To Our Friends in Wrestling Around the world
By William May
(Japan Amateur Wrestling Federation, Public
Information Committee
Kyodo World Services, senior sports writer:wmay52@hotmail.com)
IKEMATSU TOUCHES GOLD, TAKES SILVER AT ASIAN C'SHIPS
NEW DELHI (June 7) - Kazuhiko Ikematsu
wrestled well enough for the gold medal at
the 16th Asian Wrestling Championships and
had it in his grasp after building up a 2-0
lead in the first six minutes of the freestyle
66-kg championship final.
But wrestling rules require at least
three points to end a bout and in the overtime,
Iran's Hassan Tahmasebi threw Ikematsu to
his back off the whistle for a 3-2 come-from-behind
triumph at Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium.
Ikematsu, who rebounded from an opening
day loss to advance to the finals through
the repechage field, continued his inspired
wrestling in the final against Tahmasebi.
An ankle lace and a counter to a single-leg
takedown put the Nippon Sports Science University
coach in control of the match and he fought
off Tahmasebi's chances to score in the par
terre position as the final seconds of regulation
ticked away.
Forced to start overtime in a clinch
since the wrestlers did not have the required
three points, Tahmasebi took advantage of
the opportunity by taking Ikematsu off his
feet and then twisting him to his back for
three points and the win. "I guess I
have to wrestle harder for three points over
the first six minutes since you never know
what's going to happen out of the clinch,"
Ikematsu said.
Despite the loss, it was the first medal
for Ikematsu in an international meet and
provided Japanese wrestling with a glimmer
of hope heading into this year's world championships.
The world freestye meet, to be held in
New York in September, will serve as the
first qualifying meet for the wrestling competition
at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens.
In the semifinals, Ikematsu, who normally
relies on quick double-leg takedowns and
singles, used a headlock against Asian Games
bronze medalist Bayarmagnaj Norjin of Mongolia
for a 4-2 win. Bayarmagnaj came back for
a 4-1 win over Korea's Kim Sung Sil in the
match for third place. Also on the third
day of competition, Japan collected a pair
of gold medals and another silver in the
women's competition.
Two-time defending champion Ayako Shoda
was all business as she picked away at Geetika
Jakhar of India with snap downs and tilts
to forge a 10-0 technical fall win in 4:11
of the women's 63-kg final.
Earlier, Mika Noguchi did not let a painful
knee get in the way of her gold medal hopes
at 48 kg as she dumped Kao Wei-chien of Chinese
Taipei onto her back with a fireman's carry
and secured the pin at 1:41 with a bar arm
and upper-body press.
Japan's third entry in the women's finals,
however, Sayuri Tatemoto was struck with
a bad case of stage fright as she wrestled
tentatively against Otgonjarjal Naidan of
Mongolia.
The Asian Games bronze medalist stepped
over a gut wrench attempt by Tatemoto early
in the 55-kg final for a near-fall and three
points and then cruised to a 9-0 victory.
Meanwhile, the Japanese men failed to
win a single bout on the final day of preliminary
pool action. Daishi Matsuo took former world
No. 3 Damir Zakhartinov of Uzbekistan into
overtime in their freestyle 60-kg match-up,
only to give up a high crotch takedown and
tumble 4-3.
Although he qualified for the repechage
pool, Fujita gave up eight quick points to
Kyrgyzstan's Asian Games bronze medalist
Ulan Nadyrbek Ulu and eventually to a 9-4
loss.
At 74 kg, Kazuyuki Nagashima, a runner-up
in the Asian junior championships two years
ago, had his hands full with Sujeet Maan
at 74 kg. The Waseda University senior could
not stop the Indian veteran's single-leg
attack and lost a one-sided 4-0 decision.