MURAKAMI TAKES GOLD, SAKABE BRONZE OF 1ST DAY OF ASIA JR C’SHIPS

PHUKET, Thailand (June 13) – Ryo Murakami won a gold medal and So Sakabe a bronze as Japan kicked off the Asian junior wrestling championships with a pair of medals in greco-roman.

Murakami of Nippon Sports Science University opened with a win over 2012 Asia junior bronze medalist Daniyar Kalenov (KAZ) and defeated last year's Asia cadet runner-up Bekbolson Asanaliev (KGZ) for Japan's first greco-roman title at the Asian juniors since 2006.

Meanwhile, Sakabe of Kanagawa University lost in the semifinals to eventual champion Abunassyr Omirzak (KAZ) by technical fall, but rebounded with a technical of his own in the bronze medal final with Li Zongchang (CHN).

NSSU's Yuki Takeshita suffered losses by technical fall in the semifinals and third place finals at 55kg and had to settle for fifth place.

Japan's other three entries on the opening day of the championships lost their opening bouts and did not get the change to wrestle in repechage.

Results of bouts involving Japanese entries:

Greco-roman

55kg – TAKESHITA, Yuki (5th, 12 entries)

R1 – df. Erlam Sadyrbekov (KGZ), 7-6

R2 – df. Wu Wentao (CHN) by fall, 1P (F3-4)

SF – lost to Ahmadjon Mahmudov (UZB) by TF, 1P (0-7)

F3 – lost to Maleki Behrooz (IRI) by TF, 1P (0-8)

60kg – MURAKAMI, Ryo (Gold, 11 entries)

R1 – bye

R2 – df. Daniyar Kalenov (KAZ), 2-0

SF – df. Zhu Long (CHN), 4-0

F1 – df. Bekbolsun Asanaliev (KGZ), 5-0

66kg – UOZUMI, Shogo (9th, 11 entries)

R1 – lost to Sagar Ananda Patil (IND) by TF, 1P (0-7)

74kg – SAKABE, So (Bronze, 12 entries)

R1 – bye

R2 – df. Sarvar Isokov (TJK), 2-0

SF – lost to Abunassyr Omirzak (KAZ) by TF, 1P (0-7)

F3 – df. Li Zongchang (CHN) by TF, 1P (8-0)

84kg – HAYASHI, Ryunosuke (9th, 10 entries)

R1 – bye

R2 – lost to Rashid Kochiev (KAZ) by fall, 1P (F0-4)

96kg – MIYAGUNI, Yuta (10th, 10 entries)

R1 – lost to Anucha Yospanya (THA) by fall, 1P (F0-9)