Yazdani Anchors Iranian Freestylers With Gold at Asian Championships

BANGKOK (February 20) – Two-time world champion Reza YAZDANI (IRI) anchored a three gold medal night for Iran on Saturday as the men’s freestyle competition got under way at the Asian wrestling championships in Bangkok.

Yazdani capped the evening’s bouts with a victory by fall over Magomed MUSAEV (KGZ) in the 97kg final for his second straight trip to the top of the medals podium in 2016 and his fifth in a row in all events wrestled since finishing in eighth place at the 2014 world meet.

Musaev, meanwhile, collected his fourth silver medal in a row in the continental meets after winning the Asian championships crown in 2012.

In earlier finals, Meysam NASIRI (IRI), making his debut at the championships, worked a nifty little double-leg attack, slipping inside the defenses of Nurlan BEKZHANOV (KAZ) twice – for four points and then for two points -- on his way to a 9-0 decision in the 65kg final.

Nasiri, who won the Takhti Cup for a second time in January, outscored five opponents, 53-4, and narrowly missed notching his fifth technical fall of the day against Bekzhanov.

At 74kg, Mostafa HOSSEINKHANI (IRI), the Asian champion at 70kg in 2014, received the win in the final by injury default from Zhiger ZAKIROV (KAZ). In the semifinal, Hosseinkhani rolled over 2010 Asian Games bronze medalist DORJVAANCHIG Gombodorj (MGL), 7-0.

Earlier, in the 57kg final, Sandeep TOMAR (IND) stymied the low-level attack of JONG Hak-Jin (PRK) with a wicked front headlock, preventing the Asian Games champion getting to his legs.

Jong countered on front headlock for two points and a 3-3 lead on criteria, but Tomar was able to counter shortly after for two more points. In a late scramble, Jong appeared to have two points for another win on criteria, but the officiating crew saw the exchange as two points for each wrestler – with the win going to Tomar.

Saturday also featured the final category, 58kg, in women’s wrestling with last year’s silver medalist Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ) securing the first senior Asian title of her career. She owns, however, a gold medal from the 2013 Asian junior championships held in Phuket, Thailand.

In the final women’s bout of the championship, Tynybekova and her opponent, Aiym ABDILDINA (KAZ), traded points off the 30-second activity clock – with Tynybekova holding the last-point criteria advantage. She added a step-out point midway through the second period to secure a 2-1 victory.

China secured the team title in the morning session when ZHOU Zhangting (CHN) received a place in the bronze-medal final against Mikako HIGUCHI (JPN). Zhou later rolled over Higuchi with a technical fall to further ensure China’s triumph. 

Freestyle

57kg (16 entries)
Gold – Sandeep TOMAR (IND) df. JONG Hak-Jin (PRK), 7-5
Bronze – SODNOMDASH Batbold (MGL) df. Younes SARMASTIDIZAJI (IRI), 16-8
Bronze – Ulukbek ZHOLDOSHBEKOV (KGZ) df. KIM Sunggwon (KOR) by Fall, 0:26 (4-0)
 
65kg (19 entries)
Gold – Meysam NASIRI (IRI) df. Nurlan BEKZHANOV (KAZ), 9-0
Bronze – MA Cunjun (CHN) df. Mohammad Waheeb Shihab AL DHAHABI (IRQ) by TF, 10-0, 1:46
Bronze – BATCHULUUN Batmagnai (MGL) df. Masakazu KAMOI (JPN) by Fall, 5:42 (9-4)

74kg (15 entries)
Gold – Mostafa HOSSEINKHANI (IRI) df. Zhiger ZHAKIROV (KAZ) by Injury Default, 0:00
Bronze – Saiakbai USUPOV (KGZ) df. DORJVANCHIG Gombodorj (MGL), 2-1
Bronze – Azamat SUFIEV (TJK) df. Jitender JITENDER (IND) by TF, 16-4, 4:11

97kg (14 entries)
Gold – Reza YAZDANI (IRI) df. Magomed MUSAEV (KGZ) by Fall, 2:59 (5-0)
Bronze – Bakdaulet ALMENTAY (KAZ) df. Koki YAMAMOTO (JPN), 5-2
Bronze – DORJKHKHAND Khuderbulga (MGL) df. Sukhtobjan MUKARAMOV (UZB) by TF, 10-0, 3:53

Women’s wrestling

58kg (11 entries)
Gold – Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ) df. Aiym ABDILDINA (KAZ), 2-1
Bronze – ZHOU Zhangting (CHN) df. Mikako HIGUCHI (JPN) by TF, 12-2, 2:47
Bronze – ENKHBAT Gantuya (MGL) df. Sarita SARITA (IND) by TF, 10-0, 5:24

Final Team Standings
1. China, 65 points (3 gold medals, 0 silver, 4 bronze)
2. Japan, 59 (2-2-1)
3. Kazakhstan, 53 (0-3-2)
4. India, 52 (0-1-2)
5. Mongolia, 46 (2-0-3)
6. Korea, 43 (0-0-2)