World Champ Sakurai Successfully Moves Up to 57kg, Upends Nanjo for 2nd National Title

Saturday, December 18, 2021 - 17:41 By Ken Marantz

TOKYO, Japan (December 18) -- While winning a world title at a non-Olympic weight is a commendable accomplishment, Tsugumi SAKURAI knows it has its drawbacks in Olympic-obsessed Japan.

So less than three months after her triumph in Oslo, the 20-year-old made the move up to an Olympic division and knocked off one of its world medalists to establish herself as a contender for a ticket to Paris in 2024.

Sakurai, the world champion at women's 55kg, captured her second straight national title with a thrilling 5-2 victory in the 57kg final over two-time defending champion Sae NANJO at the Emperor's Cup All-Japan Championships on Saturday at Tokyo's Komazawa Gym.

"My objective is to win the title at the Paris Olympics, and as 55kg is not an Olympic weight, I moved up to 57kg so I could go to the Olympics," said the soft-spoken Sakurai, who clinched the victory over the world bronze medalist Nanjo with a 4-point takedown in the final seconds.

"This tournament for me -- of course I aimed to win the championship --but because I went up a weight, I went into it regarding myself as the challenger. The fact that I could still win the title makes me feel like I have grown."

Masako FURUICHI, the women's 72kg gold medalist from this year's World Championships in Oslo, dropped to the Olympic weight of 68kg only to suffer a stunning loss, while world bronze medalists Kensuke SHIMIZU and Nonoka OZAKI both stayed put and won second straight national titles -- Shimizu at Greco 63kg and Ozaki at women's 62kg.

In freestyle, Rio 2016 Olympic silver medalist Rei HIGUCHI, who came up short in a bid to make the Tokyo Olympics at 57kg, made the final at 61kg but lost to a wrestler coached by the man who kept him off the team to Tokyo.

The victories by Sakurai and Ozaki come with a caveat, as they came in the absences of the Tokyo Olympic champions in their weight classes, sisters Risako and Yukako KAWAI, respectively. In fact, none of Japan's Tokyo medalists are taking part in the four-day tournament that is serving as the first of two domestic qualifiers for next year's World Championships in Belgrade.

The winners earn tickets to the Asian Games in China next September, but in the race to Belgrade, will likely encounter the Olympians at the second world qualifier, the Meiji Cup All-Japan Invitational Championships in the spring.

Sakurai said that her triumph in Oslo provided validation that she could compete at the highest level, an ability of which she first provided a glimpse by winning the gold at the 2020 Klippan Lady with a victory over veteran Sofia MATTSON (SWE).

"I was able to see that my wrestling can be competitive on the world level, and that gave me a big boost in confidence," said Sakurai, who last year became the first-ever national champion at Ikuei University, a school only founded in 2018. "But even though I won a world title, I can't be satisfied just yet. I feel it gets me closer to achieving my goal of winning at the next Olympics, and if I keep working hard, I can get to the Olympics."

But somewhere along the path to Paris, she knows she has to get past Risako Kawai. At this point, Sakurai is unsure how she matches up with the double Olympic champion.

"Until I face her in a match, I won't know," Sakurai said. "But her results are amazing, winning at two straight Olympics, winning many times in Japan, and constantly battling with the world's best. In the end, I will have to beat her, but she's well above me. To be able to win at the next tournament, I have to work hard."

In the final, Sakurai and Nanjo got into a defensive struggle, with neither finding an opening to take shots. Sakurai received an activity clock point in the first period, but Nanjo got two in the second to lead 2-1 with a minute to go.

As the clock ticked down to single digits, Sakurai used a 2-on-1 to set up a sweeping single-leg tackle. She managed to lift the leg in the air, then barreled forward to send Nanjo crashing out of the ring and onto her back for 4 points with less than two seconds left.

"My wrestling doesn't produce a lot of points, which has been an issue for me," Sakurai said. "But my strong point is that I fight to the end and with the feeling that I will definitely win. So even though many of my matches have close scores, I don't get impatient."

Just like at 57kg, the women's 68kg class featured a potential match-up between a reigning world champion who changed to an Olympic weight (Furuichi) and a world medalist in that division, in this case, Rin MIYAJI. Neither, however, were around for the final.

Furuichi was dealt a stunning 4-1 loss in the semifinals by Ikuei's Ami ISHII, while world silver medalist Miyaji withdrew before taking the mat after reportedly failing to recover from an injury suffered in Oslo.

Against Furuichi, Ishii was leading 2-1, all from activity points, when she clinched the win with a last-second takedown.

"I couldn't do anything," said Furuichi, one of only two wrestlers to have completed the "grand slam" of world senior, U23, junior and cadet titles.

"It's the same thing that I always regret, not having the courage to shoot for takedowns, and I want to fix that with practice."

What made her defeat more vexing was that it came at a lower weight. While Furuichi said she ballooned "quite a bit" during the two-week quarantine upon returning from Oslo, she said getting down to 68kg did not present a problem and had no effect on the outcome.

"My condition [here] was not bad," said Furuichi, who added that she had decided that the Oslo worlds would be her last tournament at a non-Olympic weight. "From now on, I will stay at the Olympic weight [of 68kg]," she said.

Ishii suffered a shocking defeat of her own in the final against defending champion Naruha MATSUYUKI, who overcame a 0-4 deficit with two takedowns in the final 30 seconds for a 4-4 victory on criteria.

Matsuyuki, the 2019 world junior champion, salvaged some pride for her family by winning her third career national title. On Thursday, twin sister Yasuha was upset in the semifinals at 76kg, and earlier Saturday, younger brother Taisei lost in the final at freestyle 86kg.

Ozaki Nonoka OZAKI claimed the gold medal at 62kg. (Tateo Yabuki / Japan Wrestling Federation)

At women's 62kg, Ozaki scored a double-leg takedown with :36 left to edge two-time former champion Naomi RUIKE 4-3 in the final, making her the first student or alumnus from academically oriented Keio University to win a national title in 62 years.

Ozaki said that her experience in Oslo, where she suffered a come-from-behind loss to eventual world champion Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ) before battling her way through the repechage to the bronze medal, prepared her to be ready for all matches regardless of the round.

Ozaki got her day started by having to face 2019 world U23 and junior champion Yuzuka INAGAKI, who she defeated 5-1 in the quarterfinals with a pair of second-period takedowns.

"In this tournament, I had tough matches from the beginning," the 18-year-old said. "But I didn't let that discourage me. At the World Championships, I also came up against a strong opponent in the first round and I lost, which made me prepared.

"I look at it as an ordeal to test me. If I can fight through it, I will be the better for it. From the first round, I looked at each match as a final and this was the result. I never lost hope in every three-minute period."

Ozaki, a product of the JOC Elite Academy, is a bit of an anomaly in Japanese wrestling. Instead of opting for a wrestling powerhouse out of high school, she took and passed the difficult entrance exams for Keio, and is now a freshman in the Faculty of Environmental Information.

Among her subjects, she is currently studying Korean, and plans to also learn French, according to Tokyo Sports. A grueling course load combined with high-level wrestling practice means "I don't have much time for the fun things in college life," the true scholar-athlete said.

Like Sakurai, Ozaki has a Kawai sister blocking her road to the Paris Olympics but remains confident of forging through. "We haven't faced each other yet, but I am very aware how strong she is," Ozaki said. "But I have won the Emperor's Cup and the Meiji Cup, and I think I can give her a fight."

Shimizu Kensuke Shimizu claimed a 6-3 victory in the 63kg final over Ryuto IKEDA. (Tateo Yabuki / Japan Wrestling Federation)

In Greco-Roman, Takushoku University's Shimizu lived up to the expectations that his unique family history entails with a 6-3 victory in the 63kg final over Ryuto IKEDA.

After successfully fending off Ikeda while in the par terre position in the first period, Shimizu took full advantage of his chance on top in the second period with an explosive 5-point throw.

Ikeda scored a late takedown that was too little, too late.

"I was able to defend when he got the first point, so I felt the momentum was going my way," Shimizu said. "At the World Championships, my defense was weak and that led to my defeat. I still haven't fully fixed that yet, but I feel it's coming along."

With competition at the Asian Games limited to Olympic weights, it is likely that Shimizu and other winners in non-Olympic weights will get first priority to be dispatched to the Asian Championships, scheduled for April in a place to be determined. Shimizu would like that tournament to serve as his last hurrah at 63kg before moving up to 67kg, and perhaps as a chance for some revenge.

"The next Asian Championships could very likely be my last tournament at 63kg," Shimizu said. "I think the Iran wrestler who won the world title [Meysam DALKHANI (IRI)] might enter, so I will aim to beat him."

While Shimizu himself is not a household name in Japan, his name is well known because of the exploits of his uncle, Hiroyasu SHIMIZU, who became a national hero when he won the gold medal and set the world record at the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics in the men's 500 meters in speed skating.

In other Greco action, there was a changing of the guard at 97kg, in which Takahiro TSURUDA blanked Yuri NAKAZATO 6-0 in the final for his first national title, after each knocked off one of the two wrestlers who had reigned over the weight class for the past five years.

In the semifinals, Nakazato notched a 3-1 win over Yuta NARA, who held the title from 2016 to 2019, and Tsuruda followed with a 4-0 win over defending champion Masayuki AMANO.

Sakaki Ryoto SAKAKI won the 61kg final 4-0. (Tateo Yabuki / Japan Wrestling Federation)

In freestyle, Yamanashi Gakuin University's Ryoto SAKAKI withstood everything that Higuchi could throw at him in the 61kg final, winning 4-0 to add to the title he won in 2019.

"Honestly speaking, I was unsure about whether or not I could win this tournament," said Sakaki, a 2020 Asian bronze medalist and 2017 world cadet champion. "That I was able to take the title, simply put, I'm really happy."

Sakaki said he sweated a bit after hearing that Higuchi was entered at 61kg. "From a while back, I had heard from a number of people that Higuchi would be entering the Emperor's Cup at 61kg, It made my heart pound," he said.

But Sakaki more than held his own against the 2018 world U23 champion, scoring a first-period takedown, then squiggling out of danger when Higuchi got behind while on their feet in the second period. At the end, Sakaki fought off a headlock attempt to score a match-clinching takedown.

Sakaki had a not-so-secret weapon in his corner, Yamanashi Gakuin coach Yuki TAKAHASHI, the former world champion who had beaten Higuchi in a playoff for the spot at the Tokyo Olympics that Higuchi had earned for Japan.

"Higuchi is really good at grabbing an arm, and of course coach Takahashi and head coach [Kunihiko] OBATA told me to be particularly careful of that," Sakaki said. "[Takahashi also said] I have a habit of floating in my stance, and he advised me to work on that."

To get to the final, Sakaki notched a 2-2 win over defending champion Kodai OGAWA of Nippon Sports Science University, who had beaten him a month earlier in the first round at the national collegiate championships.

The other freestyle golds up for grabs went to Daichi TAKATANI at 74kg and Shota SHIRAI at 86kg.

Takatani, whose lone previous title came at 65kg in 2017, defeated defending champion Kirin KINOSHITA 7-2 in a final that ended with a wild 4-point move for Takatani.

Takatani now wears the 74kg crown that his older brother, Sohsuke, wore for six years from 2011 to 2016. On Sunday, Sohsuke will attempt to win his 11th straight national title over four weight classes with a victory at 92kg.

Shirai added to the 82kg title he won in 2017 with a 5-4 victory over Matsuyuki. Shirai scored four stepouts in building a 5-0 lead, only to see Matsuyuki close the gap with a 4-point trip at the edge late in the second period.

The tournament wraps up Sunday with competition at freestyle 57kg and 92kg, Greco 55kg ad 72kg, and women's 50kg and 53kg.

Day 3 Results

Freestyle

61kg (12 entries)
Final - Ryoto SAKAKI df. Rei HIGUCHI, 4-0
3rd Place - Kodai OGAWA df. Kotaro KIYOOKA, 4-4
Semifinal - Higuchi df. Kiyooka, 2-1
Semifinal - Sakaki df. Ogawa, 2-2

74kg (12 entries)
Final - Daichi TAKATANI df. Kirin KINOSHITA, 7-2
3rd Place - Masaki SATO df. Jintaro MOTOYAMA, 3-1
Semifinal - Takatani df. Sato, 4-1
Semifinal - Kinoshita df. Motoyama, 2-1

86kg (11 entries)
Final - Shota SHIRAI df. Taisei MATSUYUKI, 5-4
3rd Place - Yajiro YAMASAKI df. Mao OKUI by TF, 10-0, 3:34
Semifinal - Matsuyuki df. Yamasaki, 3-2
Semifinal - Shirai df. Okui, 3-1

Greco-Roman

63kg (12 entries)
Final - Kensuke SHIMIZU df. Ryuto IKEDA, 6-3
3rd Place - Kazuki YABE df. Yoshiki YAMADA, 3-2
Semifinal - Shimizu df. Yabe, 3-1
Semifinal - Ikeda df. Yamada, 3-3

97kg (11 entries)
Final - Takahiro TSURUDA df. Yuri NAKAZATO, 6-0
3rd Place - Masayuki AMANO df. Yuta NARA by TF, 10-1, 2:13
Semifinal - Nakazato df. Nara, 3-1
Semifinal - Tsuruda df. Amano, 4-0

Women's Wrestling

57kg (8 entries)
Final - Tsugumi SAKURAI df. Sae NANJO, 5-2
3rd Place - Sena NAGAMOTO df. Ichika ARAI by Fall, 2:42 (8-0)
Semifinal - Nanjo df. Arai by TF, 12-1, 4:06
Semifinal - Sakurai df. Nagamoto, 3-0

62kg (9 entries)
Final - Nonoka OZAKI df. Naomi RUIKE, 4-3
3rd Place - Yui SAKANO df. Atena KODAMA, 4-1
Semifinal - Ozaki df. Kodama, 8-0
Semifinal - Ruike df. Sakano, 8-2

68kg (4 entries)
Final - Naruha MATSUYUKI df. Ami ISHII, 4-4
3rd Place - Masako FURUICHI df. Rin TERAMOTO by Def.
Semifinal - Ishii df. Furuichi, 4-1
Semifinal - Matsuyuki df. Teramoto, 5-1

#wrestlebishkek

Badaghimofrad Claims Historic Asian Gold for Qatar

Wednesday, April 8, 2026 - 18:37 By Ken Marantz

BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan (April 8) -- Shahin BADAGHIMOFRAD (QAT) continued to make history for his adopted homeland, and this time it came at the expense of his real one.

Iranian-born Badaghimofrad gave Qatar its first-ever gold medal at the Asian Championships, coming from behind for a 4-3 victory over Amin HOSSEINI (IRI) in the Greco 82kg final on Wednesday in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.

“I won a bronze medal at last year's Asian Championships, and this year I'm very happy that I managed to take a bigger step and win a gold medal,” Badaghimofrad said.

On a night when five different countries struck gold to finish up the Greco competition, Alisher GANIEV (UZB) ended a recent run of runner-up finishes with a victory at 60kg, and world and Olympic champion Hadi SARAVI (IRI) won his third straight title and fourth overall at 97kg.

Razzak BEISHEKEEV (KGZ), who had settled for the silver medal the past two years, made it to the top step of the podium at 67kg to give the host nation its fourth gold, and Almatbek AMANBEK (KAZ) handed Iran another defeat in a final to take the 72kg crown.

Despite going two for seven in gold-medal matches, Iran cruised to the team title by medaling in every weight class for the first time since 1983. The wrestling powerhouse finished with 195 points to outdistance host Kyrgyzstan, which had four champions and compiled 153 points. Uzbekistan, with two gold medalists, was third with 136.

Shahin BADAGHIMOFRAD (QAT) turns Amin HOSSEINI (IRI) during the 82kg final at the Asian Championships. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

Badaghimofrad, who had been a world cadet (U17) silver medalist and world junior (U20) bronze medalist, was competing for Iran when he first appeared at the Asian Championships three years and 15 kilograms ago, placing fifth in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.

A native of Khuzestan Province in southeast Iran, he changed his allegiance after 2023 and debuted for Qatar in February 2025 at the Tirana Ranking Series, where he could only manage a seventh-place finish. But a month later, he placed third at the Asian Championships in Amman, Jordan, marking Qatar’s first ever medal in Greco and just its second overall.

Badaghimofrad’s more recent results were not exactly awe-inspiring – an 11th place at the World Championships in Zagreb, then back-to-back seventh places at Ranking Series tournaments in February this year.

And the outlook did not appear much better in Wednesday’s final when Hosseini, the winner of this year’s Tirana Ranking Series tournament, opened the scoring with a gut wrench for a 3-0 lead in the first period.

In the second period, Badaghimofrad got his chance in par terre and, breaking down stiff resistance from Hosseini, managed to roll him over. An Iranian challenge for a potential leg foul was unsuccessful, putting the Qatari up 4-3, which is how it ended.

“I had wrestled my opponent before, so we were both familiar with each other’s styles,” Badaghimofrad said. “Knowing I could apply my move on the ground, I approached the match without any stress. When the referee gave the passivity warning, I was able to execute my move and emerge as the winner.”

Badaghimofrad knows he still has a way to go if he wants to achieve similar success on the bigger global stages.

“My wrestling isn’t perfect yet, and I’m gradually trying to improve it … so I can get thebest result at the World Championships and the Olympics,” he said.

Alisher GANIEV (UZB) defeated Se Ung RI (PRK) in the 60kg final to claim his first-ever Asian title. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

Ganiev finally got the result he was looking for, escaping from second-place purgatory by avenging a loss in last year’s 60kg final with a victory by fall over world and Olympic bronze medalist Se Ung RI (PRK).

Ganiev went up 2-1 when he stepped over and gained an exposure on Ri’s gut-wrench attempt from par terre. In the second period, he increased the lead with a passivity point and a challenge point, but made the score moot when he pancaked Ri to the mat and held on for a fall at 5:06.

“The plan was not to rush, to wrestle patiently, wait for the right moment in par terre,” Ganiev said. “However, during the match, things changed. I managed to score points [from bottom] in par terre. In the second period, I continued with my approach. We prepared specifically for this opponent.”

Ganiev finished second at the Zagreb Ranking Series in February 2025, and again at this year’s. In between, he lost in last year’s Asian final to Ri and in the final of the World Championships to Aidos SULTANGALI (KAZ).

“I had been waiting for a long time,” Ganiev said. “This is my second Asian Championship. In the first one, I finished in second place. Now in 2026 I finally took first place. Today, all the hard work paid off. In the 2025 final, I made mistakes, but this time I corrected them.”

Hadi SARAVI (IRI) defended his Asian title with a 7-1 win over NITESH (IND). (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

While a number of Saravi’s teammates faltered at the final hurdle, the two-time Olympic medalist proved to be a rock of stability in claiming the 97kg gold with a solid albeit not overwhelming 7-1 win over NITESH (IND).

“I managed to finish the competition with the gold medal,” Saravi said. “After the World Championships, I set aside some time for recovery to get my body back in shape. The coaches decided to send me to the Asian Championships. I arrived at this competition with only a relative level of readiness, but thankfully I managed to achieve the best result and claim gold.”

Saravi, whose long list of laurels also includes four world medals, reeled off two rolls from par terre in the first period to lead 5-0. After being put on the bottom in the second but never budging, Saravi added a pair of stepouts to beat Nitesh for the third time in as many career meetings and clinch his fourth Asian gold over a seven-year span.

“The final was tougher [than the previous matches] because I’d suffered a knee injury before arriving, which was bothering me a bit and meant I couldn't keep up with my training properly or come to the competition fully prepared,” Saravi said. “Because of that I was a bit unsettled.”

Almatbek AMANBEK (KAZ) tries to pin Javad REZAEI (IRI) during the 72kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

At 72kg, Amanbek capped his senior Asian debut with a stunning victory by fall over Javad REZAEI (IRI), which more than avenged a 3-2 loss to the Iranian in the quarterfinals of the Tirana Ranking Series that Rezaei won.

“It’s the first time I’ve taken first place in the 72-kilogram category,” said Amanbek, who moved up from 67kg this year. “It’s been an incredibly emotional day.

“I’d give myself a ten out of ten. I did really well. Everything went exactly as I’d planned. I can give myself a pat on the back.”

The quick succession of moments that led to Amanbek’s victory started with him on the bottom of par terre. When Rezaei tried to force a gut wrench, Amanbek stepped over, scooped Rezaei’s head and held him down for a fall in 1:50.

“I know that Iranian wrestler, we faced each other at a ranking tournament in Albania,” Amanbek said. “I lost there. Today I got my revenge. I was in good spirits. We went out there and stuck to our tactics and our game plan. That’s why we won.”

Razzak BEISHEKEEV (KGZ) scores a four-point throw on Kensuke SHIMIZU (JPN) during the 67kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

At 67kg, Beishekeev wrapped up a strong Greco outing for the home team by soundly defeating former world bronze medalist Kensuke SHIMIZU (JPN) 8-2.

“I can say that this victory means a lot to me,” Beishekeev said of triumphing in front of the home crowd at Zhastyk Arena. “I truly felt the strong support of my people, it gave me strength and motivation. Thanks to that, everything came together today and I became a champion.”

Beishekeev all but put the match away in the first period, when he not only completed a gut wrench from par terre, but added a 4-pointer by lifting Shimizu and dumping him onto this back.

In the second period, Beishekeev gave up a passivity point but nothing from the bottom of par terre, and received a point himself when the Japanese side unsuccessfully challenged for a leg foul. A late stepout by Shimizu only changed the margin of victory.

In the three previous Asian Championships, Beishekeev’s results had been: bronze, silver, silver.

“Behind this success is a lot of hard work,” he said. “I worked patiently, step by step, never forgetting my goal and constantly pushing forward. If we continue working with the same determination, I believe a gold medal at the World Championships is also possible. “

Iran Iran won the team title in Greco-Roman at the Asian Championships. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

Entire Iranian team comes away with medals

In the bronze-medal matches, Ali AHMADI VAFA (IRI) and Ahmadreza MOHSEN NEZHAD (IRI) both picked up their first major senior medals and assured that nobody on the Iranian Greco team would be leaving Bishkek empty-handed.

Ahmadi Vafa, who won world titles at each of the three age-group levels from 2022 to 2024, secured a bronze medal at 60kg with a 10-0 rout of Yerbol KAMALIYEV (KAZ).

After a 4-point throw from par terre, Ahmadi Vafa tossed Kamaliyev again, although he didn’t get the necessary exposure and it was ruled a 2-pointer. But the Iranian continued the move and forced Kamaliyev to his back for 2 more to end it at 1:49.

The other bronze at 60kg went to Yu SHIOTANI (JPN), who was back on the Asian scene for the first time since winning the 55kg gold in 2022, the same year he won a world bronze.

Shiotani hit a 4-point throw from par terre, good enough for a 5-1 win over two-time former Asian U23 champion Haodong TAN (CHN).

At 67kg, Mohsen Nezhad, a 2025 world U23 bronze medalist, gained his bronze without a fight, as he received a victory by default from world silver medalist Hanjae CHUNG (KOR), who had suffered an elbow injury in his quarterfinal loss to Beishekeev on Tuesday.

Sachin SAHRAWAT (IND) captured his second career 67kg bronze when he fought back from behind three times to eventually come away with a 6-5 win over Abdumalik AMINOV (UZB).

A drag-by takedown in the final 30 seconds finally put Sahrawat over the top, after he had trailed 1-0, 3-2 and 5-3 during the match.

At 72kg, Taishi NARIKUNI (JPN) saw his bid for a place in wrestling history harshly ended by Shakhzod KUCHKOROV (UZB), who needed less than a minute to uncork a pair of 4-point throws in a 9-0 romp.

Narikuni, the 2022 champion at Freestyle 70kg, was looking to join the select group of wrestlers with Asian medals in both styles – a group that compatriot Kaisei TANABE (JPN) joined the previous day by taking a bronze at 63kg.

Ironically, last December, Narikuni had pipped Tanabe in each’s bid to become the first wrestler in 52 years to complete the Freestyle-Greco double at the All-Japan Championships. Narikuni did it by also winning the Freestyle 70kg title, while Tanabe fell short by finishing third at 65kg.

Narikuni will be returning to the Bishkek mat on Friday for the Freestyle 70kg qualification rounds as he attempts to bounce back from his Greco disappointment. Narikuni also won the world gold in Freestyle in 2022, but his attempt to repeat that feat in Greco last year in Zagreb ended in the first round.

Dongyu LI (CHN) took the other bronze at 72kg on Wednesday with a somewhat odd victory by fall over Amantur ISMAILOV (KGZ).

After breaking out to a 5-0 lead with two rolls from par terre, Li secured double underhooks and pancaked Ismailov to his back for 4 points.

Having achieved a win by technical superiority, Li stood up and thrust his fists in the air in triumph, only to notice that Ismailov was still lying on his back. Li then hopped on top of his prone opponent for an easy fall in 2:40.

At 82kg, Kakabay KAKABAYEV (TKM) became the third wrestler from Turkmenistan to make it to a bronze-medal match in Greco and have a chance to become the country’s first medalist since 2018, and the third to come up short.

Kakabayev never really had a chance against PRINCE (IND), who reeled off four rolls in a row from par terre en route to a 10-1 victory. That gave Prince a senior Asian bronze a year after winning one on the U20 level.

The other 82kg match saw veteran and former Asian champion Ibragim MAGOMADOV (KAZ) earn his fourth straight Asian medal and second straight bronze with a 5-3 victory over Rui LIU (CHN).

Magomadov, the 2023 champion at 72kg and a bronze medalist last year at 77kg, hit a 4-point throw from par terre in the first period, then held on after giving up a 2-point penalty in the second.

At 97kg, Zagreb Ranking Series silver medalist Islam YEVLOYEV (KAZ), the 2024 world U20 champion at 82kg, never gave Minho LEE (KOR) a chance, spinning behind for a takedown then chalking up a combination of exposures and rolls for a 9-0 victory in 1:27.

Zegang WANG (CHN) was equally dominant in taking the other 97kg bronze with an 11-1 victory over Melis AITBEKOV (KGZ) in his Asian debut.

Day 3 Results

Greco-Roman

60kg (10 entries)
GOLD: Alisher GANIEV (UZB) df. Se Ung RI (PRK) by Fall, 5:06 (6-1)

BRONZE: Yu SHIOTANI (JPN) df. Haodong TAN (CHN), 5-1
BRONZE: Ali AHMADI VAFA (IRI) df. Yerbol KAMALIYEV (KAZ) by TS, 10-0, 1:49

67kg (11 entries)
GOLD: Razzak BEISHEKEEV (KGZ) df. Kensuke SHIMIZU (JPN), 8-2

BRONZE: Ahmadreza MOHSEN NEZHAD (IRI) df. Hanjae CHUNG (KOR) by Inj. Def.
BRONZE: Sachin SAHRAWAT (IND) df. Abdumalik AMINOV (UZB), 6-5

72kg (10 entries)
GOLD: Almatbek AMANBEK (KAZ) df. Javad REZAEI (IRI) by Fall, 1:50 (2-1)

BRONZE: Dongyu LI (CHN) df. Amantur ISMAILOV (KGZ) by Fall, 2:40 (9-0)
BRONZE: Shakhzod KUCHKOROV (UZB) df. Taishi NARIKUNI (JPN) by TS, 9-0, :48

82kg (10 entries)
GOLD: Shahin BADAGHIMOFRAD (QAT) df. Amin HOSSEINI (IRI), 4-3

BRONZE: Ibragim MAGOMADOV (KAZ) df. Rui LIU (CHN), 5-3
BRONZE: PRINCE (IND) df. Kakabay KAKABAYEV (TKM) by TS, 10-1, 2:06

97kg (11 entries)
GOLD: Hadi SARAVI (IRI) df. NITESH (IND), 7-1

BRONZE: Islam YEVLOYEV (KAZ) df. Minho LEE (KOR) by TS, 9-0, 1:27
BRONZE: Zegang WANG (CHN) df. Melis AITBEKOV (KGZ) by TS, 11-1, 4:11

Women’s Wrestling

50kg (11 entries)
SF 1: Son Hyang KIM (PRK) df. Aktenge KEUNIMJAEVA (UZB), 12-8
SF 2: Yui SUSAKI (JPN) df. Maral TANGIRBERGENOVA (KAZ) by TS, 8-0, 2:00

55kg (8 entries)
SF 1: Sowaka UCHIDA (JPN) df. Ariunzaya ODONCHIMEG (MGL) by TS, 10-0, 1:33
SF 2: Yuxuan LI (CHN) df. Hansika LAMBA (IND) by TS, 11-1, 5:54

59kg (8 entries)
SF 1: Mengyu XIE (CHN) df. NEHA (IND), 12-5
SF 2: Sena NAGAMOTO (JPN) df. Ulmeken ESENBAEVA (UZB) by TS, 10-0, 4:00

68kg (10 entries)
SF 1: Meerim ZHUMANAZAROVA (KGZ) df. Zelu LI (CHN), 1-1
SF 2: Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN) df. Delgermaa ENKHSAIKHAN (MGL), 7-0

76kg (9 entries)
SF 1: Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ) df. Hui Tsz CHANG (TPE) by TS, 11-0, 1:03
SF 2: Davaanasan ENKH AMAR (MGL) df. Gulmaral YERKEBAYEVA (KAZ), 7-2

World Champ Sakurai Successfully Moves Up to 57kg, Upends Nanjo for 2nd National Title

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Badaghimofrad Claims Historic Asian Gold for Qatar