Traditional wrestling hotbed Senegal dominates African Beach Games

Friday, June 30, 2023 - 06:58 By Vinay Siwach

HAMMAMET, Tunisia (June 30) -- Senegal dominated the men's Beach Wrestling competition at the 2nd African Beach Games, securing three out of the four gold medals.

Led by African Beach Wrestling and Senegalese Wrestling champion Modou FAYE (SEN), Senegal claimed gold in the 80kg, 90kg, and +90kg weight classes but missed out in the 70kg category, where Gibriel CHOW (GAM) denied the country a cleansweep.

Senegal won the team title as well with 95 points while hosts Tunisia finished second with 57 points. Kenya finished a close third with 49 points.

READ: Olympic silver medalist Oborududu solid on sand

Faye, who had already won the African Championships in May in the men's +90kg division, emerged victorious in the gold medal bout against Hemza HALOUI (ALG), defeating him 3-0.

But that was not the only bout in which Faye did not give up a point. Whether it was Daniel MOSETI (KEN) in Round 1 or Mohamed SAADAOUI (TUN) in the semifinals, no one was able to score on him during the tournament.

In the group stage, Faye secured a 3-0 victory over Haloui in Round 3, but both wrestlers qualified for the semifinals as they finished 1-2 in the group. While Faye triumphed over Saadaoui in the semifinals, Haloui won 1-0 against Progress BENSON (NGR).

In the final, Haloui failed to pose any significant challenge to Faye, as the Senegalese wrestler won the gold and continued to make his mark in Beach Wrestling this year.

Modou FAYE (SEN) celebrates after winning the gold medal at the African Beach Games. (Photo: UWW / Bayrem Ben Mrad)

Earlier in June, Faye made his world debut in the Beach Wrestling World Series in Singapore, reaching the semifinals and eventually winning a bronze medal. Despite a strong performance, Faye narrowly missed out on a spot in the final, where he came close to defeating world champion Mamuka KORDZAIA (GEO).

Faye made the mistake of touching his knee on the sand, resulting in points being awarded against him on two occasions. However, he quickly adapted his approach, launching clean attacks and taking a 2-2 lead on criteria over Kordzaia with less than 30 seconds remaining. Faye successfully defended against Kordzaia's desperate attack and countered with his own takedown to secure the victory.

It was only after Kordzaia challenged the call, and after a review, Faye's knee brushing the sand resulted in a point being awarded to Kordzaia. In Beach Wrestling, the first wrestler to reach three points is declared the winner.

Faye's impressive performance in Singapore solidified his status as one of the strongest competitors, leaving a lasting impression on the fans. His experience in Senegalese Wrestling enabled him to effortlessly defend against attacks on his legs.

Siny SEMBENE (SEN) was the champion at 90kg. (Photo: UWW / Bayrem Ben Mrad)

Another standout performer for Senegal was Siny SEMBENE (SEN), who remained undefeated in all four of his bouts in the 90kg round-robin bracket, securing the gold medal for Senegal.

Sembene's first victory came against Machiel GROBLER (RSA), whom he defeated 3-0 in Round 1. He followed this with a dominant victory via fall over Sabri MNASRIA (TUN) in Round 3.

Mark ONGUYESI (KEN) was the only other unbeaten wrestler and he faced Sembene in Round 4. But he suffered the same fate as the others, losing 3-0. Sembene was crowned champion after Zakaria BENAREZKI (ALG) withdrew from the fifth round due to an injury sustained in his bout against Onguyesi in Round 3.

Ngor NIAKHE (SEN) won the 80kg gold after beating Bacar N'DIUM (GBS) in the final. (Photo: UWW / Bayrem Ben Mrad)

In the 80kg category, Ngor NIAKHE (SEN) staged an impressive comeback to defeat Bacar N'DIUM (GBS) 2-0 and secure the gold medal for Senegal. Niakhe had previously lost to N'dium in the group stages.

Eight wrestlers competed in the 80kg weight class, divided into two groups. Niakhe faced N'dium in Round 1, resulting in a 1-1 tie decided on last-point criteria.

However, Niakhe rallied and emerged victorious by fall against Anthony WESLEY (CPV) in Round 2 and Chawki DOULACHE (ALG) in Round 3, qualifying for the semifinals against Mathayo MAHABILA (KEN). He defeated the Kenyan wrestler with superiority to reach the final.

In the final, Niakhe showcased solid defensive skills, preventing N'dium from scoring any points. With a two-point lead, Niakhe maintained his advantage to secure the gold medal, just two weeks after winning bronze at the Singapore Beach Wrestling World Series.

With the victory over N'dium, Niakhe also avenged his loss from the African Beach Wrestling Championships final which was won by N'dium in May.

Gibriel CHOW (GAM) denied Ya NDONG (SEN) 3-1 in the 70kg final. (Photo: UWW / Bayrem Ben Mrad)

To prevent Senegal from winning all four gold medals, Chow delivered a strong performance to defeat Ya NDONG (SEN) 3-1 in the 70kg category.

Chow's journey to the final included victories over Mahmoud MEDJADBA (ALG) in Round 1 (3-1), Mohamed ZORGUI (TUN) in Round 2 (4-0), and John LEOPOLD (MRI) in Round 3 (3-0), securing the top spot in the group standings.

In the semifinals, Madi LATUF (COM) posed a challenge to Chow, scoring two points and coming close to victory. However, Chow executed a remarkable throw and won by fall (5-2), advancing to the final against Ndong, who had defeated Zorgui in the other semifinal.

In the final, Chow clearly outperformed Ndong, clinching the gold medal with a 3-1 victory over the African champion.

Bacar N'DIUM (GBS) completes a throw against Anthony WESLEY (CPV) during their 80kg bout in Hammamet. (Photo: UWW / Bayrem Ben Mrad)

RESULTS

70kg
GOLD: Gibriel CHOW (GAM) df. Ya NDONG (SEN), 3-1

BRONZE: Mohamed ZORGUI (TUN) df. Madi LATUF (COM), 3-0

80kg
GOLD: Ngor NIAKHE (SEN) df. Bacar N'DIUM (GBS), 2-0

BRONZE: Mathayo MAHABILA (KEN) df. Khaireddine BEN TLILI (TUN), 4-2

90kg
GOLD: Siny SEMBENE (SEN)
SILVER: Mark ONGUYESI (KEN)
BRONZE: Sabri MNASRIA (TUN)

+90kg
GOLD: Modou FAYE (SEN) df. Hemza HALOUI (ALG), 3-0

BRONZE: Mohamed SAADAOUI (TUN) df. Progress BENSON (NGR), 3-2

#WrestleZagreb

Zagreb Open: Ozaki, Morikawa Mark Golden Return to Olympic Weights

Saturday, February 7, 2026 - 00:43 By Vinay Siwach

ZAGREB, Croatia (February 7) -- Just four months ago, Nonoka OZAKI (JPN) came to Zagreb as a training partner with Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN) at the World Championships.

While Morikawa won the gold medal, Ozaki cheered for her close friend, even writing messages for her on a small bandage that Morikawa put on her cheek.

Back then, Ozaki wished she could compete and become world champions together.

Not the World Championships, but Ozaki and Morikawa won gold medals at the Zagreb Open Ranking Series event on Friday. Ozaki completed a dominant run to win the 62kg title while Morikawa had a bumpy ride to the 68kg gold medal, a weight class above 65kg in which she won the world gold.

"We managed to win gold with the star of Physical Asia," Morikawa wrote on social media referring to a Netflix show in which Ozaki participated.

The two do not train at the same university in Japan but the closeness of their weight classes has allowed them to practice together whenever they get a chance, including being on international tours together.

They were two of the four Japanese wrestlers who won gold medals in Women's Wrestling, joining Sena NAGAMOTO (JPN) at 59kg and Nana IKEHATA (JPN) at 65kg.

Greco-Roman also kicked off at the Zagreb Open, the season-opening Ranking Series event, and the world champion at 63kg Aytjan KHALMAKHANOV (UZB) showed that he has adjusted to the Olympic weight class 67kg, winning gold.

Iran won gold at 63kg after Erfan JARKANI (IRI) defeated CHETAN (IND) in the final.

Ozaki began her day by securing a fall over Irina KUZNETSOVA (KAZ) after building a 12-2 lead, and then pinned Eniko ELEKES (HUN) in the second bout to book a spot in the semifinal.

It was in this bout that Ozaki faced her first struggles of the day against Macey KILTY (USA). Though she ultimately secured a 5-2 win, Ozaki gave up positions against the American wrestler. She would later admit that it was not easy to keep herself calm during the bout.

In the final against Johanna LINDBORG (SWE), a silver medalist from the European Championships, Ozaki scored four different takedowns and looked in complete control. With the 8-0 win, Ozaki won her first Ranking Series gold medal.

Ozaki won the world title at 65kg in 2023 but was a phenom at 62kg when she emerged on the international scene in 2022. But after a slump in form both in Japan and internationally, she missed out on making the Japan team for the 2023 World Championships at 62kg.

However, with Ami ISHII (JPN) qualifying Japan for the 2024 Paris Games without winning a medal opened a door for Ozaki to be at the Olympics.

Ozaki set out on a daunting task of moving to 68kg and not only did she defeat Ishii while being underweight, she managed to win a bronze medal at the Paris Olympics.

Soon after, she decided to move back to 62kg but suffered two back-to-back heartbreaking losses to Olympic champion Sakura MOTOKI (JPN) and failed to make the 2025 world team.

It turned around at the Emperor's Cup in December 2025 as Ozaki avenged her loss to Motoki and earned the right to participate in the Zagreb Open and Asian Championships in April.

Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN) scores a takedown on Nesrin BAS (TUR) during the 68kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

Morikawa, who also moved to 68kg after winning gold at 65kg at the World Championships in 2025, had a hiccup in the final, but managed to get the gold medal against Nesrin BAS (TUR).

The two-time world champion captured her third Ranking Series gold medal and first since 2018 but not before having a tough time on the mat. She began with an 11-0 win over Kateryna ZELENYKH (ROU) and then a 10-0 technical superiority over Alina SHEVCHENKO (UWW).

While the fall over Aleah NICKEL (CAN) in the semifinals was dominant, Morikawa did show some signs of discomfort. That showed up in the final against Bas as Morikawa fell behind 2-0 in the first period. She managed to score a point before the break and cut the lead to 2-1.

Morikawa found a way to score two takedowns in the second period to take a 5-2 lead to capture the gold medal at 68kg.

Bas, who was at the Paris Olympics at 62kg but won world silver medal in 2025 at 72kg, was another wrestler trying to adjust to a new weight class. Her biggest test came in the semifinal against Olympic silver medalist Kennedy BLADES (USA).

Blades led 1-0 at the end of the first period but Bas seemed unfazed. The American was put on the shot clock in the second period and after 30-second activity time exchanged, Bas took a 1-1 criteria lead. Bas also got a point for stepout to make it 2-1.

She then defended the lead until the end of the time to claim a victory over Blades and a spot in the final against Morikawa. Bas is likely to continue at the weight and the silver medal in Zagreb will be a huge boost for her going forward.

Khalmakhanov adjusts to 67kg

Another star wrestler shifting to an Olympic weight class was 63kg world champion Khalmakhanov and he performed strongly at 67kg. His first battle came in the semifinal when he faced Kyotaro SOGABE (JPN).

But an arm-throw and turn gave him a 6-0 lead against Sogabe who got a few stepouts in the bout. Khalmakhanov scored two correct throws to add four more points in the bout and got one point for a lost challenge to win 11-5.

From the other side of the bracket, Diego CHKHIKVADZE (GEO) made it to the final after beating Katsuaki ENDO (JPN), 11-3, in the semifinals.

For the gold medal, Khalmakhanov and Chkhikvadze were matched evenly. While the scoreline points to a low-scoring bout, both wrestlers left it all on the mat.

Chkhikvadze was the first to get par terre but he failed to score any more points from the position and led 1-0 at the break. Khalmakhanov also got a point for the par terre position in the second period but Chkhikvadze held criteria.

The Georgian managed to score a stepout to extend his lead to a clear 2-1 score. But as the bout grew in intensity, it was Chkhikvadze who suffered, giving up a stepout with less than 30 seconds left.

With the score at 2-2, Khalmakhanov held criteria for the last point scored. He managed to hold his lead and won the gold medal in Zagreb, thus making a smooth transition to the Olympic weight class, three months after winning bronze at the Islamic Solidarity Games at 67kg.

RESULTS

Women's Wrestling

59kg
GOLD: Sena NAGAMOTO (JPN) df. Alexis JANIAK (USA), 10-0

BRONZE: Elena BRUGGER (GER) df. Hiunai HURBANOVA (AZE), via fall (7-0)
BRONZE: Abigail NETTE (USA) df. Iris SLATKA (CRO), via fall (10-0)

62kg
GOLD: Nonoka OZAKI (JPN) df. Johanna LINDBORG (SWE), 8-0

BRONZE: Macey KILTY (USA) df. Eniko ELEKES (HUN), via fall
BRONZE: ANJLI (IND) df. Bhagyashree FAND (IND), 5-4

65kg
GOLD: Nana IKEHATA (JPN)
SILVER: PULKIT (IND)
BRONZE: Kriszta INCZE (ROU)

68kg
GOLD: Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN) df. Nesrin BAS (TUR), 5-2

BRONZE: NISHA (IND) df. Kennedy BLADES (USA), via inj. def.
BRONZE: Alina SHEVCHENKO (UWW) df. Aleah NICKEL (CAN), 9-0

Greco-Roman

63kg
GOLD: Erfan JARKANI (IRI) df. CHETAN (IND), 8-4

BRONZE: Vitalie ERIOMENCO (MDA) df. Khusniddin OLIMBOEV (UZB), 6-1
BRONZE: Meysam DALKHANI (IRI) df. Dastan ZARLYKHANOV (KAZ), 8-0

67kg
GOLD: Aytjan KHALMAKHANOV (UZB) df. Diego CHKHIKVADZE (GEO), 2-2

BRONZE: Kyotaro SOGABE (JPN) df. Valentin PETIC (MDA), 5-0
BRONZE: Katsuaki ENDO (JPN) df. Mahmoud KAMALI (IRI), 3-2

Traditional wrestling hotbed Senegal dominates African Beach Games

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Zagreb Open: Ozaki, Morikawa Mark Golden Return to Olympic Weights