To Our Friends in Wrestling Around the world

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

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

SHODA, HAMAGUCHI CLOSE OUT ASIA C'SHIPS WITH WINS

By Sachiko Hotaka



　　ALMATY (April 9) - Ayako Shoda and Kyoko Hamaguchi closed out the Asian Wrestling Championships on a high note for Japan, winning gold medals at 63 kg and 72 kg respectively.

　　The Japanese women finished the championships with five gold medals and a pair of silver for the team title. It was Shoda痴 fourth Asian championships crown while Hamaguchi won her fifth continental title.

　　・I was happy to win against a strong field of wrestlers,・Hamaguchi said. ・It was a new wrestler from China today, but I was more concerned about wrestling my own style.・

　　Meanwhile, Japan's final three entries in greco-roman all lost in the first round. Only Hideo Kitaoka qualified for repechage at 60 kg, but forfeited in a broken rib. The greco-roman squad finished the tourney with a combined 0-7 record. The Japanese men's freestyle team finished in third place with a pair of bronze medals earlier in the week.

１　round		Semi Final

Final						Ceremony

Results of matches involving Japanese entries:
Women痴 freestyle
63 kg - SHODA, Ayako (1st, 8 entries)
1R - df. Gao Pei (CHN) by fall, 1P=1:34
SF - df. Odonchimeg (MGL), 2-0 (2-0, 3-0)
F1 - df. Elena Shalygina (KAZ) by fall, 2P=1:52
----
72 kg - HAMAGUCHI, Kyoko (1st, 6 entries)
1R - df. Aser Imanalieva (KGZ) by fall, 1P=0:31
SF - df. Qin Xiaoqing (CHN), 2-0 (3-0, 3-0)
F1 - df. Burmaa Ochirbat (MGL) by fall, 1P=0:53
----
Greco-roman
60 kg - KITAOKA, Hideo (did not place, 9 entries)
1R - lost to Sheng Jiang (CHN) by injury default, 3P
r1 - lost to Jakhongir Imamov (UZB) by default
----
74 kg - SUGA, Taichi (dnp, 7 entries)
1R - lost to Kang Hee-Bok (KOR), 0-2 (1-1x=last, 0-2)
----
84 kg - KOMUKAI, Minoru (dnp, 8 entries)
1R - lost to Lin Ming-chi (TPE), 0-2 (0-6, 0-2)

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