Asian Wrestling Championship 2020 kicks off today at Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium

By Shri Ram Shaw

Newswave @ New Delhi

Asian Wrestling Championship began today Feb.18 at Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in New Delhi. United World Wrestling (UWW) on Monday released the draws for the Greco-Roman bouts of New Delhi bound Asian Wrestling Championship. On day 1 i.e. Tuesday of the tournament, 55, 63, 77, 87 and 130kg wrestlers will take to the mat to prove their mettle and climb the podium. The tournament will begin from 8:30 am and will go on until 9:00 pm.

The qualification, quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals will be played on the same day. India will be amongst the favourites to bag gold on Day 1.

Sunil Kumar will be the biggest hope for a medal in the87kg Greco-Roman category will kick off his campaign against Japan’s Takahiro Tsuruda on Tuesday in the quarter-finals.

Takahiro is a two-time Japan Championship silver medallist, while Sunil came second in the 2020 Rome Ranking Series. Both the wrestlers, however, will be making their Asian Championship debut.

Mehar Singh is another debutant among the Indian Greco-Roman contingent.  Mehar (130kg), graduating from the junior ranks, will have a lot to prove ahead of the Asian Olympic qualifiers.

Sajan will another Indian wrestler to keep an eye on. The former 2018 Asian Champion (Junior) will be hoping to make his mark in the Seniors Asian meet too. He also won bronze at Rome Rankings last month.

He will open his campaign against former U23 Asian Championship gold medallist Renat Iliaz Uulu of Kazakhistan.

Here is full Greco-Roman Schedule of Asian Wrestling Championship Day 1:

55kg
Qualification
Hiromu KATAGIRI (JPN) vs. Sardarbek KONUSHBAEV (KGZ)

Quarterfinal
Khorlan ZHAKANSHA (KAZ) vs. Winner 31
Tuorki Ali M HAZOAZI (KSA) vs. Arjun HALAKURKI (IND)
Sahatsawat PHUANGKAEO (THA) vs. Jasurbek ORTIKBOEV (UZB)
Pouya Mohammad NASERPOUR (IRI) vs. Donghyeok WON (KOR)

 63kg
Qualification
Elmurat TASMURADOV (UZB) vs. Yernur FIDAKHMETOV (KAZ)
Tynar SHARSHENBEKOV (KGZ) vs. Sachin RANA (IND)

Quarterfinal
Meysam Karamali DALKHANI (IRI) vs. Yoshiki YAMADA (JPN)
Jinseub SONG (KOR) vs. Mubinjon AKHMEDOV (TJK)
Winner 16 vs. Winner 30
Rattanachai CHAIRIT (THA) vs. Mohammad F Kh M J ALAJMI (KUW)

72kg
Qualification
Aditya KUNDU (IND) vs. Alijon KHUSEYNOV (UZB)

Quarterfinal
Nao KUSAKA (JPN) vs. Ibragim MAGOMADOV (KAZ)
Amin Yavar KAVIYANINEJAD (IRI) vs. Yan Kai CHEN (TPE)
Loiqi AMIRKHONZODA (TJK) vs. Winner 63
Jihun KIM (KOR) vs. Ruslan TSAREV (KGZ)

 87kg
Qualification
Azat SALIDINOV (KGZ) vs. Sukhrob ABDULKHAEV (TJK)

Quarterfinal
Takahiro TSURUDA (JPN) vs. Kumar SUNIL (IND)
Abbas Shaalan Abdulkadhim AL TAMEEMI (IRQ) vs. Winner 17
Heageun PARK (KOR) vs. Azamat KUSTUBAYEV (KAZ)
Behrooz Mohammadali HEDAYAT (IRI) vs. Rustam ASSAKALOV (UZB)

130kg
Quarterfinal
Arata SONODA (JPN) vs. Ahmed Shaalan Abdulkadhim AL TAMEEMI (IRQ)
Minseok KIM (KOR) vs. Roman KIM (KGZ)
Amin Mohammadzaman MIRZAZADEH (IRI) vs. Mansur SHADUKAYEV (KAZ)
Singh MEHAR (IND) vs. Daler RAKHMATOV (UZB)