Zagreb Open: Ciobanu beats Nazaryan, Hedayati top Pino

Sunday, January 14, 2024 - 09:32 By United World Wrestling Press

ZAGREB, Croatia (January 14) -- The final day of the Zagreb Open will see six Greco-Roman weight classes with a top match at 60kg between Victor CIOBANU (MDA) and Edmond NAZARYAN (BUL) expected.

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The finals for the evening session

55kg: Maksim STUPAKEVICH (AIN) vs. Adem UZUN (TUR)
60kg: Sadyk LALAEV (AIN) vs. Victor CIOBANU (MDA)
72kg: Levente LEVAI (HUN) vs. Ulvi GANIZADE (AZE)
82kg: Alperen BERBER (TUR) vs Erik SZILVASSY (HUN)
97kg: Arvi SAVOLAINEN (FIN) vs. Abubakar KHASLAKHANAU (AIN)
130kg: Fardin HEDAYATI (IRI) vs. Lingzhe MENG (CHN)

14:50: Arvi SAVOLAINEN (FIN) with a 6-0 shutout over Alex SZOKE (HUN) in the 97kg semifinal. Savolainen showing up in the Olympic year. He will face U20 world champion and world fifth placer Abubakar KHASLAKHANAU (AIN) in the final. Khaslakhanau defeated Murad AHMADIYEV (AZE) 4-1 in a very heated match.

14:40: Victor CIOBANU (MDA) and Edmond NAZARYAN (BUL) in the 60kg semifinal. Ciobani gets the par terre advantage and despite a few jumps, he doesn't score. Nazaryan gets the par terre in the second period but also fails to score. He got a bodylock and almost got the suplex but Ciobanu put his hands on the mat and then brought Nazaryan down. It was scored two for Nazaryan but a challenge from Moldova. No points to either wrestler as neither was in control. Nazaryan with a 1-1 criteria lead. Ciobanu pushes Nazaryan towards the zone to score but Nazaryan gets out of the hold and brings Ciobanu in exposure. However, the scramble continues and Ciobanu gets two as well. It was initially scored only two Ciobanu but Bulgaria challenged the call. It's two for Nazaryan and two for Ciobanu with the Moldovan getting the criteria 3-3. Nazaryan can't break the criteria and will win 3-3.

14:20: Alperen BERBER (TUR) and Deni NAKAEV (GER) in the 82kg semifinal. Berber gets the first advantage and he comes up with a body throw for four to lead 5-0 at the break. Nakaev gets the chance from par terre in the second period. No score and Berber will walk into the final with a 5-1 win.

14:10: Abubakar KHASLAKHANAU (AIN) continues his dominant run and is into the 97kg semifinal with an 8-0 win over Aleksandar STJEPANETIC (SWE). Pavel HLINCHUK (AIN) is finding it difficult on Mat A as Arvi SAVOLAINEN (FIN) scores a takedown to lead 3-0 and then two stepouts as Hlinchuk struggles to match the pace. Savolainen gets two points and Hlinchuk receives caution. Savolainen moves into the semifinals with a 7-0 win.

14:00: Edmond NAZARYAN (BUL) sets up a semifinal against Victor CIOBANU (MDA) at 60kg after a 9-0 win over Pridon ABULADZE (GEO). Nazaryan with a takedown and a suplex for four. A takedown to finish the bout.

13:40: Fardin HEDAYATI (IRI) with a statement win over Oscar PINO (CUB) at 130kg. Pino went in with a tapped thump and was in discomfort when he tried to turn Hedayati from par terre. Hedayati scored a stepout and a takedown just before the break to lead 3-2. He got the par terre advantage in the second period and Pino was cautioned for blocking, making it 6-2 for Hedayati. Cuba challenged the decision but lost which gave another point to Hedayati. Pino got a final chance when Hedayati was called passive. Pino gave it all to turn Hedayati but failed to finish it. A reversal made it 8-2 for Hedayati, the final score.

13:20: U20 world champion Alperen BERBER (TUR) cuts Mahmoud SEBIE's (USA) run with a 4-2 win at 82kg. Berber into the semifinals and he will face Deni NAKAEV (GER) who defeated Vasile COJOC (ROU) 10-5

13:15: Victor CIOBANU (MDA) books his spot in the 60kg semifinal with a 9-1 win over Ildar HAFIZOV (USA). He will get the winner of Edmond NAZARYAN (BUL) and Pridon ABULADZE (GEO)

13:05: Two Individual Neutral Athletes on course to face each other. U23 world champion Pavel HLINCHUK (AIN) gets two par terre advantages in the bout and wins 2-0 against Beytullah KAYISDAG (TUR). On Mat B, Abubakar KHASLAKHANAU (AIN) toys with Nikoloz KAKHELASHVILI (ITA) from par terre and wins 8-1.

12:50: Returning champion at 130kg Oscar PINO (CUB) with an 11-2 Oleksandr CHERNETSKYY (UKR) and he moves into the quarterfinals where he will face Fardin HEDAYITI (IRI)

12:30: Edmond NAZARYAN (BUL) rolls into the 60kg quarterfinals with an 8-0 win over SCARPELLO (GER). He will face Pridon ABULADZE (GEO) after the Georgian defeated world bronze medalist Liguo CAO (CHN) 4-2

12:10: In the match of the day so far, U23 world champion Pavel HLINCHUK (AIN) beats Tamas LEVAI (HUN) 11-5 at 97kg. Levai got a 3-0 lead but Hlinchuk hit two four-pointers in the bout to rule out a Levai win.

11:40: Alex SZOKE (HUN) with a 3-1 victory over Murat LOKIAYEV (AZE) at 97kg. Szoke is trying to win a spot on the Hungarian national team for the European Championships and Olympic Qualifiers

11:20: Ulvi GANIZADE (AZE) begins with an 8-0 superiority win over Iulian LUNGU (ROU) at 72kg. That match is followed by U20 world champion Abubakar KHASLAKHANAU (AIN) taking on Giorgi KATSANASHVILI (GEO) at 97kg. Khaslakhanau fell behind 5-2 but turned it around in the second period with three correct throws and exposure to win 13-5

10:50: Fardin HEDAYATI (IRI) with a technical superiority win over Laszlo DARABOS (HUN) at 130kg. Hedayati has multiple age-group world titles but it is yet to be seen if he can challenge world champion Amin MIRZAZADEH (IRI).

10:40: That should settle for Azerbaijan's 130kg representative for European Olympic Qualifiers as Beka KANDELAKI (AZE) beats Sabah SHARIATI (AZE) 1-1 in the opening bout. Kandelaki got the passivity advantage in the second period to hold the criteria.

10:30: Nugzari TSURTSUMIA (GEO) move to 60kg from 55kg ends in a 12-3 loss against Denis MIHAI (ROU) who looked bigger and better than Tsurtsumia.

10:20: Victor CIOBANU (MDA) uses his big throws to win his opening round bout against Hassan ALHARTHI (KSA) 8-4. Ciobanu was stunned by that big move from Alharthi.

10:15: Anvar ALLAKHIAROV (AIN) has got a wake-up call early in the competition. He wrestled Nihat MAMMADLI (AZE) in the opening match and barely managed to eke out a 7-5 win at 60kg.

10:00: Greco-Roman weight classes on the final day of the tournament. Five will be in action in the morning as 55kg has only two wrestlers entered.

#WrestleUlaanbaatar

On return, Dzhuzupbekov secures gold at Ulaanbaatar Open 2025

Thursday, May 29, 2025 - 18:08 By Vinay Siwach

ULAANBAATAR, Mongolia (May 29) -- Paris Olympic bronze medalist Uzur DZHUZUPBEKOV (KGZ) looked rusty on his return to competition since winning the medal in August 2024. But he had enough experience to win gold medal at the Ulaanbaatar Open 2025, his first competition since.

"This was my first start after the Olympics," Dzhuzupekov said. "It was very difficult, to be honest. It was quite tough to wrestle here, especially since the climate is different."

In his three bouts at 97kg, Dzhuzupbekov struggled for conditioning. He opened the day with a 10-6 win over Gankhuyag GANBAATAR (MGL) before beating Bat-Erdene BYAMBASUREN (MGL) 9-1. But it was his last match against Asian bronze medalist NITESH (IND) which troubled him the most.

Dzhuzupekov began the match with an arm-throw for four but Nitesh scored a reversal to make it 5-1 and the Indian the scored a turn to close the gap to 5-3 at the break. On resumption, Dzhuzupbekov held his position and was only called passive with just over a minute left.

Nitesh, now trailing 5-4, needed a turn to turn the match in his favor but he failed to score any and Dzhuzupbekov defended the one-point lead to win the gold medal at 97kg.

"It's dry here, and we're at an altitude of about 1,400 meters," he said. "That made it really challenging. It was hard for the whole team to compete. But overall, I’m happy with the result. Starting with the very first match it was really tough, I couldn't breathe properly here. We’ll analyze things and keep preparing."

Dzhuzupbekov has been off since winning bronze in Paris and got married after the Olympics. But as one of three medalists for Kyrgyzstan's Greco team, Dzhuzupbekov is now hoping to build on that result.

"I’ll be preparing for the World Championships," he said. "But I think there will be another tournament after this one — probably in Hungary or Poland. And we’ll likely prepare differently for that. Overall, I think the team spirit is good right now. I don’t focus too much on any one opponent, because the competition is very strong. Especially with all the Europeans — they’re all big and strong. I think I just have to be ready, be in good shape. I try not to overthink who I’ll wrestle or how the match will go. I just believe that if I’m in good form, I’ll win."

Dzhuzupbekov's gold was one of the three Kyrgyzstan won on day one of the tournament which doesn't award team title as it is not a championships.

Asian Championships silver medalist and Muhamet Malo Ranking Series gold medalist Razzak BEISHEKEEV (KGZ) defeated Murat FIRAT (TUR) in Round 2 bout and won the gold medal at 67kg.

Firat got the first par terre advantage in the first period but he failed to score and just before the break, Beishekeev surprised him with a headlock throw for four to lead 4-1. In the second period, Beishekeev got the par terre but he did not score and was happy to defend his 5-1 lead and win.

World U23 champion Asan ZHANYSHOV (KGZ) won the gold medal at 87kg after won his bouts with dominance. He defeated Batbayar TSOGTBAATAR (MGL), 8-0, and Karan KAMBOJ (IND), 9-0, to finish at the top.

Alperen BERBER (TUR) was also entered but he pulled out injured after suffering a hamstring injury in his first bout against Karan KAMBOJ (IND).

Another Turkiye wrestler who pulled out injured was Burhan AKBUDAK (TUR). He suffered an infection in his elbow day before coming to Mongolia and did not wrestle a single bout. Since only three wrestlers were entered at 82kg, Akbudak still managed to win gold.

But the gold medal was historic. Shahin BADAGHI (QAT) became the first wrestler from Qatar to win gold medal at any international event in Greco-Roman.

Badaghi, an Iranian transfer to Qatar, defeated PRINCE (IND) 9-0 in the only bout the two wrestled in the day. Badaghi scored a takedown and then a suplex for a 6-0 lead. India lost a challenge to make it 7-0 before Badaghi scored a takedown to finish the bout via technical superiority.

Ahmet YILMAZ (TUR) gave Turkiye its lone gold medal after beating Yryskeldi MAKSATBEK UULU (KGZ) in the 77kg final, 5-1. In the earlier Nelson bracket bout, Yilmaz defeated the Kyrgyzstan wrestler 11-3.

Iran and India also won gold medals as Asian champion Danial SOHRABI (IRI) put on a show to win four of his bouts and the gold medal at 72kg.

For India, Anil MOR (IND) won the gold medal at 55kg after he pinned Ulan MURATBEK UULU (KGZ) in the evening session. In his four bouts, Mor gave only two points, against Muratbek Uulu, but pinned him to remain one of the most dominant wrestler of the day.

The 19-year-old was wrestling his first senior international tournament and hails from Bass village, Hisar district in Haryana. He trains at the Guru Mehar Singh Akhada in Rohtak which has always given wrestlers to the Indian team.

For his Round 5 bout against Muratbek Uuku, Mor decided to defend more than attack.

"I had watched his bouts and he was trying to do the underhook and then throw you for the fall," Mor said. "I never gave my arm to him for the drag to underhook."

Though he was given passive in the first period, Mor knew that he has to get out of the par terre position quickly. He did so by sneaking out of Muratbek Uulu's gold and then scoring a takedown.

Instead of going for the turns, Mor held Muratbek Uulu to the mat and then secured the fall to get his first-ever senior medal internationally.

RESULTS

55kg
GOLD: Anil MOR (IND)
SILVER: Ulan MURATBEK UULU (KGZ)
BRONZE: Davaabandi MUNKH ERDENE (MGL)

67kg
GOLD: Razzak BEISHEKEEV (KGZ)
SILVER: Murat FIRAT (TUR)
BRONZE: NEERAJ (IND)

72kg
GOLD: Danial SOHRABI (IRI)
SILVER: Mustafa SAHIN (TUR)
BRONZE: Yryskeldi KHAMZAEV (KGZ)

77kg
GOLD: Ahmet YILMAZ (TUR) df. Yryskeldi MAKSATBEK UULU (KGZ), 5-1

BRONZE: Nishant PHOGAT (IND) df. Sumiyabazar ZANDANBUD (MGL), 11-0

82kg
GOLD: Shahin BADAGHI (QAT)
SILVER: PRINCE (IND)
BRONZE: Burhan AKBUDAK (TUR)

87kg
GOLD: Asan ZHANYSHOV (KGZ)
SILVER: Batbayar TSOGTBAATAR (MGL)
BRONZE: Karan KAMBOJ (IND)

97kg
GOLD: Uzur DZHUZUPBEKOV (KGZ)
SILVER: NITESH (IND)
BRONZE: Gankhuyag GANBAATAR (MGL)

Zagreb Open: Ciobanu beats Nazaryan, Hedayati top Pino

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On return, Dzhuzupbekov secures gold at Ulaanbaatar Open 2025