#JapanWrestling

Yoshida sparks rare Olympic hope for Japan heavyweights

Thursday, June 15, 2023 - 15:56 By Vinay Siwach

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TOKYO (June 15) -- Arash YOSHIDA (JPN) has already etched his name in Japan's wrestling history by becoming the country's youngest male Asian champion in April. He secured the gold medal at 92kg in Astana, marking a rare triumph for Japan in the heavier weight categories, 40 years after Tamon HONDA (JPN) won at freestyle 100kg in 1983.

The 19-year-old's sensational debut on the international stage surprised everyone. On Thursday, he continued to impress by clinching the Meiji Cup title at 92kg in Tokyo, fueling his aspirations of winning a World Championship in Belgrade and becoming Japan's first Olympic medalist above 90kg later at the Paris Olympics.

"I was able to wrestle with confidence because it was a technique that I performed at an international competition," he said. "My goal this year is to win the World Championships and my ultimate goal is to win the Olympics."

To secure his spot for Belgrade, Arash must once again emerge victorious. Japan will host a playoff for the non-Olympic weight classes, where the top-two finishers of an Olympic weight class at the Emperor's Cup and Meiji Cup can compete.

Undoubtedly, he is the favorite to win the playoff on July 17. This victory will not only bring him closer to his personal goal but also fulfill his father's dream.

Javid ESFANJANI, originally from Iran, moved to Japan at the age of 23 and later married Naomi YOSHIDA. A few years later, he established Koshti Club, a wrestling club, as a way to express gratitude for the support he received in Chiba.

"Because of Japan, I was able to start my own family and build a happy home," Esfanjani told Japan Wrestling Federation in 2018. "So I thought I must do something to express my gratitude to Japan. Wrestling is something I can offer. I thought I would repay [Japan] by opening a wrestling club and developing [a new generation of] wrestlers."

Koshti

Arash, who began wrestling at the age of three, is part of the group that learned the intricacies of the sport at Koshti Club, which was founded in 2012.

"I follow traditional Iranian strength training and incorporate push-ups into my routine," he stated. "Since junior high school, my father has shown me videos of international competitions."

The fourth child out of six siblings, Arash made a name for himself by becoming a five-time national champion in kindergarten and elementary school. Although he took a break during junior high school, he returned to the mat in high school and secured national titles in both freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling. Now studying Sports Science at Nihon University, Arash is determined to achieve even greater success.

Much of his success stems from the distinct in-your-face wrestling style he learned at his father's club. This style was evident during his recent victory, as he utilized breathtaking duck-unders and seamlessly transitioned into powerful gut wrenches, a rarity in Japanese wrestling, especially in the heavier weight divisions.

In the final against Satoshi MIURA, Arash employed heavy hands to unnerve his opponent before executing a classic duck-under for the initial takedown. He maintained control with an underhook, securing another takedown and gut wrench to establish an 8-0 lead. Shortly after the break, he secured yet another takedown, ultimately winning 10-0.

Arash recorded three technical superiority victories, which were met with cheers from a group of children and friends accompanying his father. After claiming the gold medal, he expressed gratitude to his supporters.

"The support helps a lot," he said. "Even when I was trailing, I did not feel like I was losing because of the support from the stands."

Arash will need all the support if he manages to actually go to Belgrade and take on the top wrestlers in 92kg in the world. And as far as the Olympics is concerned, Arash will try to make his bid after the World Championships.

"If things go well, it would be great if I could raise my weight to 97kg this year and compete in the Emperor's Cup, and then represent at the Asian qualifiers to qualify for the Paris Olympics," he said.

What Arash is chasing is improbable in Japanese wrestling as Akira OTA is the only wrestler to win a medal at a weight class above 82kg. Ota won consecutive silver medals at the 1984 and 1988 Olympic Games at 90kg.

While that dream takes it first steps, Arash, for now, eagerly awaits July 17.

#WrestleTirana

U23 Worlds: Elor chases eighth world title in Tirana

Friday, October 20, 2023 - 10:57 By Vinay Siwach

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TIRANA, Albania (October 20) -- In the last 12 months, Amit ELOR (USA) has racked up five world titles. That number is likely to become six as she travels to Tirana, Albania for yet another World Championships, her third in three months.

At just 19 years of age, Elor is a two-time senior, three-time U20, a U17 and a U23 world champion. When she won the gold medal at the U23 World Championships last year, she became the first wrestler from the United States to win every World Championships. Now she will aim to repeat the golden three-peat she did last year, wrestling at 72kg, a weight class in which she is the defending champion.

Elor won the U20 Worlds in August and the senior one in September in Belgrade. So before flying to the Balkan country, Elor spent some time training in California, her home.

"I prepare the same way that I've treated the U20 Worlds and senior Worlds," Elor says. "The only difference is because I've already competed at two World Championships each month, I just am making sure to let my body rest and make sure that I'm ready.

"Sometimes when you have three big competitions in a row, your performance and how you feel physically, it starts to go down a little bit. That's something that my coaches told me as well, just to keep training, but also know that I'm ready because in some ways U20 and Senior were a huge preparation for this."

If those two tournaments are anything to go by, Elor should win the gold medal comfortably. In Amman, she did not give a point and won the final 11-0 over Bukrenaz SERT (TUR). While she did not maintain a clean slate in Belgrade, Elor never looked in any trouble of losing her title. She would go on to win her second world gold medal with an 8-2 win over Davaanasan ENKH AMAR (MGL).

In Tirana, Elor will face a few familiar opponents in Viktoryia RADZKOVA (AIN) who she defeated at the '21 U17 Worlds, silver medalist from last year's U23 competition Wiktoria CHOLUJ (POL), her opponents in the '22 U20 world final Anastassiya PANASSOVICH (KAZ) and Sert who is also coming to Tirana.

Apart from them, 72kg will see the experienced Marina SUROVTSEVA (AIN), Zaineb SGHAIER (TUN) and U20 European champ Iryna ZABLOTSKA (UKR) as some of the contenders.

"It doesn't blow me, just wrestling no matter who it is," Elor says about wrestling at a U23 competition after senior level. "I think that's a really good thing because you never underestimate your opponents. If you have somebody who is extremely good and has many titles under their name, that also won't scare you as much. I think that mindset really helps me. I just go into that competition telling myself to perform as best as I can."

Elor has always possessed that mindset. Her losses to boys in school would frustrate her and push her to improve. As a result, Elor has managed to make herself unbeatable. Internationally, Elor has suffered one loss -- a semifinal 3-1 loss to Naka HONOKA (JPN) at the U17 World Championships in 2019.

"I've been wrestling since a young age and I've taken other losses on top of that," she says. "Almost every single loss and motivation and your desire to keep going. That loss was very good for me."

No more losses after that. 15 bouts at different World Championships and Elor remains the wrestler who doesn't even let her opponents come close to beating her.

Her continued dominance on the mat may have made some miss the fact that Elor switched to a new coach this season. Until last season, she trained with coach Valentin KALIKA but the U20 World Championships in Amman saw 2004 Olympic silver medalist Sara MCMANN in her corner. Elor seemed to have battled the change but accepted it as well.

"Going out and competing after that change in this season has been really difficult," she says. "I learn more and learn different techniques from them, different mindsets and strategies. I think it's been really good for me. I'm very excited to have her there. She's just such a great role model for me, a really, really strong, tough person."

So far, the change with McMann has worked and she will be in Tirana with both Elor and McMann hoping for the gold and ending the season on a high before the Olympic year.

Elor will have to move to an Olympic weight class, 68kg or 76kg, as 72kg is not in the Olympics. She hints that 68kg may be a better fit for her. Back in her U17 days, Elor wrestled at 69kg but moved up with age. She insists that reducing weight is not her way. But come next year, she will have to make the hard decision.

"I'm taking it one step at a time. I'm going to evaluate myself and see how I feel as I start to work toward health, slowly and healthy way to decrease my weight a little bit," she says.