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By William May
iJapan Amateur Wrestling Federation, Public Information Committee
Fwmay52@hotmail.comj


OBATA 5TH IN ASIAN GAMES FREESTYLE





@@ @DOHA (December 13) - Kunihiko Obata notched a pair of easy wins at 74 kg but had his chances for an Asian Games medal done in by a pair of world medalists on the first day of the menfs freestyle competition in Doha. Obata wrestled tough against world silver medalist Ali Asghar Bazrighaleh of Iran in the quarterfinals, but surrendered points late in each period of a 0-2 loss.

@@@In one of the finals for third place, Obata kept the pressure on Uzbekistanfs Soslan Tigiev, but could not crack the defense of the world No. 3 at the Aspire sports complex west of the Qatari capitol.
(right) Earlier, Obata opened with a one-sided win over unheralded Alai Niyazmengliev of Turkmenistan and in the consolation bracket romped over Myagmar Mendaikhan of Mongolia to earn a berth in a bronze-medal match.

@@@At 60 kg, world bronze medalist Noriyuki Takatsuka scored more technical points that Asia champion Ri Yong-Chol of DRP Korea, but lost in the set count 1-2. Ri lost to reigning world champion Seyed Mohammadi Pahnnekalaei of Iran in the next round, knocking Takatsuka out of the running for the medals. Japan did not send an entry at 96 kg.


Menfs freestyle

60 kg - TAKATSUKA, Noriyuki (15 entries)

R1 - lost to Ri Yong-Chol (PRK), 1-2 (0-1, 4-1, 0-1)

@@Ri takes advantage of Takatsukafs aggressiveness in the first period for a takedown. Takatsuka comes back with a 3-point single-leg to take the second. Neither wrestler could get the advantage in the third period until Takatsuka appeared to slip on the mat with less than 10 seconds remaining and Ri capitalized for the win.

Medal matches at 60 kg
F1 - Seyed Mohammadi Pahnekalaei (IRI) df. Song Jae-Myung (KOR), 2-0 (3-0, 3-0)
F3 - Ri Yong-Chol (PRK) df. Gao Feng (CHN), 2-0 (2-0, 2-1)
F3 - Yogeshwar Dutt (IND) df. Baurzhan Orazgaliyev (KAZ), 2-1 (1x-1, 0-1, 4-2)

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74 kg - OBATA, Kunihiko (5th, 14 entries)

R1 - df. Alai Niyazmengliev (TKM), 2-0 (1-0, 8-2)

@@Obata wins the scramble for a go-behind point in the first period. Obata gives up two points on a takedown counter, but gets on board with a go-behind and the rolls to an 82 win.

R2 - lost to Ali Asghar Bazrighaleh (IRI), 0-2 (0-3, 0-3)

@@Obata gives up a 3-point takedown in the final 10 seconds of the first period. Bazrighaleh scores with a force out, then catches Obata on his back during a takedown scramble.

r1 - df. Myagmar Mendaikhan (MGL), 2-0 (8-1=1:15, 6-3)

@@Obata leaps into a 3-0 lead with an arm throw, then after an exchange of points, works a leg grapevine for the technical fall. Obata is countered for three points early, but rallies back with single points and another grapevine and tilt for the win.

F3 - lost to Soslan Tigiev (UZB), 0-2 (0-2, 0-2)
Obata gave up single points on scrambles for the takedown in the first period. Then, surrendered takedowns midway through and at the end of the second period.

Other medal matches at 74 kg
F1 - Ali Asghar Bazrighaleh (IRI) df. Cho Byung-Kwan (KOR), 2-0 (2-1, 1-0)
F3 - Abdulkhakim Shapiev (KAZ) df. Talant Jekshenov (KGZ), 2-1 (0-1, 4-3, 1-0)

96 kg - No Japanese entry (14 entries)
F1 - Ali Reza Heidari (IRI) df. Oleg Kallagov (UZB), 2-0 (2-0=2:07, 2-1)
F3 - Aleksey Krupniakov (KGZ) df. Koo Tae-Hyun (KOR), 2-0 (2-0, 3-0)
F3 - Taimuraz Tigiyev (KAZ) df. Wang Yuanyuan (CHN), 2-0 (3-1, 3-1)