To Our Friends in Wrestling Around the world

                    

By William May
(Japan Amateur Wrestling Federation, Public Information Committee
wmay52@hotmail.com


Novebemr wrestling news

YGU FRESHMAN OZAWA WINS AT COLLEGIATE FS C’SHIPS




  INONAGAWA-MACHI, Hyogo Prefecture (November 11-12) - Yamanashi Gakuin’s Shigeki Osawa edged world team member Kenichi Yumoto and defending champion Noriyuki Takatsuka to become the 14th freshman to win at the national freestyle collegiate championships.

  Osawa, wrestling at 60 kg, came from behind to edge Yumoto of Nippon Sports Science University (NSSU) 2-1 in the semifinals and then stopped Nihon University’s Takatsuka 2-0 for the championship.

  Meanwhile, Waseda junior Tsukasa Sato won for a third straight year at 66 kg and next year will seek to become the fourth wrestler to win the collegiate nationals four years in a row. NU’s Maximo Blanco added the collegiate nationals title to his triumph in the collegiate open and was named the meet’s outstanding wrestler.

  Defending champion NU won the team title with 45.5 points even though Blanco was its only individual winner. NSSU was runner-up, while Takushoku, with two individual champions, could only manage third place.

Results of individual placement matches:

55 - Kohei Hasegawa, Aoyama Gakuin df. Kazuhide Tomita, Daito Bunka, 2-0 (1-0, 2x-2)
60 - Shigeki Ozawa (YG) df. Noriyuki Takatsuka (NU), 2-0 (3-1, 2x-2)
66 - Tsukasa Sato (W) df. Tadafumi Kojima (NSSU), 2-0 (3-0=2:03, 6-0=0:22)
74 - Maximo Blanco (NU) df. Hisashi Ainai (Senshu), 2-0 (1-0, 3-0=2:05)
84 - Takao Isokawa (Ta) df. Sho Matsui (Ritsumeikan), 2-0 (6-0=1:47, 5-0)
96 - Yoshitsugu Yoneyama (NSSU) df. Shinya Matsumoto (NU), 2-1 (1-0=2:15, 0-3=2:15, 3-2)
120 - Atsushi Nakamura (Ta) df. Kazuki Shinkai (Meiji), 2-0 (1-0, 1-0)

Team standings:
1. Nihon, 45.5 points
2. NSSU, 36.5
3. Takushoku, 30
4. Yamanashi Gakuin, 24.5


NAGATA IN NEW YEAR’S EVE ‘DYNAMITE!!’ EVENT



  TOKYO (October 30) - Former Olympic silver medalist Katsuhiko Nagata will fight in the K-1 “Dynamite!!” event in Osaka Dome on New Year’s Eve, organizers announced. Nagata's opponent for the mixed martial arts event has yet to be named.

  The former Tokyo police officer won the greco-roman silver at 69 kg at the Sydney Olympics in 2000 and, after FILA’s change in weight categories, moved up to 74 kg to compete in the 2004 Olympics in Athens. Nagata had earlier indicated that he was interested in trying his hand in the mixed martial arts. However, after an unsatisfying 0-2 mark in Athens, he decided to continue with wrestling.

  Wrestling’s new rules introduced this year, however, did not favor Nagata’s style of trying to force the par terre position and then scoring points on the mat. So, the veteran national team member decided to give the mixed martial arts a try and has been practicing boxing since early August.

  Nagata will become the fourth national wrestling team member to try mixed martial arts after Yasushi Miyake, Yoshihiro Nagao and Kazuyuki Miyata. He is, however, Japanese wrestling’s first Olympic medalist to turn the professional fighting arts.


China, Russia set for women’s world training camp



  TOKYO (November 20) - China and Russia are among seven countries registered for the women’s world training camp scheduled for January 5-15 at Tokyo’s national training center.

  The Japan Wrestling Federation sent out invitations to 21 countries. Although only seven countries have indicated they will attend, JWF officials said they still hope about 100 coaches and wrestlers will take part in the camp. Along with Russia and China, Italy, Austria, Kazakhstan, Korea and Kyrgyzstan have also indicated plans to take part in the training camp and coaching seminar.
Among the wrestlers scheduled to attend are former five-time world champion Nikola Hartmann of Austria, 55-kg European champion Natalia Golts of Russia and 72-kg Olympic silver medalist Gouzel Manyurova.
China, which finished second to Japan at this year’s world championships in Budapest, did not indicate which wrestlers will attend.

  Japan hosts the training camp to promote and develop women’s wrestling throughout the world. And, while participating countries must pay for
transportation to Japan, the JWF shoulders the cost of room and board for the camp.


C. ICHO TO JOIN ALSOK SOGO KEIBI HOSHO CLUB



  TOKYO (November 24) - Olympic silver medalist Chiharu Icho will join ALSOK Sogo Keibi Hosho upon graduation from Chukyo Women’s University, the security company announced.

  Icho, who took the silver medal at 48 kg at the 2004 Athens Games, will graduate from CWU in March 2006. The ALSOK club was started in 1994 and currently sponsors head coach Masanori Ohashi, coach Toshiyuki Icho and six wrestlers including Olympic gold medalist Saori Yoshida.

  The security company also sponsors top Japanese athletes in judo, thletics and speed skating. At a press conference to announce Icho’s decision, the Aomori native said “I heard this is a company that gives the athlete all-around support. “I’m happy to find a place where train my hardest as I aim to go to the Beijing Olympics (in 2008). I will do my best to win the gold medal along with my sister (Kaori, 63 kg) in Beijing.”

  Although Icho wrestled at 48 kg in Athens, she spent 2005 competing at 51 kg. However, since the women’s competition in Beijing will only feature four weight categories -- 48, 55, 63 and 72 kg -- Icho may consider dropping to 48 kg again for the national championships in December.


RITSUMEIKAN WINS WEST JAPAN COLLEGE CROWN



  OSAKA (November 26-27) - Kyoto’s Ritsumeikan University rolled over rival Tokuyama University 6-1 to make it nine championships in a row in the semi-annual west Japan collegiate wrestling championships. Ritsumeikan, which won its 11th west Japan title overall, also defeated its three Pool A opponents 7-0 at Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium. In the second division, Minami Kyushu University won with a 6-0 record.