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.

#WrestleZagreb

In season opener, Pino puts on a show

Monday, February 6, 2023 - 10:08 By Vinay Siwach

When Oscar PINO (CUB) got to know that he will miss the Belgrade World Championships last year, he was heartbroken. Just four days before the tournament, he fell ill with dengue and lost an opportunity to win a world medal, his first since 2019.

Putting that disappointment aside, he decided to begin 2023 with the Zagreb Open Ranking Series event. He flew to Croatia a month before the competition for training around Europe. On Sunday, he put all the training to test and came out successfully.

Winning the gold medal at 130kg was one thing for Pino but doing it effortlessly gave him the confidence to go all the way at the World Championships in September in Belgrade.

"My wrestling today was good. I trained in Norway and Croatia for a month and this was the result of the good training," he said. "I think I had an amazing competition today. This is my way to get the gold medal at the World Championships."

Pino wrestled four bouts and gave up only one point, in the final for passivity. His four wins included three technical superiorities and a one-sided final against Oskar MARVIK (NOR).

He got par terre against Marvik and then got a full roll for four points. A gut wrench gave him two more as he led 7-0. Marvik got a point in the second period but failed to make the most of it.

"Many wrestlers are in good condition but I am ready," he said. "I go back home and train more because this weight class has good wrestlers so I cannot stop training."

Oscar PINO HINDS (CUB) defeated Oskar MARVIK (NOR) 7-1 in the 130kg final. (Photo: UWW / Kostadin Andonov)

Overall, he began with an 8-0 win against Temurbek NASIMOV (UZB), maintained the same scoreline in the quarterfinal against Matti KUOSMANEN (FIN) and then did the same to Amir GHASEMIMONJEZI (IRI) in the semifinal.

Pino was also happy that he was able to finish all his bouts before time barring one and would like to continue the momentum throughout the season.

"I wrestle at the Granma y Cerro Pelado tournament in Cuba and then the Pan-Am," he said. "Then the staff decides if we compete at Bishkek or Budapest Ranking Series events and if possible to stay and train there."

Poya DAD MARZ (IRI) managed to beat Ikhtiyor BOTIROV (UZB) 5-3 in the 55kg final. (Photo: UWW / Kostadin Andonov)

Iran dominates

Though it would have liked to have a better result at 130kg, Iran would be satisfied with the performance of other Greco-Roman wrestlers as it won three out of six gold medals on Sunday.

Pino, Selcuk CAN (TUR) and Kiril MILOV (BUL) were the only wrestlers to end Iran's domination in the Croatian capital.

At 55kg, U23 world champion Poya DAD MARZ (IRI) held his nerves in a close encounter against Ikhtiyor BOTIROV (UZB), winning the gold medal 5-3.

After getting a takedown, Dad Marz tried to gut wrench Botirov and in one such turn, he got stuck and Botirov put him in danger. But a strong bridge position and defense from Dad Marz saw him throw. He also defended the par terre position in the second period.

Mehdi MOHSEN NEJAD (IRI) dominated his way through to the gold medal at 60kg. (Photo: UWW / Kostadin Andonov)

Mehdi MOHSEN NEJAD (IRI) was far more dominant at 60kg as he defeated Nihat MAMMADLI (AZE) 8-0 in the final after a successful day in which he faced little to no challenge from his opponents.

The Asian Championships silver medalist did go through two strong Japanese wrestlers. In the pre-quarterfinals, he wrestled Kaito INABA (JPN) and faced Maito KAWANA (JPN) in the semifinals. After the bouts, he was surprised by the strength of the young wrestlers.

At 82kg, Alireza MOHMADIPIANI (IRI) denied the host country a gold medal as he defeated Filip SACIC (CRO), 3-1, in the final.

In the 72kg final, Can wrestled Sajjad IMENTALABFOUMANI (IRI) and used the par terre position to score an all-important turn and secure the gold medal with a 3-1 win.

He began the 2023 season as he did in 2022, winning a Ranking Series gold medal. But with the World Championships doubling up as the qualifying for the Paris Olympics, Can will have to move down to 67kg to win a spot to Paris.

European champion and World Championships silver medalist Kiril MILOV (BUL) was also at his best, running through a packed field to win the 97kg gold medal.

He began with a 10-1 win against Murat LOKIAYEV (AZE), followed by a blanking of Vinko PRODANOVIC (CRO) before beating Arif NIFTULLAYEV (AZE) 5-1 in the quarterfinals.

After a walkover in the semifinals, Milov faced an unexpected opponent in Tamas LEVAI (HUN) who had moved up from 77kg in 2021 to 97kg in 15 months.

While he did well to reach the final, Levai was of no competition against Milov who completed a 10-2 win over the Hungarian.

Levai got a challenge wrong to open Milov's account before being called passive. From par terre, Milov used a strong grip to roll him twice. He then got an arm throw four. Levai got Milov in danger in the same sequence but the difference was already eight points, enough for technical superiority.

RESULTS

55kg
GOLD: Poya DAD MARZ (IRI) df. Ikhtiyor BOTIROV (UZB), 5-3

BRONZE: Mohammad JAVAHERI FARID (IRI) df. Denis MIHAI (ROU), 5-0

60kg
GOLD: Mehdi MOHSEN NEJAD (IRI) df. Nihat MAMMADLI (AZE), 8-0

BRONZE: Maito KAWANA (JPN) df. Kaito INABA (JPN), 4-1
BRONZE: Razvan ARNAUT (ROU) df. Krisztian KECSKEMETI (HUN), 7-0

72kg
GOLD: Selcuk CAN (TUR) df. Sajjad IMENTALABFOUMANI (IRI), 3-1

BRONZE: Jamol JUMABAEV (UZB) df. Robert FRITSCH (HUN), 8-0
BRONZE: Ibrahim GHANEM (FRA) df. Jian TAN (CHN), 6-2

82kg
GOLD: Alireza MOHMADIPIANI (IRI) df. Filip SACIC (CRO), 3-1

BRONZE: Pejman POSHTAM (IRI) df. Marcel HEIN (DEN), 8-0
BRONZE: Peter DOEMOEK (HUN) df. Spencer WOODS (USA), 7-2

97kg
GOLD: Kiril MILOV (BUL) df. Tamas LEVAI (HUN), 10-2

BRONZE: Tyrone STERKENBURG (NED) df. Felix BALDAUF (NOR), 5-4
BRONZE: Murat LOKIAYEV (AZE) df. Mihail KAJAIA (SRB), via inj. def.

130kg
GOLD: Oscar PINO (CUB) df. Oskar MARVIK (NOR), 7-1

BRONZE: Lingzhe MENG (CHN) df. Alin ALEXUC CIURARIU (ROU), 3-1
BRONZE: Amir GHASEMI (IRI) df. Matti KUOSMANEN (FIN), 1-1

Zagreb Open: Ciobanu beats Nazaryan, Hedayati top Pino

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In season opener, Pino puts on a show