The first day of action at the Asian Wrestling Championships began today with the men in action in the Greco-Roman wrestling event across different weight categories which was underway at the KD Jadhav Hall at the Indira Gandhi Stadium in New Delhi, India.
The United World Wrestling (UWW) released the draws for the first day of matches in New Delhi as the male wrestlers from 55 kg, 63 kg, 77 kg, 87 kg and 130 kg were set to take to the mat for a chance to feature on the podium positions. The qualification rounds began early in the day followed by the quarter-finals, semi-finals and the final gold medal bouts later on in the day.
Indian wrestlers Sunil Kumar (87 kg), Arjun Halakurki (55 kg), Sachin Rana (63 kg), Sajan (77 kg) and Mehar Singh (130 kg) were in action for the home nation across the various categories on the mat.
Arjun Halakurki wins bronze in the Men's 55 kg event
India's Arjun Halakurki began his quest for a podium finish in the Men's 55 kg Greco-Roman event as he faced off against Saudi Arabia's Tuorki Ali Hazoazi in the quarterfinal encounter. He displayed his fine form on the mat from the get-go and managed to clinch an easy 10 - 2 victory over Hazoazi to seal his spot in the semi-finals.
Uzbekistan's Jasurbek Ortikboev, Kazakhstan's Khorlan Zhakansha and Iran's Pouya Mohammad Naserpour were the other semi-finalists alongside Arjun Halakurki. Arjun faced off against the Iranian wrestler in the semi-final but unfortunately lost out in an excruciatingly close manner (7 - 8). Jasurbek Ortikboev defeated Khorlan Zhakansha with a margin of 8 - 0 claiming a win by technical superiority to set up the gold medal clash against Naserpour.
Arjun Halakurki faced Donghyeok Won in the bronze medal match and won with a 7 - 4 score to get himself on the podium. Iran's Pouya Mohammad Naserpour won the gold medal with a thumping 8 - 0 win over Jasurberk Ortikboev.
Greco-Roman Men's 55 kg Results:
55kg
Qualification
Hiromu Katagiri (JPN) 0 - 9 Sardarbek Konushbaev (KGZ)
Quarterfinals
Khorlan Zhakansha (KAZ) 5 - 4 Sardarbek Konushbaev (KGZ)
Tuorki Ali M Hazoazi (KSA) 2 - 10 Arjun Halakurki (IND)
Sahatsawat Phuangkaeo (THA) 0 - 10 Jasurbek Ortikboev (UZB)
Pouya Mohammad Naserpour (IRI) 9 - 0 Donghyeok Won (KOR)
Semifinals
Pouya Mohammad Naserpour (IRI) 8 - 7 Arjun Halarkurki (IND)
Jasurbek Ortikboev (UZB) 8 - 0 Khorlan Zhakansha (KAZ)
Bronze Medal Matches
Arjun Halakurki (IND) 7 - 4 Donghyeok Won (KOR)
Khorlan Zhakansha (KAZ) 10 - 1 Sahatsawat Phuangkaeo (THA)
Gold Medal Match
Pouya Mohammad Naserpour (IRI) 8 - 0 Jasurbek Ortikboev (UZB)
Sachin Rana and Sajan Bhanwal face disappointment
India' Sachin Rana (63 kg) began his day well making it past his qualification encounter against Krygyz Repulic's Tynar Sharshenbekov with a 6-0 win. However, he went on to lose the quarter-final match against Uzbekistan's Elmurat Tasmuradov with a 0-8 margin. In the following repechage round, Rana faced another loss as he fell short against Yernur Fidakhmetov from Uzbekistan to lose out on a chance to grab a medal.
Sajan Bhanwal, the young Indian wrestler in the 77 kg category was unfortunate to miss out on a chance to compete in the event as he lost in the qualification match. He was ousted by Kyrgyz Republic's Renat Iliaz Uulu in the first match with a score of 9-6.
Greco-Roman Men's 63 kg Results:
Qualification
Elmurat Tasmuradov (UZB) 7 - 0 Yernur Fidakhmetov (KAZ)
Tynar Sharshenbekov (KGZ) 0 - 6 Sachin Rana (IND)
Quarterfinals
Meysam Karamali Dalkhani (IRI) 9 - 0 Yoshiki Yamada (JPN)
Jinseub Song (KOR) 8 - 7 Mubinjon Akhmedov (TJK)
Elmurat Tasmuradov (UZB) 8 - 0 Sachin Rana (IND)
Rattanachai Chairit (THA) 0 - 5 Mohammad Alajmi (KUW)
Semifinals
Jinseub Song (KOR) 8 - 1 Mohammad Alajmi (KUW)
Elmurat Tasmuradov (UZB) 10 - 1 Meysam Karamali Dalkhani (IRI)
Repechage
Yernur Fidakhmetov (KAZ) 6 - 3 Sachin Rana (IND)
Bronze Medal Matches
Meysam Karamali Dalkhani (IRI) 2 - 0 Yernur Fidakhmetov (KAZ)
Mubinjon Akhmedov (TJK) 7 - 2 Mohammad Alajmi (KUW)
Gold Medal Match
Elmurat Tasmuradov (UZB) 9 - 0 Jinseub Song (KOR)
Greco-Roman Men's 77 kg Results:
Qualification
Renat Iliaz Uulu (KGZ) df. Sajan (IND) by VPO1, 9 - 6
Pejman Soltanmorad Poshtam (IRI) df. Bekhzod Umarov (UZB) by VPO1, 3 - 1
Kodai Sakuraba (JPN) df. Abdullah Saad M Aldossary (KSA) by VSU, 8 - 0
Muslihiddin Uroqov (TJK) df. Bakhit Sharif K. Badr (QAT) by VSU1, 10 - 1
Hussein Ali Muksr Albidhan (IRQ) df. Rabie K. A. Khalil (PLE)
Quarterfinals
Tamerlan Shadukayev (KAZ) df. Hussein Ali Muksr Albidhan (IRQ) by VSU, 10 - 0
Renat Iliaz Uulu (KGZ) df. Kodai Sakuraba (JPN) by VPO1, 4 - 2
Pejman Soltanmorad Poshtam (IRI) df. Muslihiddin Uroqov (TJK) by VSU, 9 - 0
Sultan Ali Mohd Damen Eid (JOR) df. Chanwit Aunjai (THA) by VFO, 0 -
Semifinals
Tamerlan Shadukayev (KAZ) df. Sultan Ali Mohd Damen Eid (JOR) by VSU, 8 - 0
Pejman Soltanmorad Poshtam (IRI) df. Renat Iliaz Uulu (KGZ) by VPO, 5 - 0
Repechage
Bekhzod Umarov (UZB) df. Muslihiddin Uroqov (TJK) by VSU, 8 - 0
Bronze Medal Matches
Renat Iliaz Uulu (KGZ) df. Bekhzod Umarov (UZB) by VPO, 5 - 0
Hussein Ali Muksr Albidhan (IRQ) df. Sultan Ali Mohd Damen Eid (JOR) by VSU1, 12 - 4
Gold Medal Match
Tamerlan SHADUKAYEV (KAZ) df. Pejman Soltanmorad POSHTAM (IRI) by VSU1, 10 - 1
Sunil Kumar clinches gold for India in the 87 kg category
India's Sunil Kumar began his day with a quarter-final win over Takahiro Tsuruda of Japan scoring 8-2 in the end. In a closely contested semi-final clash, he faced off against Azamat Kustubayev from Kazakhstan and emerged victorious with a 12-8 margin to set up a gold medal clash against Azat Salidinov from the Kyrgyz Republic.
Sunil Kumar was dominant against Salidinov from the start and clinched the gold with a 5-0 win to mark India's first gold medal at the Asian Championships this year.
Greco-Roman Men's 87 kg Results:
Qualification
Azat Salidinov (KGZ) df. Sukhrob Abdulkhaev (TJK) by VPO1, 4 - 2
Quarterfinals
Azamat Kustubayev (KAZ) df. Heageun Park (KOR) by VPO1, 2 - 1
Azat Salidinov (KGZ) df. Abbas Shaalan Abdulkadhim Al Tameemi (IRQ) by VSU, 9 - 0
Sunil Kumar (IND) df. Takahiro Tsuruda (JPN) by VPO1, 8 - 2
Behrooz Mohammadali Hedayat (IRI) df. Rustam Assakalov (UZB) by VPO1, 6 - 6
Semifinals
Azat Salidinov (KGZ) df. Behrooz Mohammadali Hedayay (IRI) by VIN, 0 - 7
Sunil Kumar (IND) df. Azamat Kustubayev (KAZ) by VPO1, 12 - 8
Repechage
Abbas Shaalan Abdulkdhim Al Tameemi (IRQ) df. Sukhrob Abdulkhaev (TJK) by 2VFO, 0 - 0
Bronze Medal Matches
Behrooz Mohammadali Hedayat (IRI) df. Abbas Shaalan Abdulkdhim Al Tameemi (IRQ) by 2VFO, 0 - 0
Azamat Kustubayev (KAZ) df. Takahiro Tsuruda (JPN) by VPO1, 3 - 1
Gold Medal Match
Sunil Kumar (IND) df. Azat Salidinov (KGZ) by VPO, 5 - 0
Mehar Singh (130 kg) was the contender for India in the heaviest category in the Men's Greco-Roman wrestling event. He cleared the quarter-final hurdle defeating Daler Rakhmatov from Uzbekistan with a 4-0 win.
However, his challenge fizzled when he lost two consecutive encounters in the semi-final and the bronze medal match against opponents from Korea and Kyrgyz Republic.
Greco-Roman Men's 130 kg Results:
Quarterfinals
Amin Mohammadzaman Mirzazadeh (IRI) df. Mansur Shadukayev (KAZ) by VPO1, 3 - 3
Arata Sonoda (JPN) df. Ahmed Shaalan Abdulkadhim Al Tameemi (IRQ) by VSU, 9 - 0
Mehar Singh (IND) df. Daler Rakhmatov (UZB) by VPO, 4 - 0
Minseok Kim (KOR) df. Roman Kim (KGZ) by VPO1, 5 - 2
Semifinals
Minseok Kim (KOR) df. Mehar Singh (IND) by VSU1, 9 - 1
Amin Mohammadzaman Mirzazadeh (IRI) df. Arata Sonoda (JPN) by VPO1, 6 - 1
Bronze Medal Matches
Mansur Shadukayev (KAZ) df. Arata Sonoda (JPN) by VSU1, 9 - 1
Roman Kim (KGZ) df. Mehar Singh (IND) by VPO1, 3 - 2
Gold Medal Match
Amin Mohammadzaman Mirzazadeh (IRI) df. Minseok Ki (KOR) by VSU, 9 - 0
The action from the Asian Wrestling Championships will continue on the second day in New Delhi tomorrow as the Greco-Roman wrestling events continue with competition across the 60, 67, 72, 82 and 97 kg weight categories.