#WrestleBaku

Stage set for thrilling Greco-Roman World Cup in Baku

Wednesday, November 2, 2022 - 14:12 By Vinay Siwach

Share this article

BAKU, Azerbaijan (November 2) -- For the first time, the top teams from the World Championships will get a chance to challenge a team comprising of stars from around the world.

As the teams arrive from Baku for the Greco-Roman World Cup after a gap of three years, a new dimension will see the tournament include the All-World team comprising four silver and three bronze medalists from the Belgrade World Championships.

Not only this team will be the favorite to win the top spot at the World Cup, but it also offers match-ups that fans miss out on during other tournaments. The All-World team is clubbed with Azerbaijan and Serbia in Group B.

Serbia, however, will miss the tournament after a number of COVID-19 infections in the team. Azerbaijan and the All-World team will receive automatic wins and the winner of the Azerbaijan-All-Star clash will wrestle in the final.

Group B has Turkey, Iran and Kyrgyzstan and will see a tough battle for the top spot in the group. The second-placed teams from each group will wrestle for the third place on the podium.

Led by two-time silver medalists Nugzari TSURTSUMIA (GEO) and Leri ABULADZE (GEO), the All-World team has three Georgian wrestlers with Joni KHETSURIANI (GEO) also making the cut.

Bronze medalists Aidos SULTANGALI (KAZ), Andrii KULYK (UKR) and Mantas KNYSTAUTAS (LTU) will also give tough competition to the host wrestler.

Zoltan LEVAI (HUN), who had a breakout tournament with a silver medal at 77kg, would like to continue his form at the World Cup. Another silver medalist is Jalgasbay BERDIMURATOV (UZB) who almost collected the gold at 82kg in Belgrade.

Alex KESSIDIS (SWE) at 87kg and Nikoloz KAKHELASHVILI (ITA) at 97kg were late additions to the team but would like to make the most of the opportunity.

For the hosts, two young stars -- Nihat MAMMADLI (AZE) and Gurban GURBANOV (AZE) -- will share the responsibility of the team. Beka KANDELAKI (AZE) will provide the experience for Azerbaijan.

Mammadli, who lost in the U23 World Championships final at 60kg, will try to announce his name in the big league by beating Sultangali while Abuladze can face a stiff challenge from Ziya BABASHOV (AZE).

With the dual running close, the 67kg bout between Namaz RUSTAMOV (AZE) and Khetsuriani will hold extra significance before Kulyk takes on Eljan MAMMADOV (AZE) at 72kg.

A top battle between Gurbanov and Levai will be crucial to decide the winner of the match-up as Levai will look to beat Gurbanov to remove some pressure off Berdimuratov who takes on Nasir HASANOV (AZE).

At 87kg, Kessidis has Murad AHMADIYEV (AZE) and Kakhelashvili faces Zamir MAGOMEDOV (AZE) at 97kg. The epic clash between Kandelaki and Knystautas will be the last of the dual.

Even if Azerbaijan lose the early bouts, it won't be surprising to see it cover the lead in the latter half of the dual and secure a spot in the final.

Group B

A blockbuster clash will open the World Cup when Turkey and Iran collide for the opening match in Baku.

Iran team is a mix of youth and experience and will be a tough test for Turkey. With wrestlers who were at the U23 World Championships two weeks ago, Iran will be hoping to outplace Turkey.

At 55kg, U23 world champ Poya DAD MARZ (IRI) will look to win his bouts against Ekrem OZTURK (TUR) and give an early lead to his team.

The 60kg battle will be a high-stake bout as Mehdi MOHSEN NEJAD (IRI) looks to avenge his heartbreaking loss against Kerem KAMAL (TUR) from Belgrade. Mohsen Nejad was leading the bout when Kamal pinned him. Kamal went on to win the U23 world title in Pontevedra. Spain after mission out on the senior world medal.

A former U23 world silver medalist Ahmet UYAR (TUR) has U20 world champion Iman Khoon MOHAMMADI (IRI) and a win here will be crucial for both teams before moving to 67kg where Murat FIRAT (TUR) takes on U20 and U23 world champion Seyed SOHRABI (IRI).

Experienced wrestler and world bronze medalist Selcuk CAN (TUR) will be the favorite against Amir ABDI (IRI) at 72kg.

At 77kg, Asian champion Mohammad Reza MOKHTARI (TUR) and world bronze medalist Yunus BASAR (TUR) clash and could well change the momentum of the dual for their team.

World champion Burhan AKBUDAK (TUR) can carry the momentum for Turkey as he clashes against Alireza MOHMADIPIANI (IRI) at 82kg and will be the favorite. His win becomes more important since the next weight class will see Abolfazl CHOUBANI (IRI) take on Ali CENGIZ (TUR), a bout that can tilt in any direction.

At 97kg, two-time world champion Metehan BASAR (TUR) continues his journey in a new weight class and will be tested by either Ali ABEDIDARZI (IRI) or Mehdi BALIHAMZEHDEH (IRI) before the dual moves to 130kg in which former world champion Aliakbar YOUSOFI (IRI) will prepare for upcoming star Osman YILDIRIM (TUR).

Kyrgyzstan is the third team of the group and will take on Iran in the evening session on Saturday. While its world champions Zholoman SHARSHENBEKOV (KGZ) and Akzhol MAKHMUDOV (KGZ) are missing, Kyrgyzstan can well be the party spoiler for the other teams.

Most of the team is compromised of young blood but U23 Asian champions Adilkhan NURLANBEKOV (KGZ) at 77kg and Akylbek TALANTBEKOV (KGZ) at 82kg will fancy their chances to get wins for Kyrgyzstan. The team also has Olympian Atabek AZISBEKOV (KGZ) wrestling at 97kg.

#JapanWrestling

Two-time Olympic champ Risako Kinjo brings curtain down on stellar career

Sunday, October 12, 2025 - 23:14 By Ken Marantz

Share this article

TOKYO, Japan (October 12) -- Risako KINJO (JPN), who won two Olympic gold medals under her maiden name of Kawai before capturing a fourth world title last year after giving birth, officially announced her retirement over the weekend.

"I felt that I had experienced everything that was good about being a wrestler," the 31-year-old Kinjo told the Japanese media Sunday on bringing down the curtain on one of wrestling's most sterling careers. "I felt fulfilled and happy with a life in which wrestling was my passion."

Kinjo also revealed that she is pregnant with her second child as she spoke to the media at the Japan Women's Open in Akitsu, Shizuoka Prefecture, where she was coaching younger sister Yukako TSUNEMURA (JPN), who was returning to the mat for the first time since becoming a mother herself.

Kinjo first announced her retirement on her Instagram account on Saturday night, stating that in the 24 years since she started wrestling at age 7, "I have had good experiences and bad, highs and lows. But to win four world championships and two consecutive Olympics was all due to the support and encouragement of many people. I thank them all."

Kinjo first struck Olympic gold at 63kg at Rio in 2016, then won out in a duel that captivated the wrestling world with fellow Rio and four-time Olympic champion Kaori ICHO (JPN) for the 57kg spot at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, where she took home a second gold.

Of the clash of the titans with Icho, Kawai remarked, "I had no more difficult period than that. I'm glad I was able to experience it."

In the Tokyo semifinals, Kinjo had to face yet another Rio gold medalist in Helen MAROULIS (USA), who had moved up from 53kg. Kinjo came away with a 2-1 win, then defeated Iryna KURACHKINA (UWW) 5-0 for the gold.

With Yukako also winning the 62kg gold, it elevated the Kawai sisters to celebrity status in the host country. The two got their start in the sport at the kids' club run by their mother. Both of their parents were national-level wrestlers.

Soon after Tokyo, Risako married former wrestler Kiryu KINJO, and in May 2022, gave birth to a baby girl. Instead of settling down to a domestic life, motherhood lit a fresh flame to continue the sport.

"I had originally planned to win the Tokyo Olympics and then retire gracefully," Kinjo said. "I even told people around me that I would quit after the Tokyo Olympics. But when I got married and got pregnant, I felt that my body wasn't only my own, and I wanted to continue wrestling.

"While I was pregnant, I watched Yukako's matches and thought to myself, 'If it were me, I would do it like this,' so after my child was born, I decided to try it again."

Her bid to win a third straight Olympic gold in Paris, however, was derailed by the reigning world 57kg champion Tsugumi SAKURAI (JPN), who went on to triumph in the French capital.

Rebuffing speculation that the loss would mark her swan song, she showed her passion for the sport by sticking around. With the incentive of wanting to have her daughter see her compete and make some history, she had no qualms about moving into the non-Olympic weight of 59kg.

She suffered a setback of sorts at the Asian Championships in April 2024, when she lost to Qi ZHANG (CHN) in the semifinals and had to settle for a bronze medal.

But she righted the ship at the Non-Olympic Weight World Championships in October that year in Tirana, Albania, where she cruised into the 59kg final and defeated Tserenchimed SUKHEE (MGL) 4-2.

"No one from Japan had ever achieved becoming a 'world No. 1 as a mama', and it would be ideal if I could do it," Kinjo recalled thinking. "When I accomplished it at the World Championships last October, as soon as it was over I thought there is nothing else that I want."

That victory added to the three consecutive senior world golds that she won from 2017 to 2019. She also has a silver from 2015, and her laurels include a world cadet (U17) gold and two world junior (U20) titles, and she was a four-time Asian champion.

Kinjo was a star at Shigakkan University during its golden era as the elite powerhouse of women's wrestling in Japan, also producing such greats as Icho, Saori YOSHIDA (JPN), Eri TOSAKA (JPN), Mayu MUKAIDA (JPN) and Sara DOSHO (JPN).

Looking ahead, she says her focus will be on raising her new baby while staying involved in the sport.

"Right now I am eight months pregnant, and first and foremost I will put my full efforts into proper childcare. And at the same time, I will be Yukako's coach and always maintain a link to wrestling," she said.

At the Japan Women's Open, a second-tier event that offers qualifying spots at the All-Japan Championships, Yukako showed she still has some rust to be knocked off. Entered at 59kg, she won her first two matches before falling to high schooler Miuna KIMURA (JPN) 4-1 in the semifinals.

The tournament also saw the return of Sakurai for her first competition since winning the gold in Paris. She needed three wins to take the 57kg title, defeating collegian Himeka HASEGAWA (JPN) 5-0 in the final.