JAPAN BLANKED ON OPENING DAY OF JR WORLD C’SHIPS

BUCHAREST (July 26) – Japan's four entries on the first day of the junior world championships were unable to score a single point in their opening bouts and finished well down the rankings in their respective categories.

The four entries also did not get the chance to wrestle in the consolation brackets on the opening day of greco-roman competition, despite facing opponents with previous success internationally at the junior level.

Takaharu Nakamura of Nippon Sports Sciences University opened with European junior silver medalist Ismail Kocaslan (TUR) in a second-round match at 74kg, but fell 0-1, 0-2 in a hard-fought match. Nakamura was eliminated from competition when Kocaslan lost in the quarterfinals to eventual champion Rafik Manukyan (ARM).

Waseda University's Akira Osaka had the day's closest bout for Japan, losing 0-1, 0-1 to Siarhei Staradub (BLR) at 96kg. Osaka was eliminated when Staradub, who finished fifth in the 2010 junior European meet, lost his next bout to this year's Euro junior champ Gyorgy Rizmajer (HUN).

Greco-roman
50kg – KAGAWA, Tomohiko (16th, 18 entries)
R1 – lost to Firuz Tukhtaev (UZB), 0-2 (0-1,0-8)

60kg – YAMAGUCHI, Suguru (32nd, 33 entries)
R1 – bye
R2 – lost to Aslan Poghosyan (ARM) by fall, 2P (0-2, F0-5)

74kg – NAKAMURA, Takaharu (30th, 36 entries)
R1 – bye
R2 – lost to Ismail Kocaslan (TUR), 0-2 (0-1, 0-2)

96kg – OSAKA, Akira (17th, 23 entries)
R1 – lost to Siarhei Staradub (BLR,), 0-2 (0-1, 0-1)