#wrestlebishkek

#WrestleBishkek: Ravi returns with golden aim

Friday, May 26, 2023 - 11:51 By Vinay Siwach

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NEW DELHI, India (May 16) -- Three months back, Ravi KUMAR (IND) was keen on starting the season with a bang. He was in "perfect shape" to wrestle.

Then at one training session, it all changed.

"The hit was so loud that I felt that I will need surgery," Kumar said. "My medial collateral ligament [MCL] and anterior cruciate ligament [ACL] broke."

That was February 6 and since then Kumar has been in rehabilitation, nursing his knee injury. But earlier this month, he return to the mat training sessions and is now making a comeback to competition, 10 months since his last, the World Championships. 

"I can't wait."

The Tokyo Olympic silver medalist will wrestle at the Bishkek Ranking Series scheduled for June 1 to 4. Wrestling at 61kg, Kumar will try to regain his form that helped him win three Asian titles, a Commonwealth Games gold medal and become India's biggest hope for Paris Olympics.

"This competition is very important," he said. "I have missed many. I will try to do my best and attain a level which I had before the injury."

An MCL or ACL tear can require surgery but Kumar says his injury was on the borderline and he opted out of the surgery which could have kept him away from the mat for more than six months.

"My partner got hold of my leg and while I was trying to move away, I hit his shoulder with my knee," he said. "So February, March, April I was in rehabilitation." 

That meant he missed the second Ranking Series and the Asian Championships in which he won three back-to-back gold medals, the first Indian to the title thrice.

In his absence, U23 world champion AMAN (IND) won the gold medal at 57kg to keep the top medal in India. Incidentally, Aman also trains at the same stadium.

Both Kumar and Aman are registered at 61kg for Bishkek along with a third Indian PANKAJ. European champion at 57kg Aliabbas RZAZADE (AZE) is also in the same weight class and so is the Asian champion at 61kg Taiyrbek ZHUMASHBEK UULU (KGZ) and so is former Asian champion Ulukbek ZHOLDOSHBEKOV (KGZ).

"See if I prepare for every wrestler separately, I will never win," Ravi said. "I have to focus on doing my work and make myself the best. Then whoever is the opponent, it does not matter."

Ravi KUMAR (IND)Ravi KUMAR (IND) lost to Gulomjon ABDULLAEV (UZB) at the World Championships. (Photo: UWW / Martin Gabor)

Kumar, however, would have liked to wrestle Abdullaev, a wrestler who has constantly troubled him since his U20 days. Abdullaev leads the head-to-head record 3-2 after his win in Belgrade.

"Abdullaev has an attack on my left leg and he hits on me," he said. "It's kind of perfect. He always hits on me.

"That day in Belgrade, my body could not get going. Even if I had won against Abdullaev, I don't know what the next result could have been. I wanted to work, but my body didn't. My weight also was set a day before the bout so I slept with ease. I did not do anything in the morning. No warm-up as such. I remained lazy."

While he reflects on the World Championships bout, Kumar knows that it doesn't matter now. With the Asian Games and the Olympic qualifying World Championships scheduled, he has to focus on the upcoming tournaments.

"I will be back on the mat after a long time," he said. "So it's very different to be in a competition. Training is great but when you are in a tournament, it's a different feeling. So I want to be good in Bishkek."

Undoubtedly, Kumar will be the favorite to win the gold in his weight class but with young blood coming up, he will be tested.

"It's wrestling," he said. "No one can predict the result because I am not in regular competition. But if I control the bouts, the result will be in my favor."

In Taraz, Burroughs puts on a double-leg show

Friday, November 3, 2023 - 17:47 By Vinay Siwach

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TARAZ, Kazakhstan (November 3) -- The talk around Jordan BURROUGHS's (USA) return to 74kg was dominated by his weight cut. After spending three years at 79kg, the United States star was returning to the Olympic weight class on Friday at the DA Kunayev tournament.

Burroughs put those doubts to rest by reaching the final at 74kg with three dominant wins in Taraz, Kazakhstan. He will now be looking to win his first gold at 74kg at any level since the 2020 Pan-Am Championships title.

"I'm adjusting to the new weight class, again," Burroughs said after his semifinal. "I have not been at 74kg for three years. I have got a lot of rust that I have to knock off. I have a lot of things working against me but I feel good."

 

Opening the tournament with a 9-2 win over Yerkhan BEXULTANOV (KAZ), Burroughs was quick on his feet with fake attacks and a change of directions. He combined that with go-behinds for takedowns and also used some turns. A forfeit got him a place in the quarterfinals against Zafarbek OTAKHONOV (UZB) which he won 9-2.

"Taking it one match at a time was my plan coming in here," he said.  It's not going to be easy but confident that I could get the job done."

If those wins were not enough, Burroughs won his semifinal against Yerbarys SATYBALDY (KAZ) 10-0 to enter the final on Saturday. He will now take on former Asian champion Syrbaz TALGAT (KAZ), perhaps Burroughs' biggest test yet in his return.

"All things considered, my age, time of the year, what lies ahead of me, and what lay behind me, I feel solid," he said.

Jordan BURROUGHS (USA)Jordan BURROUGHS (USA) outscored his opponents 28-3 in three bouts.

Since winning his record-breaking sixth world title in Belgrade last year, Burroughs has been dealt with some blows on the mat. In December, he lost to Ali SAVADKHOUI (IRI), his first career loss to an Iranian wrestler. Earlier this year, he failed to make the U.S. team at 79kg after losing to Chance MARSTELLER (USA).

Coach Brandon SLAY, who is with Burroughs in Taraz, finds a silver lining in him not making the world team in June.

"The silver lining, if there was one of not making the World Team, was he got to start his descent earlier," Slay said. "If wrestled in Serbia then he would have taken some time off after that and it would probably be a lot harder for him to get down to this weight so early."

The plan to wrestle at the DA Kunayev tournament was also part of the return to the Olympic weight class as there is no international competition left this year. Slay explained that the team did not come in with any game plan but wanted Burroughs to move more.

"I don't think there was necessarily a change in game plan," he said. "The main encouragement for him is to move his hands and move his feet because when he's moving, he's a very dangerous wrestler. He's hard to get his hands on. He's faking. He's really dangerous.

"When standing, just like most wrestlers, if you're a bird in a tree not moving at all, right, you're easier to shoot. So when he's floating and fluttering and moving his hands and feet then he's on track."

Jordan BURROUGHS (USA)Jordan BURROUGHS (USA) will wrestle Syrbaz TALGAT (KAZ) in the final on Saturday.

Burroughs not only moved but he attacked every bout. He trapped opponents for gut-wrench, strapped the legs, countered their attacks, and scored stepouts at will. And while there was a two-kilogram exemption at the tournament, Burroughs was doing this at 74.4kg.

"We got a little workout with him this morning and he was 74.4kg," Slay said. "He's only 0.4kg over scratch. He's scoring lots of points, getting in on his shots, and then he's still moving his feet, even at the very end of the match. I'm pleased. I think we have to keep that [wrestle at 74kg in almost three years] in mind."

Burroughs certainly rolled back the years with his performance on Friday in an almost packed Taraz Arena. And like at every tournament he wrestles, it did not matter if he was tired after his bouts, everyone wanted a photo clicked with him.

"There are not a lot of 35-year-old people who are competing like me," Burroughs said. "Anytime I am at a tournament, I am a title threat. It's fun to be always in the race."

Burroughs is not only the title threat like always, there is one more thing in order.

"Doubles still work."

He will hope that it works on Saturday as well.