2015.05.10

Saikawa Takes Bronze on Final Day of Asian C’ships

DOHA (May 10) – London 2012 Olympian Norikatsu SAIKAWA notched three wins by technical fall on his way to claiming Japan’s third bronze medal in greco-roman as the Asian wrestling championships came to a close in Doha.

Saikawa, who took a bronze medal at the 2014 Asian Games, earned a second straight bronze at the regional championships with a technical fall over Arslan SAPARMAMEDOV (TKM). The bout was a repeat of the Incheon 2014 bronze medal final also won by Saikawa with a technical fall.

The only other Japanese wrestler to advance a medal match was Arata SONODA, who defeated Asian Games silver medalist KIM Yong-Min (KOR) in his opening bout at 130kg, 3-0. But, Sonodo fell, 2-8, to Incheon bronze medalist MENG Qiang (CHN) in the semifinals, and was thrown in the bronze medal final by veteran Muradyan TUICHIEV (TJK) and lost by fall for fifth place.

With Saikawa’s bronze medal, Japan finished in seventh place with 39 points and three bronze medals. Iran, with 63 points and three gold medalists, won the greco-roman team title followed by Kazakhstan and China.

Greco-Roman

66kg – IZUMI, Takeshi (7th, 11 entries)

R1 – bye

R2 – lost to Demeu ZHADRAYEV (KAZ) by TF, 0-8, 2:47

75kg – KANAKUBO, Takehiro (11th, 12 entries)

R1 – bye

R2 – lost to Dilshod TURDIEV (UZB) by TF, 0-8, 5:28

80kg – SUMI, Masato (9th, 9 entries)

R1 – lost to Zhassulan KOSHANOV (KAZ) by fall, 2:24 (0-4)

98kg – SAIKAWA, Norikatsu (Bronze, 11 entries)

R1 – df. Hardeep HARDEEP (IND) by TF, 8-0, 1:25

R2 – df. Dilshod KHAKIMOV (UZB) by TF, 8-0, 1:19