NEW DELHI (April 20) – Defending champion Kanako Murata had to settle for a silver medal at 55kg in women's freestyle, while men's freestyle got under way with a pair of fifth-place finishes for Japan on the third day of the Asian senior wrestling championships.
Murata defeated London Olympian Byambatseren Sundev (MGL) in the second round and needed a big third period to turn back hometown favorite Kumari Babita (IND). The reigning junior world champ, however, was edged in the championship final by 2010 senior world champion at 59kg, Yang Senlian (CHN).
In men's freestyle, junior world bronze medalist Fumitaka Morishita opened with a pair of wins at 55kg, including a 2-0 win over 2011 Asian junior runner-up Mohammad Tahmasebi Zadeh (IRI).
In the semifinals, however, Morishita lost to London Olympian and eventual winner Amit Kumar (IND) and then dropped the bronze medal match to Rasul Kaliev (KAZ), the 2011 junior world silver medalist.
Shogo Maeda, at 60kg, advanced to the semifinals with one-sided wins in the first two rounds, but in the semis, lost to Hwang Ryong-Hak (PRK), who had finished second in Bulgaria's Dan Kolov tourney two months earlier.
In the bronze medal final, Maeda was edged by last year's Asia junior silver medalist Bajrang Bajrang (IND).
Earlier, in women's freestyle, cadet world champion Nanami Irie dropped her opening bout with Vinesh Vinesh (IND) and fell out of medal contention when the local favorite lost in the semifinals to Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix champion Tatyana Amanzhol-Bakatyuk (KAZ).
Women's freestyle
51kg – IRIE, Nanami (8th, 11 entries)
R1 – bye
R2 – lost to Vinesh Vinesh (IND), 1-2 (2-1, 1-1, 0-2)
55kg – MURATA, Kanako (Silver, 9 entries)
R1 – df. Yeh An-an (TPE) by TF, 2-0 (6-0, 6-0)
R2 – df. Byanbatseren Sundev (MGL), 2-0 (1-0, 2-1)
SF – df. Babita Kumari (IND), 2-1 (3-3, 6-0, 6-4)
F1 – lost to Yang Senlian (CHN), 0-2 (1-3, 1-3)
Men's freestyle
55kg – MORISHITA, Fumitaka (5th, 14 entries)
R1 – df. Nodirjon Safarov (UZB), 2-1 (1-4, 5-1, 4-2)
R2 – df. Mohammad Tahmasebi Zadeh (IRI), 2-0 (5-1, 4-1)
SF – lost to Amit Kumar (IND) by fall, 2P (0-1, 0-7)
F3 – lost to Rassul Kaliyev (KAZ) by fall, 2P (2-3, F0-3)
60kg – MAEDA, Shogo (5th, 16 entries)
R1 – df. Ramil Rejepov (TKM), 2-0 (3-0, 3-1)
R2 – df. Sypar Satymkylov (KGZ), 2-0 (3-0, 6-1)
SF – lost to Hwang Ryong-Hak (PRK), 0-2 (0-6, 4-9)
F3 – lost to Bajrang Bajrang (IND), 0-2 (1-1, 1-3)
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