Asian Wrestling Championships:
Iranians dominate Day 1 with three freestyle golds
Iranian freestyle wrestlers got off to a flying start at the Asian Championships in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, grabbing three of the gold medals up for grabs across five weight classes on Thursday.
Former world champion Rahman Amouzad was back to his ruthless form as he repeated the final victory in the previous edition over Tulga Tumur Ochir – also avenging the loss to the Mongolian in the Asian Games final last October – to walk away with the ultimate prize of the 65kg contests.
Amouzad scored a first-period takedown off an underhook, then gave up an activity point after the interval but managed to hold on for a 2-1 win and claim a third successive Asian gold.
Two-time world silver medalist Amir-Mohammad Yazdani picked up the first gold in his senior career thanks to a 13-9 triumph over world under-23 silver medalist Yoshinosuke Aoyagi of Japan in a thrilling 70kg showpiece.
Both wrestlers had 4-point moves in the first period, with Yazdani scoring his late to take a 6-5 lead into the second. Aoyagi went ahead 9-6 with a backdoor takedown and a head-between-the-thighs roll, only to see the Iranian take the lead on criteria with 20 seconds left with a stepout and takedown. Yazdani countered a last-ditch body lock lift attempt by Aoyagi for a final 4-pointer.
“It was a close match. The Japanese wrestler was very good, and I wish him all the best. He was leading 9-7, but I tried to be focused on the match and tried to go for a comeback because I didn’t want to lose,” Yazdani said.
“It was my first gold medal, and I am very happy about it,” he said. “At the outset, I was behind... and I was thinking that it would be another silver medal for me. But suddenly, everything changed.”
Mohammad Nokhodi also celebrated a first Asian gold in emphatic fashion, cruising to a 12-2 technical fall over Mongolian Byambadorj Enkhbayar in the 79kg showdown.
Nokhodi, winner of back-to-back world silvers before a bronze in Belgrade last year, chalked up three takedowns in succession, following the third one with a two-point exposure.
As the Iranian went for a gut wrench to end the bout, Enkhbayar stopped it to gain two points to make it 8-2 and keep his hopes alive, but it all ended 27 seconds into the second period when Nokhodi caught the Mongolian in a cradle for a takedown and exposure.
“It is the first time that I have won the gold medal at the Asian Championships, but I will try my best to grab the gold in the World Championships this year,” said Nokhodi.
Meanwhile, two-time Asian champion Mohammad-Hossein Mohammadian bounced back from an 8-2 defeat against Russian-born Bahraini wrestler Akhmed Tazhudinov in the semifinals to come out victorious (7-0) against Japanese Hibiki Ito in the bronze medal contest of the 97kg class, sharing the third podium with Vicky Chahar of India.
Reigning world and Asian Games champion Tazhudinov, who is unbeaten since February 2023, went on to beat the world 92kg gold medalist Rizabek Aitmukhan of Kazakhstan 4-2 in the final.
Iranian wrestler Ebrahim Khari finished his campaign empty-handed after a 7-4 defeat to North Korean Kim Kum-hyok in the 57kg third-place bout.
Kento Yumiya of Japan defeated Indian Udit Kumar – victorious over Khari in the first round – for the gold, with Kazakhstan’s Meirambek Kartbay taking the other bronze.