ISTANBUL (February 15-16) – FILA Golden Grand Prix Final winner Fumitaka MORISHITA grabbed a silver medal and collegiate rival Yuki TAKAHASHI snared a bronze at 57kg on the opening day of the Yasar Dogu international wrestling competition in Istanbul.
Noriyuki TAKATSUKA, however, found the going a little tougher in Istanbul after a bronze medal at the Takhti Cup in Tehran a week earlier, and had to settle for fifth place after a loss to Yarygin Golden Grand Prix bronze medalist Murshid MUTALIMOV (RUS) on the final day of the two-day competition.
Morishita of Nippon Sports Sciences University opened with three one-sided wins at 57kg, then edged world bronze medalist Sezer AKGUL (TUR) in the semifinals. In the final, however, Morishita was swamped by rising young Mongolian star BATBOLD Nomin (MGL), a silver medalist in last year’s junior world championships.
Takahashi of Yamanashi Gakuin University, a former Asia junior silver medalist, meanwhile, fell to Batbold in the first round, but battled back in repechage and defeated last year’s Universiade runner-up Samat NADYRBEK UULU (KGZ) for the bronze medal.
Results of bouts involving Japanese entries:
Men’s freestyle
57kg – MORISHITA, Fumitaka (2nd, 30 entries)
R1 – df. Atli SULEYMAN (TUR) by TF, 11-1
R2 – df. Andrew HOCHSTRASSER (USA) by TF, 13-2
R3 – df. Mikhail IVANOV (RUS), 7-0
SF – df. Sezer AKGUL (TUR), 7-4
F1 – lost to BATBOLD Nomin (MGL), 3-12
57kg – TAKAHASHI, Yuki (3rd, 30 entries)
R1 – lost to BATBOLD Nomin (MGL), 4-9
c1 – df. Ahmet PEKER (TUR) by TF, 13-2
c2 – df. Sam HAZEWINKEL (USA) by default
F3 – df. Samat NADYRBEK UULU (KGZ) by TF, 11-0
61kg – TAKATSUKA, Noriyuki (5th)
R1 – lost to James KENNEDY (USA), 1-6
c1 – df. Krum CHUCHUROV (BUL) by TF, 10-0
c2 – df. Egor PONOMAREV (RUS), 3-2
F3 – lost to Murshid MUTALIMOV (RUS), 1-8
61kg – KAWASE, Katsuyoshi (did not place)
R1 – df. Soner BULAK (TUR) by TF, 11-0
R2 – lost to Akhmednabi GVARZATILOV (AZE) by TF, 2-12
65kg – ISHIDA, Tomotsugu (dnp)
R1 – bye
R2 – lost to Servet COSKUN (TUR), 4-7
65kg – TAKATANI, Daichi (DNP)
R1 – bye
R2 – df. Maher GHANMI (TUN) by TF, 11-0
R3 – lost to Servet COSKUN (TUR), 11-13
74kg – TAKATANI, Sosuke (dnp)
R1 – df. Muhammaet DEMIR (TUR) by TF, 12-1
R2 – df. Mostafa GHIASI CHEKA (IRI), 6-4
R3 – lost to Soner DEMIRTAS (TUR) by disqualification
97kg – YAMAGUCHI, Takeshi (dnp)
R1 – lost to Riza YILDIRIM (TUR), 3-4
125kg – ARAKIDA, Nobuyoshi (dnp)
R1 – lost to Aslan DZEBISHOV (AZE) by TF, 0-10
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