ASTANA (March 19) – Host country Kazakhstan and neighboring Kyrgyzstan each grabbed three tickets to the Rio 2016 on Saturday, the second day of the Asian Olympic Games qualifying tournament.

Asian Games gold medalist Nurmakhan TINALIEV (KAZ) led the charge by advancing to the finals at 130kg in Greco-Roman while Mamet IBRAGIMOV (KAZ) took a second title by scoring late and winning his freestyle semifinal at 97kg.

Meanwhile, Gouzel MANYUROVA (KAZ) scored a technical fall over CHANG Hui-tsu (TPE) in the women’s 75kg semifinals to book a place in her third Olympic Games.

Manyurova won a silver medal at Athens 2004, where women’s wrestling made its debut at the Olympic Games, and took a bronze medal at London 2012.

For his part, Tinaliev a pair of Asian Games bronze medalists in Bashir BABAJANZADEH (IRI) and MENG Qiang (CHN) to win his second trip to the Olympic Games.

Another pair of Incheon 2014 bronze medalists battled in the 97kg semifinals, with Ibragimov scoring a takedown in the final 30 seconds of the bout to defeat DORJKHAND Khuderbulga (MGL), 4-4 on last point criteria.
 
In Saturday evening’s finals, Ibragimov will face Magomed MUSAEV (KGZ) for the freestyle heavyweight crown and Tinaliev takes on Murat RAMONOV (KGZ) in the 130kg Greco-Roman final. Musaev and Ramonov were both runners-up at the Asian championships in February.

Kyrgyzstan’s third ticket was pocketed by Asia champion Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ) who needed a late flurry to pull off a 7-7, last-point win over JONG Insum (PRK) in the women’s 58kg semifinals. The other semifinal went to Yarygin Grand Prix champion PUREVDORJ Orkhon (MGL).

Also in Saturday’s early session, world and Olympic Games champion KIM Hyeon-Woo (KOR) turned away an upset bid by YANG Bin (CHN) in the Greco-Roman semifinals at 75kg and will face Asia runner-up Dilshod TURDIEV (UZB) in the final.

London 2012 bronze medalist Yogeshwar DUTT (IND) breezed into the freestyle finals at 65kg, where he will meet Asian Games bronze medalist YEERLANBIEKE Katal (CHN).

Yeerlanbieke frustrated the efforts of Asia champion Adam BATIROV (BRN) to earn Bahrain’s first ticket in wrestling to the Olympic Games with a flexible defense and timely counters for a 6-1 triumph over the European multi-medal winner for Russia.

Japan also picked another ticket on Saturday as Asian Games champion at 63kg Rio WATARI (JPN) advanced to the finals at 75kg to give Japan its sixth entry in the women’s events in Rio 2016.

-- Results --

Freestyle

65kg (14 entries)
Semifinal – Yogeshwar DUTT (IND) df. LEE Seung-Chul (KOR), 7-2
Semifinal – YEERLANBIEKE Katal (CHN) df. Adam BATIROV (BRN), 6-1

Gold – Yogeshwar DUTT (IND) v YEERLANBIEKE Katal (CHN)
Bronze – KIM Ju-Song (PRK) v LEE Seung-Chul (KOR)
Bronze – Shogo MAEDA (JPN) v Adam BATIROV (BRN)

97kg (10 entries)
Semifinal – Mamet IBRAGIMOV (KAZ) df. DORJKHAND Khuderbulga (MGL), 4-4
Semifinal – Magomed MUSAEV (KGZ) df. Satyavart KADIAN (IND), 4-3

Gold – Mamet IBRAGIMOV (KAZ) v Magomed MUSAEV (KGZ)
Bronze – Rustam ISKANDARI (TJK) v DORJKHAND Khuderbulga (MGL)
Bronze – Takeshi YAMAGUCHI (JPN) v Satyavart KADIAN (IND)

Women's Wrestling

58kg (9 entries)
Semifinal – Orkhon PUREVDORJ (MGL) df. Sakshi MALIK (IND) by Fall, 1:04 (4-0)
Semifinal – Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ) df. JONG Insum (PRK), 7-7

Gold – Orkhon PUREVDORJ (MGL) v Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ)
Bronze – Aiym ABDILDINA (KAZ) v Sakshi MALIK (IND)
Bronze – PHAM Thi Loan (VIE) v JONG Insum (PRK)

75kg (7 entries)
Semifinals – Gouzel MANYUROVA (KAZ) df. CHANG Hui-tsu (TPE) by TF, 10-0, 2:30
Semifinals – Rio WATARI (JPN) df. BADRAKH Odonchimeg (MGL), 5-2

Gold – Gouzel MANYUROVA (KAZ) v Rio WATARI (JPN)
Bronze – Kiran KIRAN (IND) v CHANG Hui-tsu (TPE)
Bronze – PARK Chae-Rin (KOR) v BADRAKH Odonchimeg (MGL)

Greco-Roman

75kg (9 entries)
Semifinal – Dilshod TURDIEV (UZB) df. Atabek AZISBEKOV (KGZ), 5-4
Semifinal – KIM Hyeon-Woo (KOR) df. YANG Bin (CHN), 4-2

Gold – Dilshod TURDIEV (UZB) KIM Hyeon-Woo (KOR)
Bronze – Shohei YABIKU (JPN) v Atabek AZISBEKOV (KGZ)
Bronze – Harpreet SINGH (IND) v YANG Bin (KOR)

130kg (9 entries)
Semifinal – Nurmakhan TINALIEV (KAZ) df. MENG Qiang (CHN), 4-1
Semifinal – Murat RAMONOV (KGZ) df. Muminjon ABDULLAEV (UZB), 4-0

Gold – Nurmakhan TINALIEV (KAZ) v Murat RAMONOV (KGZ)
Bronze – Bashir BABAJANZADEH (IRI) v MENG Qiang (CHN)
Bronze – Muradyan TUICHIEV (TJK) v Muminjon ABDULLAEV (UZB)