#WrestleRome

U17 World Championships Day 4 semis set

Thursday, July 28, 2022 - 08:49 By Vinay Siwach

Share this article

ROME, Italy (July 28) -- The U17 World Championships enters day four with five women's wrestling five weight classes in action. After the finals were set for the other five weights, wrestlers in 40kg, 46kg, 53kg, 61kg and 69kg will take the mat at the Pala Pellicone in Rome, Italy.

WATCH LIVE | MATCH ORDER | DAY 3 WRAP

11 different countries enter the semifinals with Japan sending all five. India has four in the semis while USA and Ukraine have two each. 7 others have a wrestler each in the last four.

13:45: What a semifinal we have a 61kg -- Suzu SASAKI (JPN) vs. Savita SAVITA (IND). Both have dominated the bouts and will wrestle in the first semifinal.

The other 61kg semifinal will have Valerie HAMILTON (USA) wrestle Sevinch SULTONOVA (UZB) who pinned Mariia MIZIURKO (UKR).

13:40: Two internationally unbeaten wrestlers in 53kg semifinals

Mariia YEFREMOVA (UKR) vs. Khaliun BYAMBASUREN (MGL)
Sakura ONISHI (JPN) vs. Ya Hsin CHEN (TPE)

13:30: The 46kg semifinals for tonight

Koko MATSUDA (JPN) vs. SHRUTI (IND)
Gabriella GOMEZ (USA) vs. Kornelia LASZLO (HUN) 

13:25: Who are you picking to win the semifinals at 69kg?

Chisato YOSHIDA (JPN) vs. Nadiia SOKOLOVSKA (UKR)
Veronika VILK (CRO) vs. HARSHITA (IND) 

13:20: The 40kg semifinals are set

Yagmur KARABACAK (TUR) vs. Mona EZAKA (JPN) 
Muskan MUSKAN (IND) vs. Diana VOICULESCU (ROU) 

13:10: Mariia YEFREMOVA (UKR), a returning gold medalist, is on her way to a second straight gold medal. She reaches the 53kg semifinal with a fall over Maria SZKUDLAREK (POL) 

13:00: European champion at 46kg Kornelia LASZLO (HUN) hangs on for a close 2-0 win against Juliette LESCURE (FRA) in the quarterfinals. Lescure was a bronze medalist at the same competition

12:50: These 69kg quarterfinals are absolutely top bouts. Gulnura TASHTANBEKOVA (KGZ) vs. Chisato YOSHIDA (JPN), Nikoleta BARMPA (GRE) vs. Harshita HARSHITA (IND), Paulina KUCHARCZYK (POL) vs. Nadiia SOKOLOVSKA (UKR), Jasmine ROBINSON (USA) vs. Veronika VILK (CRO) 

12:30: Khaliun BYAMBASUREN (MGL), who was born and raised in Japan, begins her tournament with a 10-0 win over Milica SEKULOVIC (SRB). 

12:20: A classic on Mat C! Sakura ONISHI (JPN) trailed Asian champion REENA (IND) 4-2 when she got a front chest wrap and scored two each. It looked like exposure for Onishi at the end but no score. Japan challenge the call. The exposure is confirmed and was in time. Onishi wins 6-6 at 53kg. 

12:10: Asian champion SHRUTI (IND) with a controlled 4-0 win over Busranur OZMEZ (TUR) at 46kg. Gabriella GOMEZ (USA) had early trouble but manages to move past Yelyzaveta KULAKIVSKA (UKR) via fall. 

11:45: Another bronze medalist from European Championships Leonie STEIGERT (GER) suffers a 3-1 loss to Yen LI (TPE) at 61kg. But silver medalist from Euros Ilayda CIN (TUR) pins Maram ALY (EGY). In other bout, Wilma HOFFMAN (SWE) beats Wiktoria KAMELA (POL) 5-0

11:30: We begin with the qualification bouts of 61kg as it has the most wrestlers. European champion Sabina PETRACHE (ROU) is made to work hard early in the competition. She wins 3-3 against bronze medalist Leah SAMSONSEN (NOR).

11:15: An all women's wrestling day. Qualification and repechage along with semifinals and the gold medals bouts later in the day. Get ready for some historic debuts and medals in Rome.

Esmaeili survives Jafarov shock to win ISG 2025 gold

Tuesday, November 18, 2025 - 18:51 By Vinay Siwach

Share this article

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (November 18) -- He needed some strong defense to win the world title and on Tuesday, Saeid ESMAEILI (IRI) needed some clutch offense to beat Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE) for the second time in two one month.

Esmaeili and Jafarov clashed in the final of the 67kg weight class at the Islamic Solidarity Games 2025 in Riyad, Saudi Arabi and it seemed that the latter was on his way to upset the Olympic champion and avenge his loss from the World Championships final.

Down 3-3 on criteria, all seemed to be over for Esmaeili as the clock ticked down. In the last 10 seconds, Esmaeili worked on a double-arm lock and then managed to throw Jafarov in danger from standing for four points which changed the result and gave him the win.

Azerbaijan challenged the call but there was no change in the result and Esmaeili defeated Jafarov 8-3, to capture yet another gold medal this year after Asian and World Championships.

Saeid ESMAEILI (IRI)Saeid ESMAEILI (IRI) throws Aytjan KHALMAKHANOV (UZB) during their 67kg bout. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

In Zagreb, Esmaeili was put in par terre for third passivity call. Jafarov, down 2-1, needed a point to turn the result but he failed to score any points as Esmaeili defended the par terre position and captured his first world title.

Jafarov blamed a lapse in concentration in the final seconds that costed him the gold medal in Riyadh.

Gholamreza FAROKHI (IRI)Gholamreza FAROKHI (IRI) won his fourth gold medal this year. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

Iran's other world champion from Zagreb, Gholamreza FAROKHI (IRI) made it seem a little easier as he defeated former world U20 champion Islam YEVLOYEV (KAZ), 6-0, winning his third gold in one month.

Farokhi, who won gold at 82kg at the World Championships, moved to 87kg for U23 World Championships and won gold without giving up a point in Novi Sad. Just two weeks later, he now gold at 87kg on Tuesday.

Against Yevloyev in the final, Farokhi was awarded both par terre position which gave him a 2-0 lead. From the second par terre, he managed to score a point as he threw Yevloyev for a stepout. The Kazakhstan wrestler was docked two points for defensive foul making it 5-0.

Kazakhstan challenged the foul call but Yevloyev had clearly blocked Farokhi using his elbow on the Iranian's face. The lost challenged made it 6-0 for Farokhi, giving him the win.

Farokhi had a tough match in semifinals against world bronze medalist Asan ZHANYSHOV (KGZ) and needed a takedown in the final minute to win 7-6, first time he has shown some difficulty winning bouts.

Akzhol MAKHMUDOV (KGZ)Akzhol MAKHMUDOV (KGZ) won the 77kg gold medal at the Islamic Solidarity Games. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

Two other gold medals were awarded on Tuesday with former U23 world champion Alisher GANIEV (UZB) winning the 60kg one and two-time Olympic medalist Akzhol MAKHMUDOV (KGZ) marking his comeback with gold medal at 77kg.

Makhmudov, who has not wrestled in a full tournament since winning bronze in Paris, was in some form as he made no mistake in his run to the gold medal. In the final, he wrestled Amir ABDI (IRI) and performed a reverse lift throw for five points before securing the fall in the second period.

Abdi got the par terre position in the first period but Makhmudov defended the position, giving only a 1-0 lead to the Iranian. When he got the par terre position, he jumped to the front before performing the lift and holding Abdi on the mat for fall.

Ganiev, who defeated European champion Nihad MAMMADLI (AZE) in the quarterfinal, defeated Ali AHMADI VAFA (IRI) in the semifinal and humbled Ekrem OZTURK (TUR), 8-0, in the final.

RESULTS

60kg
GOLD: Alisher GANIEV (UZB) df. Ekrem OZTURK (TUR), 8-0

BRONZE: Ali AHMADI VAFA (IRI) df. Nihat MAMMADLI (AZE), 3-2
BRONZE: Sajjad ALBIDHAN (IRQ) df. Fergat ABDELKRIM (ALG), 5-1

67kg
GOLD: Saeid ESMAEILI LEIVESI (IRI) df. Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE), 8-3

BRONZE: Aytjan KHALMAKHANOV (UZB) df. Aref MOHAMMADI (QAT), 5-2
BRONZE: Razzak BEISHEKEEV (KGZ) df. Hassan ABDELREHIM (EGY), via fall (9-0)

77kg
GOLD: Akzhol MAKHMUDOV (KGZ) df. Amir ABDI (IRI), via fall (6-1)

BRONZE: Abdullo ALIEV (UZB) df. Ulvu GANIZADE (AZE), 2-2
BRONZE: Shahin BADAGHIMOFRAD (QAT) df. Sami SLAMA (TUN), via fall (8-1)

87kg
GOLD: Gholamreza FAROKHI (IRI) df. Islam YEVLOYEV (KAZ), 6-0

BRONZE: Sid BACHIR (ALG) df. Sukhrob ABDULKHAEV (TJK), 9-0
BRONZE: Asan ZHANYSHOV (KGZ) df. Islam ABBASOV (AZE), 5-1