AZE) 

71kg ​​​​​​​
Seyedabolfazl Seyed Ayyoub HOSSEINI (IRI) vs. Islam Aslanovitch KAZHAROV (AIN) 
Narender NARENDER (IND) vs. Ladarion Artez LOCKETT (USA) 

92kg
Genki HOKI (JPN) vs. Sandro KURASHVILI (GEO) 
Vinay VINAY (IND) vs. Eyyup CETIN (TUR) 

Here's a list of the reigning continental champs in action on Saturday:
45kg - Jafar JAFAROV (AZE)
45kg - Ahora Farhad KHATERI (IRI)
51kg - Giorgi MAISURADZE (GEO)
60kg - Omurbek ASAN UULU (KGZ)
60kg - Jamal ABBASOV (AZE)
71kg - Mohamed Elaid CHIBIKH (ALG)
71kg - Narek NIKOGHOSYAN (ARM)
71kg - Seyedabolfazl Seyed Ayyoub HOSSEINI (IRI)
92kg - Toohid Amirali NOORY (IRI)
92kg - Sandro KURASHVILI (GEO)

​​​​​​​14:30: That'll do it for the morning session. Tonight's semifinals start at 17:00, followed by the first set of freestyle medal matches at 18:00.

14:17: This session has two matches per mat left. We'll close out the session with a clash of reigning continental champions, as U17 Asian champion Toohid Amirali NOORY (IRI) will square off against U17 European champion Sandro KURASHVILI (GEO). They'll wrestle next on Mat B.

14:08: How about this? Aeoden James SINCLAIR (USA), who is currently wrestling Toohid Amirali NOORY (IRI) on Mat C, is being cornered by former UFC star Ben ASKREN (USA).

13:37: Pieter Lafras UYS (NAM) is next up on Mat A. He'll be the first athlete from Namibia to compete at the U17 World Championships. He's wrestling against Aliaksei KULAKOU (AIN).

13:33: U17 European champion Sandro KURASHVILI (GEO) will make his 2023 world championship debut in two matches on Mat A. The Georgian will take on Isomjon ISLAMOV (UZB) for a spot in the 92kg quarterfinals.

13:26: We have three 1/8-final matches left on each mat before we roll into today's quarterfinals. 

13:15: U17 European champion Jamal ABBASOV (AZE) leads Benjamin Adam DAVINO (USA), 3-0, at the break. The Azeri shot a low-level head-inside single to his American opponent's left leg and scored the first two of the mat. He also scored an inactivity point, extending his lead to 3-0.

A second-period takedown while on the shot clock pushed Abbasov to the 5-0 win over Davion.

12:57: Rohit struck when it mattered the most, taking Castillo down with 12 seconds to steal the match, 5-4. He'll meet the winner of Bout 596 between Giorgi MAISURADZE (GEO) and Vladimir ICHIZLI (MDA). 

12:40: Castillo leads Rohit after the first period, 3-0. He scored a takedown off one of Rohit's shots and a shot clock point.

12:18: I just confirmed that 2023 U17 European champion Giorgi MAISURADZE (GEO), who is coming up against Vladimir ICHIZLI (MDA) on Mat A, has no relation to 2023 Senior European bronze medalist Mariani MAISURADZE (GEO). Georgia's coach said, "They have the same name, but are not brothers or cousins. There is no relation."

11:58: Reigning U17 world finalist Christian Aaron CASTILLO (USA) will be making his way to Mat C shortly. He'll wrestle Rohit ROHIT (IND), who finished in second place at this year's U17 European Championships.

11:41: What a match! Gur scored eight second-period points to upset Jafarov, 9-8. After the match, he ran over to the Turkish-flag-waving fans and gave the biggest flex. Safe to say after that was one he really wanted--especially after losing to Jafaov earlier this year.

11:32: The first of today's continental champions Jafar JAFAROV (AZE) is up now on Mat C. He's wrestling Ebubekir GUR (TUR) in a rematch from the 2023 U17 European Championships, where Jafarov won 16-7.

11:25: It took exactly 25 minutes to get the early morning repechage rounds out of the way. They are now calling the qualification matches to each mat.

10:44: We're 15 minutes away from starting the final full day of wrestling in Istanbul. There will be four repechage matches to determine tonight's bronze medalists before we get into today's qualification rounds. In the past few days, the repechage matches have taken around 25 minutes.

#WrestleZagreb

Zagreb Open 2026 Day 3 Results: Morikawa, Ozaki in final

Friday, February 6, 2026 - 09:36 By Vinay Siwach

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ZAGREB, Croatia (February 6) -- The third day of the Zagreb Open will see Women's Wrestling in four weight classes and Greco-Roman in two weight classes. Women's Wrestling will be competed in 59kg, 62kg, 65kg and 68kg while GR will be in 63kg and 67kg.

WATCH LIVE | LIVE MATCH ORDER | YAZDANI vs BUCHANAN FINAL

14:05: GR 67kg semifinals - Two top class matches! Aytjan KHALMAKHANOV (UZB), world champion at 63kg, beats Kyotaro SOGABE (JPN), 11-5. He began with an arm-throw for four and added a turn for a 6-0 lead. Sogabe managed to come back a few times but failed to take the lead. Eventually, Khalmakhanov threw Sogabe for two correct throws and win the semifinals.

He will face Diego CHKHIKVADZE (GEO) who defeated another Japanese Katsuaki ENDO (JPN), 11-3. Chkhikvadze scored multiple correct throws in his semifinals to complete the victory.

13:55: GR 63kg semifinals - Vitalie ERIOMENCO (MDA) drops his semifinal against Erfan JARKANI (IRI) 3-1 as the Iranian enters the final. He will face a surprise finalist in CHETAN (IND) who stunned former world champion Meysam DALKHANI (IR), 14-5.

13:40: 68kg semifinals - A fall for Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN) in the semifinals over Aleah NICKEL (CAN) after building a 5-0 lead. Morikawa will face her first tough battle against Nesrin BAS (TUR) who stunned Kennedy BLADES (USA) in the other semifinal. In a low scoring bout, Blades went up 1-0 after a activity clock point. In the second period, Bas got the same point and then a stepout to lead 2-1, a lead she defended till the end.

13:25: 62kg semifinals - European silver medalist Johanna LINDBORG (SWE) with a quick 10-0 victory over ANJLI (IND). Lindborg with a drag for four before rolling to a technical superiority. For the gold medal, Lindborg will face Nonoka OZAKI (JPN) who had a tough time beating Macey KILTY (USA), 5-2, in the other semifinal.

13:15: 59kg semifinals - Alexis JANIAK (USA), a former U20 world bronze medalist, gets the better of U20 world silver medalist Hiunai HURBANOVA (AZE) in the semifinals. Janiak with a takedown and turn to make it 4-0. She then counters Hurbanova on three different occasions and wins 10-0. A lost challenge from Azerbaijan makes it 11-0.

Sena NAGAMOTO (JPN) stops the final from being all-USA as she beats Abigail NETTE (USA) 11-0 and secures a place in the final

12:55: Kennedy BLADES (USA) survives a scare against Mansi LATHER (IND) in the 68kg quarterfinal. Blades took a 5-1 in the first period but Lather scored a takedown to close the gap to 5-3. Blades challenged the decision and got it overturned on review. But Lather's pressure made Blades passive, though she defended well. Blades gave up a takedown but that was all as Blades wins and makes it to the semifinals.

12:28: Aytjan KHALMAKHANOV (UZB) puts a show and beats Valentin PETIC (MDA), 12-4, at 67kg. After leading 6-4, he hit a four-pointer and then a turn to finish the bout via technical superiority

12:20: Vitalie ERIOMENCO (MDA), U23 world champion, scores two turns from par terre and beats world champion Aidos SULTANGALI (KAZ) at 63kg. Sultangali was down 5-2 but scored an exposure to make it 5-4. However, he failed to score another point which would have given him the win.

12:15: Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN) continues her campaign with yet another 10-0 victory at 68kg. She beats Alina SHEVCHENKO (UWW) and moves into the semifinals.

12:10: Nesrin BAS (TUR) who got a walkover in her first bout, leg laces NISHA (IND) for a 10-0 win and make her place in the 68kg semifinal. Bas took a 4-0 lead and then decided to sit on it. But in the last minute, she got a takedown and two turns to win.

12:00: Katsuaki ENDO (JPN) is checked up Sachin SAHRAWAT (IND) but the Japanese star manages to hold on for a 4-2 victory and move into the quarterfinals at 67kg against Morten THORSEN (NOR). 

11:45: World champion at 65kg Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN), now wrestling at 68kg, takes her own time but manages to beat Kateryna ZELENYKH (ROU), 10-0, in her opening bout in Zagreb

11:35: Kyotaro SOGABE (JPN) failed to score any points from par terre in the first period but he gets the takedown and moves to a 9-0 victory at 67kg against Anri KHOZREVANIDZE (GEO).

11:30: World champion at 63kg Aytjan KHALMAKHANOV (UZB) has moved up to 67kg. And he has no trouble in winning his first bout via technical super superiority. He tries to score a throw when Mohamed ABDELREHIM (EGY) commits a leg foul. Back in par terre, Khalmakhanov completes the turn and wins 10-0

11:25: Kennedy BLADES (USA), world bronze medalist at 68kg, was flying against Karolina POK (HUN) having taken an 11-2 lead. However, she decided to not end the bout via technical superiority and kept her distance in the second period and won with the same scoreline.

11:20: NISHA (IND) stays in total control of her bout against Birgul SOLTANOVA (AZE) and posts an 8-1 victory. While Soltanova did get on a few scrambles, Nisha managed to defend the positions and scored her eight points.

11:15: Nonoka OZAKI (JPN), a world champion at 65kg in 2023 and Paris bronze medalist at 68kg, is back at 62kg. She begins with a 12-2 technical superiority win over Irina KUZNETSOVA (KAZ)

11:10: Aidos SULTANGALI (KAZ), world champion at 60kg, now wrestling 63kg gets going with an 8-2 victory over Adham ELSAYED (EGY).

11:00: Former age-group world champion Eniko ELEKES (HUN) gets a 10-0 technical superiority win over Marilyn GARCIA (USA) at 62kg. Excellent control throughout the bout for Elekes.

10:45: Early explosive Greco-Roman action here. Oybek SHARIBJONOV (UZB) gets the technical superiority win over Ahmadreza MOHSEN NEZHAD (IRI) at 67kg in just over two minutes. Mohsen Nezhad, a U20 world champion, tries to front headlock Sharibjonov and score a throw but the Uzbek wrestler gets the control and sends Mohsen Nezhad to danger to get four points. Mohsen Nezhad tries to get another move but lands on his back and gives up two points. Sharibjonov scores a turn and wins 8-0. Iran challenges for the first action for four points but the challenge is lost.

10:30: Another big day of wrestling coming up in Zagreb. The 68kg weight class in Women's Wrestling has a few big names with Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN), Kennedy BLADES (USA), NISHA (IND), Alina SHEVCHENKO (UWW), Nesrin BAS (TUR) competing among others.