#WrestleUlaanbaatar

#WrestleUlaanbaatar: Three must-watch match-ups at Asian Championships

By Vinay Siwach

ULAANBAATAR, Mongolia (April 12) -- After a three-year gap, China and Japan make their return to the Asian Championships. The participation of the continent's most dominant teams automatically increases the quality of wrestling -- especially women's wrestling -- at next week's tournament in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.

As few rivalries will be revived, and some fresh faces will also be in action, the tournament becomes a must-watch for wrestling fans around the world.

United World Wrestling has also picked three rivalries that will be the highlight of the tournament.

Freestyle
57kg -- Ravi KUMAR (IND) vs Gulomjon ABDULLAEV (UZB)

Kumar and Abdullaev only wrestled once in six years. But in the last 10 months, they have wrestled three more times. Two of the most exciting wrestlers at 57kg keep raising the bar every time they meet on the mat, and out of the four, only one bout has been one-sided.

Back in 2016, the two clashed in the repechage round of the Junior World Championships, where Abdullaev defeated Kumar, 12-7. The bout in France had Abdullaev using his well-timed attacks and later kept Kumar's attacks at a distance. Kumar wore out the Uzbekistan wrestler but could not finish his attacks and only scored three takedowns.

The two met five years after that bout with Kumar winning 10-0 in the first round at the Poland Open Ranking Series event last year. But Abdullaev avenged that loss with a 7-5 win in the final of the same tournament at 61kg.

Their most recent meeting was at the Yasar Dogu Ranking Series event in Istanbul and undoubtedly it was the match of the tournament. At 61kg, the two collided in the final and the back-and-forth bout saw the lead change hands four times. Kumar won 11-10 thanks to a four-point throw from the Indian.

While Kumar has won the Asian title, World bronze and Olympics silver medal, Abdullaev has shown signs of being one of the best in the weight class. He was seconds away from upsetting world and Olympic champ Zavur UGUEV (RWF) in Tokyo and has always troubled Kumar.

His sneaky attacks and Kumar's constant high-pressure wrestling will be on display in Ulaanbaatar and Abdullaev would like to survive the six minutes to once again lead in the head-to-head record.

The two can only meet in the final of the 12-man bracket as Kumar is seeded number one and Abdullaev in the second spot.

Tynybekova OzakiAisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ) and Nonoka OZAKI (JPN) wrestled at 62kg in Oslo. (Photo: UWW / Martin Gabor)

Women's Wrestling
62kg -- Nonoka OZAKI (JPN) vs Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ)

Tynybekova is a two-time World champion and Olympic silver medalist. Ozaki has only lost once since making her cadet debut in 2018. When the two clash in Ulaanbaatar, it could Ozaki's arrival on the big stage.

At the Oslo World Championships, the two met in the opening round at 62kg and Ozaki took a 4-0 lead at the break and Tynybekova looked in deep trouble. Ozaki's quick attacks did catch Tynybekova off-guard. But as clutch as she is, the Tokyo silver medalist responded with two takedowns and added another late in the bout to win 6-4.

Ozaki, 19, was let down by her inexperience but may come better prepared for a rematch. The two can only meet in the final being the top-two seeds.

Tynybekova will have to return to her previous levels after suffering a first-round loss at the Ranking Series event in Istanbul against Lais NUNES DE OLIVEIRA (BRA). 

Ozaki, who would have noticed that loss, will be fresh after coming off with a gold-winning performance at the Queen's Cup in Japan.

Sailike WALIHANSailike WALIHAN (CHN) is a bronze medalist from Tokyo Olympics. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Greco-Roman
67kg - Sailike WALIHAN (CHN) vs Hansu RYU (KOR)

Walihan and Ryu were at the Tokyo Olympics but in different weight classes. The Chinese wrestler rose above expectations to win the bronze medal at 60kg while Ryu finished seventh at 67kg. But with Walihan jumping up to 67kg, the two are most likely to meet in Ulaanbaatar.

As the two have never wrestled before, it will be a test for Walihan as he is increasing his weight to compete in a very loaded field at 67kg. His opponent Ryu is a two-time world champion and is the last of the cream of Korean Greco-Roman wrestling. Using his experience and skill set, he will be the favorite against Walihan.

But Ryu must be aware that Walihan's defense in Asian Olympic Qualifiers and later the Olympic Games gave him win to first reach Tokyo and then win China's first Greco-Roman Olympic medal since 2008, respectively.

Ryu is seeded number one and Walihan is unseeded in the weight class which means that the two can clash in any match of the bracket.

All the action in Mongolia begins next Tuesday, April 19-24, and can be followed live on www.uww.org.

#WrestleUlaanbaatar

#WrestleUlaanbaatar Preview: Ozaki eyes Asian title but Tynybekova stands in the way

By Ken Marantz

ULAANBAATAR, Mongolia (April 15) -- Having started her second year at academically prestigious Keio University, Nonoka OZAKI (JPN) will be bringing her textbooks with her to Mongolia for the Asian Championships to keep from falling behind in her studies. On the mat, the scholar-athlete has shown to be a fast learner.

The 19-year-old Ozaki, a world cadet and Youth Olympic gold medalist, made her international senior debut at last year's World Championships in Oslo and came away with a bronze medal at 62kg.

In Ulaanbaatar, she will likely get a chance to avenge a close, first-round loss in Oslo to world champion and Olympic silver medalist Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ). The two are the top seeds, meaning a clash between them could only come in the final.

But that's not her sole focus. Ozaki knows that, like her school studies, a tournament is a progression in which the earlier steps cannot be overlooked.

"Before, I lost to her, but it's not like I'm always keeping Aisuluu in my mind," Ozaki said in an interview last Sunday when she cruised to the U20 title at the JOC Junior Queens Cup in Tokyo.

"My thinking is that any opponent will be strong. I don't know what type of opponent I will face in the first match. I'll have to be sure to win that match and have a chance to meet her in the final."

Ozaki is one of 12 women's medalists from the 2021 World Championships among the entries for the Asian Championships, with Tynybekova among the five champions -- three are from Japan and the other is also from Kyrgyzstan. There are also two world medalists in each of the men's styles.

Tynybekova also belongs to the small subset of Tokyo Olympic medalists making the trip to Ulaanbaatar, along with compatriot Akzhol MAKMUMDOV (KGZ) at Greco 77kg and the Indian pair of Ravi KUMAR (IND) at freestyle 57kg and Bajrang PUNIA (IND) at freestyle 65kg. None of Japan's four women champions have returned to action since the Tokyo Games.

At last year's Asian Championships in Almaty, the women's competition was thinned out a bit by the absence of the Japanese and Chinese, as well as the fact that the tournament was held the week after the Asian Olympic qualifier. Tynybekova is one of three defending champions, along with India's Anshu MALIK (IND) at 57kg and Sarita MOR (IND) at 59kg.

Looking ahead to the Paris Olympics in two years, Ozaki is aiming to challenge Olympic champion Yukako KAWAI (JPN) for domestic supremacy at 62kg, and a victory at the senior Asian tournament would provide a big boost of confidence. Success on the global stage, however, is no stranger to the Tokyo native.

Against Tynybekova in Oslo, Ozaki jumped out to a 4-0 lead, only to falter and come out on the short end of a 6-4 score. That was her first-ever loss to a non-Japanese opponent, having won two world cadet (U17), one Asian cadet, three Klippan Lady cadets and the Youth Olympic titles between 2018 and 2020. Her last domestic loss came in August 2018, in the final of the Inter-High School tournament to Yuzuka INAGAKI (JPN).

Ozaki had no trouble facing opponents her own age at the Junior Queens Cup, winning all three matches by fall in a combined time of 2:17. Why would she enter a tournament that she would assuredly dominate so easily so close to such an important competition as the Asian Championships?

The reason was two-fold: First, the tournament was serving as Japan's qualifier for the World U20 Championships this summer in Bulgaria which she wants to enter. Second, she wanted to regain her competitive edge.

"Mongolia is the tournament I am building up to. But my last tournament was in December," Ozaki said, referring to the All-Japan Championships, where she won a second straight title in the absence of Kawai.

"So I thought this tournament would also be good to get my mat sense back. No matter what match it is, I feel nervous. But I went into it thinking about what I want to do and what will get me in the best condition for Mongolia, so it was good."

Others that Ozaki and Tynybekova will have to contend with in Ulaanbaatar are third-seed Ayaulym KASSYMOVA (KAZ) and Nabira ESENBAEVA (UZB), both two-time Asian medalists, and Khongorzul BOLDSAIKHAN (MGL), who finished fifth at the Tokyo Olympics. Tynybekova, for her part, will be aiming for a fifth Asian gold and ninth medal overall.

Ozaki went against the grain when she opted to pursue the scholar-athlete route to Keio, for which she had to pass an extremely difficult entrance exam, instead of taking the conventional path and going to a wrestling powerhouse.

That's what reigning 53kg world champion Akari FUJINAMI (JPN) did, and this month the 18- year-old started her freshman year at Nippon Sports Science University. Fujinami also warmed up for Ulaanbaatar at the Junior Queens Cup, where she spent only slightly less time on the mat than Ozaki--she needed just 2:14 to complete two falls and a technical fall.

"It was only a matter of course that I won," said Fujinami, who stretched her winning streak dating back to junior high school to 93 matches. "It was my first competition since entering Nippon Sports Science, so it was important for me."

Fujinami will be gunning for her second career continental title after easily winning the 54kg crown at the inaugural Asian U15 Championships in Japan in 2018. Her victory in Oslo, where the 2018 world cadet champion won all four matches by technical fall without conceding a point, came in only her second senior-level tournament and first internationally.

"My aim is to be undefeated [up to the Paris Olympics] and present the image that I win convincingly," Fujinami said. "But I always focus on the tournament in front of me and will take it one step at a time."

Accompanying Fujinami in her move from her Mie Prefecture hometown in central Japan to Tokyo was her father, who was her coach at Inabe Gakuin High School and is now a coach at NSSU. Another coach might be more familiar to world wrestling fans -- four-time Olympic champion Kaori ICHO (JPN), whose presence is pushing Fujinami to even higher levels.

"She also spars with me," Fujinami said. "When I was in high school, I was allowed to join in their practices. I can only learn [from her]. I still have an issue with finishing up my tackles. Kaori-san is really skilled after someone gets in on a tackle, she has good balance and is solid physically. Right now, I can't get points off her, she's still strong. I'm always thinking what can I do."

Fujinami had talked about looking forward to facing a Chinese opponent for the first time, prior to the news that China would not be sending a team to Ulaanbaatar.

That leaves as the main challengers for the top-seeded Fujinami mainly No. 2 seed Aktenge KEUNIMJAEVA (UZB), a bronze medalist in 2019 and 2020 and the 2018 world junior silver medalist, and 34-year-old veteran Zhuldyz ESHIMOVA (KAZ), a seven-time Asian medalist dating back to 2005 (including a gold in 2007) who was fifth at the 2016 Rio Olympics and a 2011 world bronze medalist.

In addition to Fujinami, two other titlists from Oslo will be making the trip to Mongolia.

Remina YOSHIMOTORemina YOSHIMOTO (JPN) is the world champion at 50kg. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Remina YOSHIMOTO (JPN) heads the field at 50kg as the top seed, while world 55kg champion Tsugumi SAKURAI (JPN) has moved up to the Olympic weight of 57kg to begin a bid to knock off two-time Olympic champion Risako KAWAI (JPN) in the race to Paris 2024.

Yoshimoto, who has eyes on preventing Olympic gold medalist Yu SUSAKI (JPN) from getting a chance for a repeat in Paris, should have little trouble in her senior Asian debut but could encounter stiff competition from 2020 Yarygin Grand Prix champion Namuuntsetseg TSOGT OCHIR (MGL) and 2021 Asian runner-up Jasmina IMMAEVA (UZB).

Sakurai's first venture into her new weight class could get a major test right off the bat with a clash against defending champion and 2021 world silver medalist Anshu MALIK (IND). The division also includes 2021 world junior champion Nilufar RAIMOVA (KAZ) and the ageless (actually 37) Hyungjoo KIM (KOR), a 2021 bronze medalist at 55kg who appeared at the 2008 and 2012 Olympics.

At 65kg, world silver medalist Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN) looks to be in a class of her own as the 2019 world junior champion finally gets a shot at a senior Asian title. She was on the women's squad last year that was pulled out of the competition just before departing Japan because of suspected contact with someone infected with the coronavirus.

It will be interesting to see how one of Japan's least heralded team members, Sumire NIIKURA (JPN), fares at 72kg in her first-ever foray overseas. When world champion Masako FURUICHI (JPN) moved down to 68kg, Niikura emerged victorious in the All-Japan tournament, beating 2019 world U23 bronze medalist Mei SHINDO (JPN) in the final to become the first-ever national champion from Kanagawa University.

"It's my first overseas competition," the stocky Niikura said after winning the Junior Queens Cup. "I'm in the women's 72kg weight class, but for that division, I'm not tall enough. Other countries' wrestlers are taller than the Japanese, so I want to test how I will fare against those opponents. Regardless of whether I win or not, I will give everything I have in each match."

Zhamila BAKBERGENOVA (KAZ)Zhamila BAKBERGENOVA (KAZ) will be looking for second Asian gold. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

The favorite in the weight class is top seed Zhamila BAKBERGENOVA (KAZ), the runner-up to Furuichi at the Oslo world championships. She has a full set of Asian medals, having finished second in 2021, first in 2020 and third in 2019. This year, she triumphed at the Yasar Dogu Ranking tournament.

Kyrgyzstan will be sending only three women, but what a trio it is. In addition to the two-time world champion Tynybekova, reigning world champion Meerim ZHUMANAZAROVA (KGZ) and world bronze medalist Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ) make up the cream of the Kyrgyz crop.

Zhumanazarova, who joined Tynybekova as their nation's first-ever female Olympic medalist in any sport when she took a bronze in Tokyo, will be aiming for her first Asian title after two third-place finishes. She will be challenged by the silver medalists from the past two years, Delgermaa ENKHSAIKHAN (MGL) and Naruha MATSUYUKI (JPN).

Matsuyuki is familiar with Zhumanazarova; the Japanese beat her 4-2 in the final at the 2019 World Junior Championships. She also has a world U23 silver from 2017 to her credit.

Medet Kyzy, who won a second straight Asian silver last year and placed fifth at the Tokyo Olympics, could also find a young Japanese in her path in Yuka KAGAMI (JPN), who is making her first overseas trip since winning the Klippan Lady in January 2020.

A product of the JOC Elite Academy that produced Susaki, Ozaki and numerous other stars, Kagami shined brightest in 2019 when she won the world junior and senior Asian titles at 72kg and was second in the world U23 at 76kg.

Here are others to watch in Greco and freestyle style:

Akzhol MAKHMUDOVAkzhol MAKHMUDOV (KGZ) is eyeing his second Asian title. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Greco-Roman (April 19-20)

Kyrgyzstan's Tokyo Olympic 77kg silver medalist Makhmudov burst onto the global stage at the 2018 Asian Championships with a thrilling victory before the home crowd at 72kg in the Kyrgyz capital of Bishkek. He won the 77kg silver six months later at the Asian Games but has not appeared at a continental competition since.

Makhmudov, who turns 23 on April 15, is the top seed at 77kg, a category in which 2019 world 72kg silver medalist Aram VARDANYAN (UZB) and a pair of wily veterans are among those lying in wait.

Hyeonwoo KIM (KOR), 33, an Olympic champion in 2012 and bronze medalist in 2016, will be aiming for his sixth career Asian title and first since 2019, while Maxat YEREZHEPOV (KAZ), who turns 32 on April 23, will look to add to a collection that includes six Asian medals, among them a 2017 gold and most recently a 2019 bronze at 82kg.

Of the five returning champions, at least one will head home without a title as two are entered at 87kg. Naser ALIZADEH (IRI), the gold medalist in Almaty, is unseeded and could clash with 2021 82kg champion and No. 3 seed Jalgasbay BERDIMURATOV (UZB), a 2018 world bronze medalist at 77kg.

Not that this weight class is a two-man field. They will have to contend with former Asian champion and top seed Nursultan TURSYNOV (KAZ), 2019 Asian silver medalist and No. 2 seed Sumil KUMAR (IND), and 32-year-old Jinhyeok KIM (KOR), a 2018 Asian bronze medalist at 82kg.

Khuderbulga DORJKHAND (MGL)Freestyle veteran Khuderbulga DORJKHAND (MGL) is entered in Greco-Roman 130kg. (Photo: United World Wrestling)

One of the more intriguing entries is at 130kg, where the home country -- which has never had an Asian medalist in Greco -- will be represented by Khuderbulga DORJKHAND (MGL). If his name is familiar, it's because he is a six-time Asian medalist -- in freestyle. A champion at 97kg in 2014, he made it onto the medal podium last year in Almaty with a third-place finish.

Dorjkhand only adds more depth to a stacked weight class that includes 2019 champion Amir GHASEMIMONJEZI (IRI); three-time Olympian and top seed Muminjon ABDULLAEV (UZB), the 2019 runner-up to Ghasemimonjezi in Xi'an; 2020 silver medalist and 2018 world bronze medalist Minseok KIM (KOR); and 2021 silver medalist and No. 2 seed Alimkhan SYZDYKOV (KAZ).

On the other end of the spectrum, the one to watch at 55kg is defending champion Yu SHIOTANI (JPN).

Last year in Almaty, Shiotani became, at 19 years 5 months, Japan’s youngest-ever male Asian champion. Five months later in the same weight class, Ken MATSUI (JPN) became the country's youngest-ever world Greco champion. The two met in the final at last December's national championships, and Shiotani routed his rival with a quick 11-0 technical fall that included two 5-point throws.

"Last year, I went into [the Asian Championships] with only the spirit of being a challenger," Shiotani told the Japan federation website. "This year, my thoughts have been focused on repeating as champion, so I think there is more pressure than last year."

Bajrang PUNIABajrang PUNIA (IND) is the favorite to win the 65kg gold in the absence of Olympic champion Takuto OTOGURO (JPN). (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Freestyle (April 23-24)

Not having to deal with nemesis Takuto OTOGURO (JPN) this time, Tokyo Olympic bronze medalist Punia is poised to win a third career Asian title and first since 2019 at 65kg. His main barrier may be overcoming problems with his knees that have plagued him in recent months.

Punia brought the situation to light after barely winning a national team playoff over ROHIT (IND) in late March to earn a ticket to Ulaanbaatar. That was his first official action since the Tokyo Games, after which he was forced to skip Ranking Series events in Rome and Istanbul.

"This was my first bout after the Olympics," Punia was quoted as saying on the News 18 website. "It takes time to get that sharpness when you go to the mat after so many months.

"After my injury, I did rehab on my own. I did not have a personal physio with me, otherwise, I could have recovered early," said Punia, who had spent time training overseas. "Overall I am happy with my performance considering that I was competing after eight months."

Punia, who has seven Asian and three world medals to his credit, can expect to be pushed by 2021 world bronze medalist Alibek OSMONOV (KGZ) and 2021 world 61kg junior champion Rahman AMOUZADKHALILI (IRI).

With powerhouse Iran fielding a mixed squad of established national team members and international newcomers, a deep Indian team has a good chance to make a run at the team title, after finishing second to Iran in each of the past three years.

Expectations are high for Kumar at 57kg and Deepak PUNIA (IND) at 86kg, with 2020 silver medalist Gourav BALIYAN (IND) at 79kg and four-time Asian medalist Satywart KADIAN (IND) at 97kg also capable of making the top step of the podium.

Kumar, a 2019 world bronze medalist, will be aiming for a third straight Asian gold, with his top competition likely to come from Tokyo Olympic quarterfinalist Gulomjon ABDULLAEV (UZB), 2022 Yasar Dogu winner Almaz SMANBEKOV (KGZ) and 2017 Asian silver medalist Zanabazar ZANDANBUD (MGL).

Deepak Punia, who was handily defeated in the final last year by world champion Hassan YAZDANI (IRI), won't have to deal with the absent Iranian superstar as he aims for a fourth career Asian medal and first-ever gold.

The 2019 world silver medalist and world junior champion might have to contend with two-time Asian medalist and top seed Azamat DAULETBEKOV (KAZ). The two met in the quarterfinals at the Matteo Pellicone tournament in 2019, with the Kazakh winning a close 2-0 decision.

Rei HIGUCHIRei HIGUCHI (JPN) will wrestle at 61kg. (Photo: UWW / Martin Gabor)

The 61kg class will see the return to the international stage of the 2016 Rio Olympic 57kg silver medalist Rei HIGUCHI (JPN). Higuchi finished third at the 2017 Asian Championships at 61kg, then went up to 65kg, where he won the 2019 world U23 title. But after failing to dislodge Otoguro at 65kg for a place at the Tokyo Olympics, he dropped back down to 57kg, where he lost to former world champion Yuki TAKAHASHI (JPN) in the Olympic team wrestle-off.

Higuchi faces a tough field that includes defending champion Jahongirmirza TUROBOV (UZB), 2020 champion and 2019 world U23 champion Ulukbek ZHOLDOSHBEKOV (KGZ), and 2021 world junior bronze medalist Alibeg ALIBEGOV (BRN).

If the seedings hold true at 70kg, world silver medalist and top seed Ernazar AKMATALIEV (KGZ), who lost a close 3-3 decision in the first round of the Tokyo Olympics at 65kg to Punia, would be looking at a clash for the gold with defending champion and No. 2 seed Syrbaz TALGAT (KAZ), a 2019 world junior bronze medalist at 65kg.

The other defending champion in action will be Nurkozha KAIPANOV (KAZ) at 74kg. The 2019 world silver medalist and Asian champion at 70kg will face a tough field that includes 2019 world 70kg bronze medalist Yones EMAMICHOGHAEI (IRI), two-time Asian medalist Daichi TAKATANI (JPN) and 2016 Rio Olympic 65kg bronze medalist Ikhtiyor NAVRUZOV (UZB).