#WrestleBudapest

#WrestleBudapest Weight-to-Watch: Greco-Roman 82kg

Tuesday, March 22, 2022 - 14:38 By Vinay Siwach

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BUDAPEST, Hungary (March 18) -- When he won the World Championships title last year in Oslo over Burhan AKBUDAK (TUR), Rafig HUSEYNOV (AZE) took the victory lap with flags of both Azerbaijan and Turkey. Almost five months later, Akbudak avenged that loss to Huseynov in the semifinal of the Ranking Series event in Istanbul to tie their head-to-head record at 1-1.

But that record will most likely be settled in two weeks' time if the two meet at the European Championships in Budapest, Hungary.

World champion Huseynov and Akbudak will be highlighting a tough 82kg weight class at the tournament which has a number of upcoming stars who are ready to challenge the established ones.

In Oslo, the two met in the final which Huseynov won after an intense battle in which he won 2-1. Both gave nothing away in that bout but it was Huseynov's defense that managed to keep him ahead of his opponent.

Akbudak was awarded a point for inactivity from Huseynov and from par terre, he tried to score a throw which the judges did not score. But Turkey challenged that call and lost as there was no danger from Akbudak, tying the score 1-1 in favor of Huseynov.

The 2019 World Championships silver medalist Huseynov led 2-1 when Akbudak was called passive in the second period. That lead did not change and he won the gold for the first time in his career.

In a contrasting bout in Istanbul, Akbudak managed to get two big throws from par terre against Huseynov in the semifinal, leaving nothing to fate.

While Huseynov won the European Championships in 2020, Akbudak is yet to make it to the podium in his previous two attempts. But going by what he did in Istanbul, he is the favorite to win the competition.

Trying to stop him, apart from Huseynov, would be Tokyo Olympic fifth-place finisher Karapet CHALYAN (ARM). He had finished fifth in the last continental championships as well and would like to make amends to that record.

Two wrestlers who are on the verge of taking over the weight class are Gela BOLKVADZE (GEO) and Tamas LEVAI (HUN). The two recently met in the Dan-Kolov tournament final with the latter winning the gold.

Bolkvadze won the U23 Worlds in 2018 but then moved down to 77kg in a bid to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics. However, he failed to accomplish that and is back to the 82kg weight class.

Levai, who defeated two-time Olympic champion Roman VLASVO (RWF) last year, is looking to build on his '21 U23 World gold. He has been on the rise for a couple of years but his debut European Championships will be a big test for the fifth-placer at the Oslo Worlds.

A big name that cannot be ignored in this category is Marcel STERKENBURG (NED). Coming off an impressive title-winning performance at the U23 European Championships, Sterkenburg is now looking for success at the senior level.

He is not new to the challenges of senior-level after wrestling at the European Championships twice before but the junior world champion is now more confident and with some big wins under his belt, can be a big threat.

As a wrestler who has decent success now at the age-group level, it will be a matter of time before he gets going at the senior level.

The 82kg weight class will be in action on Saturday with the finals to be held Sunday.

GR 82kg Entries

Karapet CHALYAN (ARM)
Rafig HUSEYNOV (AZE)
Rosian DERMANSKI (BUL)
Filip SACIC (CRO)
Petr NOVAK (CZE)
Ranet KALJOLA (EST)
Johnny BUR (FRA)
Gela BOLKVADZE (GEO)
Pascal EISELE (GER)
Georgios PREVOLARAKIS (GRE)
Tamas LEVAI (HUN)
David ZHYTOMYRSKY (ISR)
Matteo MAFFEZZOLI (ITA)
Mihail BRADU (MDA)
Marcel STERKENBURG (NED)
Exauce MUKUBU (NOR)
Branko KOVACEVIC (SRB)
Denis HORVATH (SVK)
Burhan AKBUDAK (TUR)

#WrestleAlexandria

Olympians gear up for African & Oceania qualifiers for Paris 2024

Tuesday, March 19, 2024 - 09:58 By Vinay Siwach

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ALEXANDRIA, Egypt (March 19) -- Wrestlers from two continents will battle on the mat for 18 Paris Olympic spots at the African & Oceania OG Qualifiers in Alexandria on March 22-24.

All eyes will be on Tokyo Olympic medalists Blessing OBORUDUDU (NGR) at 68kg in Women's Wrestling and Mohamed ELSAYED (EGY) at 67kg in Greco-Roman. The two failed to earn a Paris quota at the World Championships in September but will be the favorite to claim the spot in Alexandria.

The tournament will follow a bracket system and two winners of the semifinals will earn the Paris spot. There will be no gold medal bouts and repechage.

Oborududu won the African Championships on Monday in dominating fashion and has the best chance to qualify. Samah ABDELLATIF (EGY), Tayla FORD (NZL) and African medalist Khadija JLASSI (TUN) will try to stop her and earn a quota for themselves.

For Elsayed, Ishak GHAIOU (ALG) will be the biggest test as he will be randomly drawn in the 67kg bracket. Japan-born Gaku AKAZAWA (SAM) will be seeded number two and cannot face Elsayed.

In other Women's Wrestling weight classes, African champion Mercy GENESIS (NGR) will be primed to win the semifinal at 50kg. Traditional powerhouses in Africa Egypt and Tunisia will be represented by Nada MOHAMED (EGY) and Nourhene HEDHLI (TUN) respectively.

At 53kgm Nigeria will see Christianah OGUNSANYA (NGR) going for the Paris spot. She won the African Championships gold medal on Monday but the addition of Oceania wrestlers can make things interesting. 

Jessica LAVERS MCBAIN (AUS) will be at 53kg for Australia while Guam has Mia AQUINO (GUM). Shaimaa MOHAMED (EGY) and Lobna ICHAOUI (TUN) will also look to win as well.

Nigeria already has won the quota at 57kg through world bronze medalist Odunayo ADEKOUROYE (NGR), leaving others to earn a Paris spot. Irene SYMEONIDIS (AUS), Natacha NABAINA (CMR), Louji YASSIN (EGY), Rckaela AQUINO (GUM) and Faten HAMMAMI (TUN) will have to fight it out for the two spots.

Marwa AMRI (TUN) usually locked the 62kg for Tunisia but the now-retired wrestler will be coaching Siwar BOUSETA (TUN) as she tries to fill the shoes. Esther KOLAWOLE (NGR) will be a big test for everyone in this weight class as she won the African Championships.

Two-time world medalist Samar HAMZA (EGY) will be looking for a second trip to the Olympics if she can win the 76kg spot in front of the home crowd. It could go three-way as African silver medalist Hannah RUEBEN (NGR) and now African champion Zaineb SGHAIER (TUN) are also entered.

Mohamed ELSAYED (EGY)Tokyo bronze medalist Mohamed ELSAYED (EGY) is the favorite at 67kg. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan) 

Greco-Roman

Tokyo Olympian Abdelkarim FERGAT (ALG) will be tested by Moamen MOHAMED (EGY) and Mohamed HKIRI (TUN) as the three look to win the two spots available at 60kg in Greco-Roman.

Egypt and Algeria usually dominate Greco-Roman in Africa which will add pressure on Abd OUAKALI (ALG) and Mahmoud ABDELRAHMAN (EGY) who will be the favorite to win the Paris spot at 77kg. Sheng ZHANG (AUS) will be representing Australia.

Two Tokyo Olympians will have a chance to earn another trip to the Olympics as Bachir SID AZARA (ALG) and Mohamed METWALLY (EGY) gear up for a battle in 87kg. Both skipped the African Championships to prepare for the qualifiers.

At 97kg, Fadi ROUABAH (ALG), Mohamed GABR (EGY) and Mohamed MISSAOUI (TUN) have the best chance to win a spot while top seed Maulalo ALOFIPO (SAM) will look to get one through as only six wrestlers are entered in the weight category.

As Egypt already has a quota at 130kg, four wrestlers will battle for the two quotas in this weight class. Hemza HALOUI (ALG), Oussama ASSAD (MAR), Marcus CARNEY (NZL) and Tokyo Olympian Amine GUENNICHI (TUN) will face each other in a round-robin format to decide the two spots.

Amr REDA (EGY)Amr REDA (EGY) will look to repeat as an Olympian. (Photo: UWW / Bayrem Ben Mrad)

Freestyle

Egypt will hope to get all six Freestyle spots for Paris as it fields a strong team. Tokyo Olympian Amr REDA (EGY), backed by the home crowd in Alexandria, has his eyes set on the Paris spot in the 74kg weight class. Reda has proved on several occasions that he is a notch up the field in Africa. However, Bacar NDUM (GBS), a former African Championships silver medalist, will hope to get a spot even if he falls in the same bracket as Reda.

At 57kg, African champion Diamantino IUNA FAFE (GBS) will be the favorite to win the spot along with Tokyo Olympian Abdelhak KHERBACHE (ALG). Gamal MOHAMED (EGY), Thomas SANTIAGO (GUM) and Suraj SINGH (NZL) will also fancy their chance to win a Paris spot.

Oceania Championships silver medalist Ethan AGUIGUI (GUM) pulled out of the qualifiers at 65kg. But Oceania champion Georgii OKOROKOV (AUS) will be a huge favorite to earn a quota. Omar MOURAD (EGY), Gaku AKAZAWA (SAM), who is also competing in Greco-Roman, and Sylvio DIATTA (SEN) can prove to be dark horses.

Australia can have a second Olympian from Alexandria if Jayden LAWRENCE (AUS) can bring out his best performance and earn a spot at 86kg. He also needs Fateh BENFERDJALLAH (ALG) to fall on the other side of the bracket.

Tokyo Olympian and African champion Benferdjallah has dominated the weight class in Africa and will look to earn a Paris quota for himself. Other names include Ahmed MAHMOUD (EGY) and Imed KADDIDI (TUN).

Mohamed SAADAOUI (TUN) was in Tokyo and has a chance to be in Paris if he can earn a quota at 97kg in Alexandria. It will be a similar case for South Africa as former African silver medalist Nicolaas DE LANGE (RSA) hopes to win a quota.

Wali KEBIR (ALG), Mostafa ELDERS (EGY) and Anas SAMIR (MAR) will also hope to finish in the top two to earn a ticket.

The two wrestlers who won the 125kg quotas for Tokyo from continental qualifiers are back at it. Diaaeldin ABDELMOTTALEB (EGY) and Hamza RAHMANI (TUN) will be the favorite to win the two spots again.