Wrestling U17 Asian Championships:
Iran crowned freestyle champion, sweeps team trophies
Iran bagged eight medals – including four golds – across 10 weight classes to claim the freestyle title at the Wrestling U17 Asian Championships in Da Nang, Vietnam, on Sunday.
Iranian boys concluded with 178 points – 13 clear of second-place Japan – to complete a clean sweep of team trophies.
Unlike the Greco-Roman contests, where Iran celebrated an early title with six golds on the first day of the event, the freestyle race went down to the wire and was perhaps decided when two Iranian wrestlers defeated their Japanese opponents in the final showpiece of their respective classes.
Benyamin Ashofteh beat Masamune Ushimado 5-1 in the 51kg showdown, before Arman Elahi outmuscled Kyosuke Ikeda 8-3 for the top prize in the 55kg division.
Mahdi Damercheli had opened Iran’s gold account on the final day thanks to an emphatic 10-0 victory over Uzbekistan’s Mukhammad Rakhimjonov in the 45kg final – his third superiority win in as many outings.
The other final bout featuring Iranian and Uzbek wrestlers, however, saw Amirali Ragheb suffer a 10-0 setback against Farrukh Makhmudov, with Iran’s second silver medal coming in the 110kg category, where Amirali Esmali was beaten 4-1 by India’s Arush Rana.
Elsewhere on the closing day, Mohammadtaha Ganjeh bounced back from a 10-4 loss to Kazakhstan’s Mardan Orynbassar in the 60kg semifinals to hammer Mongolia’s Shagaikhuu Munkhzul 12-2 for a consolation bronze.
Amirali Ferasati had secured the 80kg title in style on the penultimate day of action in Da Nang by routing India’s Mandeep Mandeep 10-0 in the final, recording his third superiority victory in four bouts.
Amir-Abbas Lotfinejad, meanwhile, finished his 65kg campaign with something to cheer about, recovering from a last-four setback (4-3) against eventual champion Rihito Hiura of Japan to beat Kyrgyzstan’s Khantemir Ismanov 5-2 in the bronze-medal contest.
Kiarash Torabi and Mohammadreza Issazadeh were the two Iranians to finish empty-handed in the freestyle event.
Torabi suffered a second-round exit in the 71kg category, falling 2-1 to Tajikistan’s Idris Bakhromov, while Issazadeh’s campaign finished after a single bout as he was stunned by a fall defeat against Japan’s Shu Yoshida while leading 8-4.
Iranian freestyle head coach Sadeq Goudarzi was full of praise for his boys, who showed “true spirit and determination despite all the difficulties they faced in the buildup to the tournament.”
“Most of our wrestlers were competing in an international tournament for the first time,” said the former Olympic silver medalist, adding: “Unfortunately, because of the wartime situation in the country, we were unable to hold two training camps that had been planned. The Abdollah Movahed Cup was also canceled under the circumstances, and we were unable to participate in a scheduled tournament in Türkiye. As a result, our wrestlers entered these championships without any previous international experience.
“Despite all the problems, the boys performed very well and showcased the hallmark Iranian art of leg grappling and takedowns throughout the competition, which demonstrated both their technical potential and the bright future that lies ahead for them,” Goudarzi added.
Earlier in Da Nang, Iran had dominated the Greco-Roman event with a remarkable haul of six golds plus one silver and one bronze apiece.
Armin Esmaeil (45kg), Ali Esmaeili (48kg), Vahid Ashiri (55kg), Amirreza Tahmasbpour (60kg), Amirreza Mehri (92kg), and Ali-Akbar Akoo (110kg) were the Iranian gold medalists, while Esmaeil Zaherdoust settled for 71kg silver and Mahdi Gholamian took the 80kg bronze.
“Every team arrived with its strongest lineup and competed at full strength. The wrestlers from Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan, in particular, were exceptionally strong,” said Iranian Greco-Roman head coach Mohsen Sourian.
“A fifth consecutive Asian Greco-Roman crown underscores both Iran’s dominance and the strong pipeline of technically skilled wrestlers being developed for the future.
“However, we must remain realistic. The challenge facing us at the upcoming World Championships will be significantly tougher, particularly with the Russian team in the mix and Azerbaijan enjoying home advantage,” added Sourian.