ULAN-UDE, Russia (March 14-15) – Tokyo police officer Tomotsugu ISHIDA and 2014 world team member Atsushi MATSUMOTO won titles as a Japanese select team bagged seven medals at the President’s Cup of Buryatia Republic freestyle wrestling tournament.
Ishida and Matsumoto dialed up four wins each to triumph at 65kg and 86kg, respectively, while 2014 world student champion Fumitaka MORISHITA had to settle for second place with a loss to 2014 Asian silver medalist Tsogtbaatar DAMDINBAZAR (MGL) in the 57kg final.
On his way to the title, Ishida reversed a 2014 loss in the Asian championships to Batmangai BATCHULUUN (MGL), 7-1, and then edged former world bronze medalist Bazar BAZARGURUEV (KGZ) on criteria in the final.
Ishida’s last tournament victory was at the 2010 world university championships in Italy. His most recent medal, meanwhile, was a bronze medal won at the 2013 Asian championships.
Matsumoto defeated 2010 Asian Games bronze medalist Usukhbaatar PUREVJAV (MGL), 3-2, in the 86kg final for his first international victory since winning the Asian cadet crown in 2005. His most recent senior-level medal was a bronze at the 2013 Schultz Memorial.
Results of bouts involving Japanese entries:
57kg – MORISHITA, Fumitaka (2nd, 24 entries)
R1 – bye
R2 – df. Sodnomdah BATBOLD (MGL), 8-6
R3 – df. Belitko AYUSHEEV (RUS), 3-3
SF – df. Stepan SORKOMOV (RUS), 9-1
F1 – lost to Tsogtbaatar DAMDINBAZAR (MGL), 1-2
57kg – HIGUCHI, Rei (3rd, 24 entries)
R1 – df. Aydarbek BAIMURATOV (KAZ) by TF, 11-0
R2 – df. Dmitri AXENOV (RUS), 12-3
R3 – df. Gaku AKAZAWA (JPN) by TF, 11-0
SF – lost to Tsogtbaatar DAMDINBAZAR (MGL), 7-8
F1 – df. Khash-Erdene NYAMBADORZH (MGL) by TF, 11-0
57kg – AKAZAWA, Gaku (7th, 24 entries)
R1 – df. Ayuzhav NERGINBAATAR (MGL) by TF, 11-0
R2 – df. Erdem ABARZADIEV (RUS), 12-12
R3 – lost to Rei HIGUCHI (JPN) by TF, 0-11
65kg – ISHIDA, Tomotsugu (1st, 20 entries)
R1 – bye
R2 – df. Elvin VALIEV (AZE), 3-2
R3 – df. Dondop TUBCHINOV (RUS), 6-0
SF – df. Batmagnai BATCHULUUN (MGL), 7-1
F1 – df. Bazar BAZARGURUEV (KGZ), 2-2
65kg – MAEDA, Shogo (3rd, 20 entries)
R1 – df. Nyamdorkh BATTULGA (MGL), 4-1
R2 – df. Mengi MORTUY-OOL (RUS), 6-5
R3 – df. Grigor SEROPYAN (RUS), 14-8
SF – lost to Bazar BAZARGURUEV (KGZ), 1-2
F3 – df. Sanchir BATSUKH (MGL) by TF, 11-1
86kg – MATSUMOTO, Atsushi (1st, 12 entries)
R1 – df. Vladislav CHARYAGIN (KGZ) by TF, 15-4
R2 – df. Naoya AKAGUMA (JPN), 4-2
SF – df. Dmitri ROCHNYAK (UKR), 5-2
F1 – df. Usukhbaatar PUREVJAV (MGL), 3-2
86kg – AKAGUMA, Naoya (3rd, 12 entries)
R1 – df. Batsantsogi OLZISAIKHAN (MGL) by fall (4-0)
R2 – lost to Atsushi MATSUMOTO (JPN), 2-4
c1 – df. Vladislav CHARYAGIN (KGZ) by TF, 11-0
F3 – df. Dmitri ROCHNYAK (UKR), 6-2
97kg – YAMAGUCHI, Takeshi (3rd, 9 entries)
R1 – bye
R2 – lost to Eduard ARUTUNYAN (RUS), 2-2
F3 – df. Bair UKOEV (RUS) by fall (4-0)
125kg – ARAKIDA, Nobuyoshi (9th, 9 entries)
R1 – bye
R2 – lost to Bayarkhuu PERENLEIJAMTS (MGL)
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