#Bishkek2018

Uzbekistan Opens Asian Freestyle with Wrestlers in Four of Five Finals

Saturday, March 3, 2018 - 10:33 By Ken Marantz

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Uzbekistan shone brightest on the opening day of  men's freestyle at the Asian Championships, with Rio 2016 Olympic bronze medalists Ikhtiyor NAVRUZOV and Magomed IBRAGIMOV among a foursome that advanced to the finals in the five weight classes.

Navruzov, who won a second career Asian silver medal last year in New Delhi,  will aim for his first continental gold when he faces LEE Seungbong (KOR) in the 70kg final on the fifth day at the Kozhomkul Sports Palace.

Ibragimov struck gold in New Delhi, and he'll try to make it back-to-back championships with a victory in the 97kg final, where he will clash with Mojtaba GOLEIJ (IRI), a world U23 champion in 2017.

Ezzatollah AKBARIZARINKOLAEI (IRI) picks as a takedown on his way to the 79kg gold-medal bout. Photo: Max Rose-Fyne.

There will be another Uzbekistan-Iran duel on tap, as 2013 world silver medalist Ezzatollah AKBARIZARINKOLAEI (IRI) and Rashid KURBANOV (UZB) advanced to the 79kg gold-medal match.

Kurbanov had been a fixture on the Asian medal podium for a half-decade, winning golds in 2011 and 2013 before finishing third in 2014 and 2015. He also won a world bronze medal in 2013.

The other Uzbeki in a final will be Makhmudjon SHAVKATOV, who failed to medal at the past two Asian Championships but is now assured of nothing less than a silver. But his objective will be gold when he faces KANG Kumsong (PRK) in the 57kg final.

Uzbekistan will have a chance for five medals on the day, as Temurjon USMONOHUNOV advanced to a bronze-medal match at 65kg and a clash with KIM Kukgwang (PRK).

"It is normal," said Uzbekistan coach Olimdjan Khikmatov when asked if his squad's showing exceeded expectations. "Today is good, tomorrow will be better," he added with a smile.

The Uzbeki-less final will pit 2015 and 2016 Asian champion Daulet NIYAZBEKOV (KAZ) against up-and-coming Daichi TAKATANI (JPN) for the 65kg title.

En route to the final, Takatani, the younger brother of former world silver medalist Sosuke TAKATANI, knocked off the other gold medalist from New Delhi 2017 in action on Saturday, Bajrang BAJRANG (IND), in the quarterfinals.

Bajrang has made a name for himself for giving up early points, then storming back with his extraordinary stamina and countermoves---in his first-round match, he turned a 5-0 deficit into a 16-5 technical fall.

But it was Takatani, a world junior bronze medalist in 2014, who had to come from behind, as he trailed 2-0 and 5-4 before scoring a late takedown and a step-out for a 7-5 victory.

Takatani then followed that up by scoring a pair of takedowns in each period to top Yones EMAMICHOGHAEI (IRI) 8-4 in the semifinals.

Japan freestyle coach Shogo MAEDA said the new rule specifying that wrestlers weigh-in on the morning of the competition, instead of the day before, works in Takatani's favor as he is adept at weight control and assuring he is in top condition.

"Bajrang has stamina and is strong late in the match, but this time, he stopped moving and seemed winded," Maeda said. "Takatani is especially strong in tackling late in the match. He's good when the opponent stops moving, catching a leg and fighting to score.

"It was the same against Iran. He's strong in fighting to the end."

Among the more interesting matches of the morning session was the first-round clash between New Delhi 2017 silver medalist LEE Seungchul and Russian-born Haji Mohamad ALI (BRN).

Lee dominated and built up a 10-2 lead, but mistakenly stopped wrestling momentarily, thinking he had earned a technical fall. Whether or not that inspired Ali is unknown, but he suddenly came to life and ended up going ahead 16-14 before winning by fall with 1:06 left.

Unfortunately, Ali had to then default his quarterfinal match against Uzbekistan's Usmonohunov.

Freestyle
57kg (14 entries)
Gold - KANG Kumsong (PRK) v Makhmudjon SHAVKATOV (UZB)

Bronze - Zhandos ISLMAILOV (KAZ) v Nader HAJIAG HANIASAMAKOUSHI (IRI)
Bronze - SONG Hyeonsik (KOR) v Tomohiro HASEGAWA (JPN)

Semifinal - KANG Kumsong (PRK) df. Tomohiro HASEGAWA (JPN), 8-0
Semifinal - Makhmudjon SHAVKATOV (UZB) df. Nader HAJIAG HANIASAMAKOUSHI (IRI), 10-9

65kg (14 entries)
Gold - Daichi TAKATANI (JPN) v Daulet NIYAZBEKOV (KAZ)

Bronze - KIM Kukgwang (PRK) v Temurjon USMONOHUNOV (UZB)
Bronze - Bajrang BAJRANG (IND) v Yones EMAMICHOGHAEI (IRI)

Semifinal - Daichi TAKATANI (JPN) df. Yones EMAMICHOGHAEI (IRI), 8-4
Semifinal - Daulet NIYAZBEKOV (KAZ) df. Temurjon USMONOHUNOV (UZB) by TF, 10-0, 2:24

70kg (12 entries)
Gold - Ikhtiyor NAVRUZOV (UZB) v LEE Seungbong (KOR)

Bronze - Byambadorj BAD ERDENE (MGL) v Meirzhan ASHIROV (KAZ)
Bronze - Kumar VINOD (IND) v Elaman DOGDURBEK UULU (MGL)

Semifinal - Ikhtiyor NAVRUZOV (UZB) df. Elaman DOGDURBEK UULU (MGL), 5-2
Semifinal - LEE Seungbong (KOR) df. Meirzhan ASHIROV (KAZ), 4-3

79kg (12 entries)
Gold - Ezzatollah AKBARIZARINKOLAEI (IRI) v Rashid KURBANOV (UZB)

Bronze - LEE Yunseok (KOR) v Tsubasa ASAI (JPN)
Bronze - Turbold GANBOLD (MGL) by Default

Semifinal - Ezzatollah AKBARIZARINKOLAEI (IRI) df Turbold GANBOLD (MGL) by TF, 10-0, 3:15
Semifinal - Rashid KURBANOV (UZB) df. Tsubasa ASAI (JPN), 3-1

97kg (11 entries)
Gold - Mojtaba GOLEIJ (IRI) v Magomed IBRAGIMOV (UZB)

Bronze - Aibek USUPOV (KGZ) v Takeshi YAMAGUCHI (JPN)
Bronze - Mamed IBRAGIMOV (KAZ) v KIM Jaegang (KOR)

Semifinal - Mojtaba GOLEIJ (IRI) df. KIM Jaegang (KOR) by TF, 11-0, 1:51
Semifinal - Magomed IBRAGIMOV (UZB) df. Takeshi YAMAGUCHI (JPN) by TF, 10-0, 5:15

2026 U17 World Championships

U17 World Championships 2026 Preview

Thursday, July 23, 2026 - 06:57 By Vinay Siwach

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Wrestling

BAKU, Azerbaijan (July 22) -- Records are usually made at the U17 World Championships. In Baku, one has been broken before the opening bout.

The tournament will have 675 wrestlers, the most-ever for a U17 World Wrestling Championships -- 242 Greco-Roman, 242 in Freestyle and 191 in Women's Wrestling, breaking the record of the 2017 edition in which 186 women participated.

From July 27 to August 2, the U17 World Championships will be live on UWW+. Subscribe to UWW+ using the code BUNDLE20 and get 20 percent off for all age-group World Championships - U17, U20 and U23.

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The competition is also set to return to Baku after 14 years and as it always does, it will be dramatic.

For instance, last year, the United States and Iran were locked in a tight race for the Freestyle team title. The former edged Iran in a dramatic final-day comeback, and the rivalry is expected to continue in Baku. Russia, which was not allotted team points last year, will be back in the race and with a strong team.

Russia will have most of its U17 national champions including Aldar BADMAEV (RUS), the first-ever national gold medal from Kalmykia, at 45kg. Five wrestlers hail from Dagestan and the team also includes four U17 European champions from 2026.

The U.S. will be led by returning silver medalist Arseni KIKINIOU (USA) at 65kg. In 2025, Kikiniou became the first wrestler in history to win a medal in both Freestyle and Greco-Roman since it was restarted in 2011, and he will attempt to repeat in Baku as well, perhaps with a gold medal.

Iran has four U17 Asian champions in its squad but to challenge for the team title, it will need its wrestlers to step up and not tank like they did in Athens last year, when the country did not win a single gold medal.

Hosts Azerbaijan, which had an exceptional U17 European Championships with seven medals including three golds, will hope to repeat the performance at home and stand among the top teams.

Here's a breakdown of 10 Freestyle weight classes:

45kg: Since this weight class was introduced in 2018, the U.S. and Iran have won all the golds. The former has won five golds while two have gone to Iran, one being Rahman AMOUZAD (IRI) in 2018.

This year will be no different as Iran bring U17 Asian champion Mahdi DAMERCHELI (IRI) and the U.S. is going with U17 Pan-Am champ Rylen WAX (USA). Badmaev from Russia will have his first taste of international wrestling. U17 European champion Marko KVASNIUK (UKR) is also in the entries.

48kg: The best chance for hosts Azerbaijan will be Huseyn RZAZADE (AZE), the U17 European champion. He will likely have a rematch with Volodymyr BOIKO (UKR) from the final in Samakov, Bulgaria.

Both finalists from U17 Asia are also in the fray with the champion Farrukh MAKHMUDOV (UZB) hoping to add a world title to his name. Iran has silver medalist Amirali RAGHEB (IRI). But expect a tough challenge from Kirill KONDRASHOV (RUS) who won the U15 Europeans in 2025.

51kg: Ibrahim HASANOV (AZE), the U17 European champion, has the home crowd behind him as he tries to add a world title to his name. But in his part will be U17 Asian champion Benyamin ASHOFTEH (IRI), silver medalist Masamune USHIMADO (JPN) and Pan-Am champion Evan RESTIVO (USA).

Russia is going with Islam KURAKHMAEV (RUS), a rising prospect from Dagestan.

55kg: Can Chase KARENBAUER (USA), who made the team after beating Keegan BASSETT (USA), match the likes of wrestlers from Asia and Europe? He will be up against Arman ELAHI (IRI) won gold at the U17 Asian Championships, silver medalist Kyosuke IKEDA (JPN) and bronze Temirlan MURAT (KAZ), getting a chance to wrestle various styles.

Mustafa BERSANUKAEV (RUS) will make his U17 debut after making the team by winning the national championships. European bronze medalist Temuri TUTARASHVILI (GEO) is also in the mix along with Jakhongir TULKUNOV (UZB) who gave Elahi the toughest match in Da Nang.

60kg: The only weight class in which the defending champion is returning - SITENDER (IND). He won the gold medal in Athens but had close matches with wrestlers from Iran and Japan. To defend his title, Sitender will have to go through U17 European champion Sergei KARMRIAN (RUS), silver Mykyta KUZMENKO (UKR) and even U17 Asian champion Bekzodbek IBROHIMOV (UZB).

Among one of the toughest weight categories, the 60kg also includes U17 Asian silver Mardan ORYNBASSAR (KAZ), bronze medalists from Europe and Asia. Joseph BURKE (USA) will also be a tough bet.

65kg: Arseni KIKINIOU (USA) created history in Athens by winning medals in both styles. Now, he would like to repeat with at least one gold medal. He finished with a silver medal in Athens in Freestyle. Unless a huge upset, it is unlikely that anyone will be able to stop the American.

Sam ARSHADGH (IRI) will throw a challenge from Iran but while Jovani SOLIS (PUR) is the U17 Pan-Am champion but Kikiniou did not participate in the tournament. Russia will be represented by Magomed IBRAGIMOV (RUS), who finished 10th last year.

71kg: In a very open weight class, U17 Asian champion Adilet RYSBAY (KAZ) and U17 European champion Nikolay ILIEV (BUL), both will fancy their chances to win gold. Iran has Reza SHAMSIPOUR (IRI) who will also be in the race to win along with Mokhmad BAISULTANOV (RUS).

Camryn HOWARD (USA) will be representing the challenge from the U.S.

80kg: Hosts Azerbaijan will hope that U17 European champion Nihad SULEYMANLI (AZE) can give it a home world gold and also improve on his 13th place finish from last year. The route, however, may be a tough one. Amirali FERASATI (IRI), the U17 Asian champion, dominated his way to gold in Da Nang and is expected to have good result in Baku.

The weight class also has returning bronze medalist from 71kg Ayubjon BOZORZODA (TJK) and Arshavir DARAKHSHANIFARA (FIN), who won U17 European bronze and will now try to give Finland its first Freestyle medal at the U17 Worlds.

The U.S. challenge comes from Jayden OFARRILL (USA), while U17 European bronze medalist Rati REVAZASHVILI (GEO) will be at his third U17 Worlds, hoping for his first medal and Kantemir ELMESOV (RUS) will also be in the mix.

92kg: U17 European champion Abdurazak SHABANOV (RUS) is a favorite to win gold in the weight class. However, Ali DADAEV (FRA), silver to him, will try to avenge the loss from Bulgaria.

Iran, among the best as the weights get heavier, will be represented by Reza ISAZADEH (IRI), with U17 European bronze Nuradin MUSTAFAEV (GEO), U17 Pan-Am champion Salah TSARNI (USA) and U17 Asia silver Amirbek FAZLITDINOV (UZB) also entered.

110kg: Returning bronze medalist Hakim TAGHIYEV (AZE) will try to improve his medal but will have to be wary of U17 European champion Murtaz BAGDAVADZE (GEO) and silver medalist Stefan STEFANOV (BUL), both lost the bronze-medal bouts in Athens.

Arush RANA (IND), U17 Asian champion, and silver medalist Amirhossein ESMALI (IRI) will also be top prospects. Magomed OMAROV (RUS) and Peter MOCCO (USA) can make the run as well.