BANGKOK (February 20) – Iran returned to the mats Saturday with the start of the freestyle competition at the Asian Championships and promptly advanced three to the gold medal finals.

Meysam NASIRI (65kg), 2014 Asia champion Moustafa HOSSEIKHANI (74kg) and Asian Games gold medalist Reza YAZDANI (97kg) will wrestle for freestyle gold after the Iranian delegation took a day off during the women’s competition on Friday.

Meanwhile, China secured the women’s team title on the final day of the female wrestling events with ZHOU Zhangting (CHN) finding a place in the bronze medal final at 58kg. The best Japan can do with only one event remaining in women’s wrestling is a 63-61 second-place finish.

Japan’s chances for come-from-behind victory vanished when Mikako HIGUCHI (JPN) was dropped onto her back and pinned in the semifinals by 2015 bronze medalist Aiym ABDILDINA (KAZ), one of three wrestlers from Kazakhstan in Saturday’s medal round.

Abdildina, a seventh-place finisher at the world championships, will face Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ), who was saved by the buzzer in the semifinals after being swept to her back by Gantuya ENKHBAT (MGL) in the first period. Tynybekova bounced back for a 5-4 win.

In the men’s events, Nasiri outscored four opponents, 46-4, to advance to the 65kg finals and will meet Nurlan BEKZHANOV (KAZ), who finished in 10th place in his Asian championships debut last year.

Hosseinkhani, wrestling in his third event at 74kg since winning the Asian title in 2014 at 74kg, muscled his way into the final with a 7-0 win over veteran DORJVAANCHIG Gombodorj (MGL). Zhiger ZAKIROV (KAZ) will step onto the mat from the blue corner opposite Hosseinkhani.

Yazdani, meanwhile, will face a familiar foe in Magomed MUSAEV (KGZ), who has been runner-up in three Asian events since winning the continental crown in 2012. At the Incheon 2014 Asian Games, two-time world champ Yazdani swept Musaev to his back for a quick fall and the gold medal.

At 57kg, world military champion Sandeep TOMAR (IND) rallied from six points down for a 10-8 victory over Yousef SARMASTIDIZAJI (IRI) in the semifinals, capping the comeback with a hiplock and back-arching throw in the final 10 seconds. 

Tomar squares off with Asian Games gold medalist JONG Hak-Jin (PRK), who also had to battle to overcome KIM Sunggwon (KOR), 5-2, in the quarterfinals.

Semifinal results from Saturday’s morning session and pairings for the evening session:

Women’s wrestling

58kg (11 entries)
Gold – Aiym ABDILDINA (KAZ) Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ)
Bronze – ZHOU Zhangting (CHN) v Mikako HIGUCHI (JPN)
Bronze – Sarita SARITA v ENKHBAT Gantuya (MGL)

Semifinal – Aiym ABDILDINA (KAZ) df. Mikako HIGUCHI (JPN) by Fall, 0:38 (2-0)
Semifinal – Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ) df. ENKHBAT Gantuya (MGL), 5-4

Freestyle

57kg (16 entries)
Gold – Sandeep TOMAR (IND) v JONG Hak-Jin (PRK)
Bronze – SODNOMDASH Batbold (MGL) v Younes SARMASTIDIZAJI (IRI)
Bronze – KIM Sunggwon (KOR) v Ulukbek ZHOLDOSHBEKOV (KGZ)
 
Semifinal – Sandeep TOMAR (IND) df. Younes SARMASTIDIZAJI (IRI), 10-8
Semifinal – JONG Hak-Jin (PRK) df. Ulukbek ZHOLDOSHBEKOV (KGZ) by TF, 10-0, 1:37

65kg (19 entries)
Gold – Nurlan BEKZHANOV (KAZ) v Meysam NASIRI (IRI)
Bronze – Mohammad Waheeb Shihab AL DHAHABI (IRQ) v MA Cunjun (CHN)
Bronze – BATCHULUUN Batmagnai (MGL) v Masakazu KAMOI (JPN)

Semifinal – Nurlan BEKZHANOV (KAZ) df. MA Cunjun (CHN), 6-5
Semifinal – Meysam NASIRI (IRI) df. Masakazu KAMOI (JPN) by TF, 11-04:48

74kg (15 entries)
Gold – Mostafa HOSSEINKHANI (IRI) v Zhiger ZHAKIROV (KAZ)
Bronze – Saiakbai USUPOV (KGZ) v DORJVANCHIG Gombodorj (MGL)
Bronze – Azamat SUFIEV (TJK) v Jitender JITENDER (IND)

Semifinal – Mostafa HOSSEINKHANI (IRI) df. DORJVANCHIG Gombodorj (MGL), 7-0
Semifinal – Zhiger ZHAKIROV (KAZ) df. Jitender JITENDER (IND), 7-4

97kg (14 entries)
Gold – Magomed MUSAEV (KGZ) v Reza YAZDANI (IRI)
Bronze – Koki YAMAMOTO (JPN) v Bakdaulet ALMENTAY (KAZ)
Bronze – Sukhtobjan MUKARAMOV (UZB) v DORJKHKHAND Khuderbulga (MGL)

Semifinal – Magomed MUSAEV (KGZ) df. Bakdaulet ALMENTAY (KAZ), 5-4
Semifinal – Reza YAZDANI (IRI) df. DORJKHKHAND Khuderbulga (MGL), 7-0