KAWAI WINS, MORISHITA 3RD ON 1ST DAY OF ASIAN C’SHIPS

ASTANA (April 23) – Junior world champion Risako KAWAI (JPN) rolled to her first continental title and Fumitaka MORISHITA bagged a bronze medal on the opening day of the Asian wrestling championships.

Kawai, 19, outscored three opponents 30-7, defeating 2013 Mongolian Open runner-up Shooydor BAATARJAV (MGL). The triumph was Kawai’s third senior-level crown after winning two Grand Prix events in 2012.

Golden Grand Prix Final winner Morishita, meanwhile, bounced back from a semifinal loss to Paris GGP titlist DAMDINBAZAR Tsogtbaatar (MGL) with a 5-5 win on criteria over 2013 Takhti Cup winner Mehrab REZAZADEH (IRI) for a bronze medal at 57kg.

Tomotsugu ISHIDA (JPN), a bronze medalist at last year’s Asia meet, posted a win at 65kg but fell to Mongolian Open winner BATCHULUUN Batmangnai (MGL) in the 65kg quarterfinals. Atsushi MATSUMOTO (JPN) also notched a win at 86kg before tumbling out of the competition.

Men’s freestyle

57kg – MORISHITA, Fumitaka (Bronze, 13 entries)

R1 – df. Ramil REJEPOV (TKM), 5-2

R2 – df. Nodiryon SAFAROV (UZB) by TF, 10-0

SF – lost DAMDINBAZAR Tsogtbaatar (MGL), 3-8

F3 – df. Mehrab REZAZADEH (IRI), 5-5 (criteria)

65kg – ISHIDA, Tomotsugu (7th, 14 entries)

R1 – df. CHEN Liang (CHN), 6-0

R2 – lost to BATCHULUUN Batmangnai (MGL), 0-4

86kg – MATSUMOTO, Atsushi (7th, 11 entries)

R1 – df. Salim KHODZHAEV (TJK), 8-0

R2 – lost to Rashid KURBANOV (UZB), 1-3

125kg – ARAKIDA, Nobuyoshi (8th, 10 entries)

R1 – bye

R2 – lost to SHANG Hai (CHN) by fall, 1P (2-10)

Women’s freestyle

58kg – KAWAI, Risako (Gold, 9 entries)

R1 – bye

R2 – df. Lilya SHAKIROVA (UZB) by TF, 10-0

SF – df. Dhanda POOJA (IND), 13-6

F1 – df. Shooydor BAATARJAV (MGL), 7-1

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