Iran, Japan, Kazakhstan Shine at First Asian Schoolboys C'ships

Saturday, August 4, 2018 - 20:26 By Ali Feizasa

KARAJ, Iran (Aug. 4) -- Iran, Japan and Kazakhstan shined at the first Asian Schoolboys Championships, which took place in Karaj, Iran.

Talented Asian wrestlers -- ages 13-15 -- had the chance to compete in a continental event. It was the first international experience for most of the wrestlers.

The competitions were full of emotion and technique … and also laughs and tears.

United World Wrestling President Nenad LALOVIC sent a message to the Asian schoolboy wrestlers who competed in Iran.

"Each wrestler has earned the opportunity and you see their talent and determination on the mats. These schoolboy wrestlers are the future stars of our sport and we are extremely proud of them and their spotlight will shine all the way through until they are wrestling at the very highest level." Lalovic said.

In freestyle, the host country Iran and Japan boys won nine of the 10 gold medals.

Ebrahim KHARI (38kg), Mohammadreza SHAKERI (41kg), Seyed Amirmehdi HOSSEINI (68kg), Seyed Reza HASHEMI JOUYBARI (75kg) and Mohammad Mobin AZIMI (85kg) were five gold medalists for Iran.

Nishiuchi YUTO (44kg), Onishi TAIGA (48kg), Takahashi KOTA (57kg) and Ogino KAIJI (62kg) captured gold medals for Japan. AMAN from India grabbed 52kg gold medal.

"I had tough rival from Iran and I beat him in the first round," said Kota. "The competition was high level and we had a good team in this event. I have aimed to train hard and get prepared for bigger competitions. My goal is to win an Olympic gold medal."

In Greco-Roman, gold medals were shared between Iran and Kazakhstan.

Milad VALIZADEH (38kg), Mohammad HAJIVAND FATHI (41kg) Ali HAJIVAND (44kg), Saeed ESMAEILI (52kg), Hojjat REZAYI (62kg), Ahmad SOLHDUST (75kg) and Abolfazl PAYDAR (85kg) were seven Iranian champions.

Alikhan DALABAY (48kg), Aziz GASSYMOV (57kg) and Malik ZHALELOV (68kg) were three Kazakh wrestlers who captured gold medals.

"For developing wrestling in Asia and finding talented wrestlers, Iran federation proposed to host the first Asian Schoolboys Championships and by cooperation of UWW, we hosted boys competitions," said Iran wrestling president Rasoul KHADEM. "The girls event will be in Japan.

"Ten countries participated in the first edition of the Asian Schoolboys Championships and we saw fantastic competitions. Iran federation with the collaboration of United World Wrestling has aimed to provide the opportunity of getting experienced for talented wrestlers and we hope to see today's boys at the next Olympic Games."

During the event, Iranian women have the chance to enter wrestling hall, watching and cheering for their children. Meanwhile, for the first time some Iranian women referees judged an international wrestling event inside Iran.

2018 Asian Schoolboys Championships results

Freestyle

Team standings

1. Iran 205
2. Japan 180
3. India 169
4. Kazakhstan 151
5. Kyrgyzstan 100
6. Iraq 86
7. Turkmenistan 28
8. Bangladesh 25
9. Pakistan 18
10. Singapore 6

38kg
GOLD: Ebrahim KHARI (IRI) df. Daryn ASKERBEK (KAZ), 6-2
BRONZE: Anil YASHWANT (IND) df. Erbol MURTALIEV (KGZ) bt TF, 14-4

41kg
GOLD: Mohammadreza SHAKERI (IRI) df. Kosei TAKANO (JPN), 6-0
BRONZE: Yelaman AMANGELDY (KAZ) df. Bharti SAAR (IND), 3-3

44kg
GOLD: Nishiuchi YUTO (JPN) df. Erfan ANSARI (IRI), 4-1
BRONZE: CHIRA (IND) df. Amerkhan YANDIYEV (KAZ), 4-0

48kg
GOLD: Onishi TAIGA (JPN) df. Abdinur NURLANBEK (KAZ), 6-0
BRONZE: Amirhesam MOHEBBI (IRI) df. BHUVANESH (IND), 6-4

52kg
GOLD: AMAN (IND) df. Emil AMIRKHANOV (KAZ) by TF, 11-0
BRONZE: Ali KABUDTABAR (IRI) df. Emon MIAH (BAN) by TF 10-0
BRONZE: Ruslan UULU ALISHER (KGZ) df. Seifaldin FARES SALMAN (IRQ), 2-0

57kg
GOLD: Takahashi KOTA (JPN) df. Mahesh KUMAR (IND) by TF, 10-0
BRONZE: Ali SALIMI (IRI) df. Plzhas CHAKEYEV (KAZ), 12-7
BRONZE: MAHABUB ALAM (BAN) df. Inam KHALID (PAK), 5-3

62kg
GOLD: Ogino KAIJI (JPN) df. PARVINDER (IND), 3-1
BRONZE: Shayan MIRBEYK (IRI) df. Muhommetmayrat ORAZOV (TKM), 15-7
BRONZE: Iliyas YERBOLATOV df. Bakytbek UULU MALIK (KGZ) by TF, 10-0

68kg
GOLD: Seyed Amirmehdi HOSSEINI (IRI) df. KARAN (IND) 8-2
BRONZE: Adil ZHAKSYBAYEV (KAZ) df. Hayashi KENSHIN (JPN), 10-4

75kg
GOLD: Seyed Reza HASHEMI JOUYBARI (IRI) df. Igarashi FUMIYA (JPN), 6-2
BRONZE: Vetal AUDUMBAR SHELKE (IND) df. Omar MEDOV (KAZ), 6-2

85kg
GOLD: Mohammad Mobin AZIMI (IRI) df. Kyo KITAWAKI (JPN), 3-0
BRONZE: Vikas KUMAR (IND) df. Nurdaulet BEKENOV (KAZ), 2-2

Greco-Roman

Team Standings

1. Iran 220
2. Kazakhstan 194
3. India 154
4. Kyrgyzstan 130
5. Iraq 111
6. Turkmenistan 28

38kg
GOLD: Milad VALIZADEH (IRI)
SILVER: Khamid NABIYEV (KAZ)
BRONZE: Malik YESHVEER (IND)

41kg
GOLD: Mohammad HAJIVAND FATHI (IRI)
SILCER: Kurmanbek ZHAPAROV (KGZ)
BRONZE: Bagdat SABAZ (KAZ)

44kg
GOLD: Ali HAJIVAND (IRI) df. Islam YEVLOYEV (KAZ by TF, 9-0
BRONZE: Mehdi KALAF EISA (IRQ) df. Vikash VISHNOI (IND) by TF, 17-5

48kg
GOLD: Alikhan DALABAY (KAZ)
SILVER: RUPIN (IND)
BRONZE: Mehrdad MAZHARI (IRI)

52kg
GOLD: Saeed ESMAEILI (IRI)
SILVER: Merey MAULITKANOV (KAZ)
BRONZE: Loyangamba SINGH KHUNDONGBAM (IND)

57kg
GOLD: Aziz GASSYMOV (KAZ)
SILVER: Omkar Eknath PATEL (IND)
BRONZE: Danial SOHRABI (IRI)

62kg
GOLD: Hojjat REZAYI (IRI)
SILVER: Madi DANELOV (KAZ)
BRONZE: RAVI (IND)

68kg
GOLD: Malik ZHALELOV (KAZ)
SILVER: Omurzak SADYKOV (KGZ)
BRONZE: Alireza ZAHIR SHAHABADI (IRI)

75kg
GOLD: Ahmad SOLHDUST (IRI) df. Akhmed OMAROV (KGZ) 11-6
BRONZE: Deepak CHAHAL (IND) df. Ali Heitham ABDULSAHEB (IRQ), 9-2

85kg
GOLD: Abolfazl PAYDAR (IRI) df. Arshdeep SINGH (IND) by TF, 9-0
BRONZE: Abay SERIKKAZYULY (KAZ) df. Dastan IMANBERDIEV (KGZ), 8-2

#WrestleTirana

Bisultanov Throws His Way to Second European Gold

Wednesday, April 22, 2026 - 13:06 By Vinay Siwach

TIRANA, Albania (April 21) -- In one of the most viral and recognizable videos of the many social media edits of wrestling is the one of Turpal BISULTANOV (DEN) performing a huge arm throw. He did it at the 2022 European Championships, which he went on to win.

Four years later, Bisultanov had to rely on the arm throw again to beat an Olympic champion and to win his second European title, making him the first wrestler from Denmark to achieve the feat.

Starting as the underdog against Semen NOVIKOV (BUL) in the 87kg final in Tirana on Tuesday, Bisultanov performed a near-perfect throw, tossing Novikov on the mat for four points. That gave Bisultanov a huge advantage and Novikov played catch up in the six-minute final. He scored two counter exposure in the same sequence but Bisultanov still led 4-4 on criteria.

Turpal BISULTANOV (DEN), red, performs the arm throw to score four points against Semen NOVIKOV (BUL). (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

The Denmark wrestler scored a stepout and got the passivity point in the second period to extend his lead to 6-4, leaving Novikov needing at least three points for the win. Novikov tried a desperate throw in the final moments but Bisultanov blocked him and secured the fall.

When the final ended, Bisultanov was a two-time European champion. Novikov, who had defeated Bisultanov twice before including at the Paris Olympics, was now the second best in Europe two times in a row.

"Last time I lost to him, it was the Olympics," Bisultanov said. "Before that, it was the European Championships [2023]. I have not wrestled at the European Championships since that."

Returning the continental tournament after three years, Paris bronze medalist Bisultanov showed early signs of form in Tiran when he won three bouts via technical superiority. He began with an 8-0 win against Matej MANDIC (CRO), then a similar victory over Gevorg TADEVOSYAN (ARM) and a 9-0 shutout in the quarterfinals against Ihar YARASHEVICH (UKR).

In the semifinals, he faced Yaroslav FILCHAKOV (UKR) but took just 46 seconds in the second period to pin the Ukrainian, who had beaten Novikov last week.

"I'm speechless," Bisultanov said. "Actually, I told my coaches I would win it by finishing every match before time. And thank God, a few seconds before the time finished in the final, they called the pin. So I completed my promise to my coaches."

Giving a small insight into the planning he had for Novikov, Bisultanov explained how one training session in Porec, Croatia in February helped them devise a strategy.

"I had only one sparring session with Novikov in that camp," he said. "My coach told me defend the par terre by moving behind. But during that training session, I tried to defend and Novikov rolled me two times."

"So before the final, my coach reminded me how to defend. And I told my coach. that the last time I tried this defense, he rolled me. Then coach said just do what you would like to do. I did the arm throw."

Bisultanov missed out on a medal at the 2025 World Championships, but the 24-year-old reteriated that he is not finished yet.

"I want to achieve even more," he said. "I know I'm not done. My ultimate goal is to be an Olympic champion."

RESULTS

55kg
GOLD: Emin SEFERSHAEV (UWW) df. Vakhtang LOLUA (GEO), 2-1

BRONZE: Rashad MAMMADOV (AZE) df. Omer RECEP (TUR), 8-0
BRONZE: Stefan GRIGOROV (BUL) df. Manvel KHACHATRYAN (ARM), 3-1

63kg
GOLD: Sergey EMELIN (UWW) df. Vitalie ERIOMENCO (MDA), 9-0

BRONZE: Karen ASLANYAN (ARM) df. Mairbek SALIMOV (POL), 11-0
BRONZE: Kerem KAMAL (TUR) df. Pridon ABULADZE (GEO), 6-2

77kg
GOLD: Malkhas AMOYAN (ARM) df. Ramaz ZOIDZE (GEO), 1-1

BRONZE: Edvin BAFF (SWE) df. Alexandrin GUTU (MDA), 2-1
BRONZE: Robert FRITSCH (HUN) df. Antonio KAMENJASEVIC (CRO), 1-1

87kg
GOLD: Turpal BISULTANOV (DEN) df. Semen NOVIKOV (BUL), via fall (8-4)

BRONZE: Yaroslav FILCHAKOV (UKR) df. Ihar YARASHEVICH (UWW), 1-1
BRONZE: Islam ABBASOV (AZE) df. Dogan KAYA (TUR), 5-1

130kg
GOLD: Riza KAYAALP (TUR) df. Darius VITEK (HUN), 7-1

BRONZE: Pavel HLINCHUK (UWW) df. Marat KAMPAROV (UWW), 10-5
BRONZE: Mykhailo VYSHNYVETSKYI (UKR) df. Beka KANDELAKI (AZE), 3-1

Iran, Japan, Kazakhstan Shine at First Asian Schoolboys C'ships

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Bisultanov Throws His Way to Second European Gold