To Our Friends in Wrestling Around the world

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

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

INABA 3RD IN UZBEKISTAN CUP FS GRAND PRIX MEET





　　　TASHKENT (March 11-12) - Senshu University standout Yasuhiro Inaba rebounded from a loss to reigning world champion Dilshod Mansurov and claimed a third-place finish at the Uzbekistan Cup Golden Grand Prix meet.

　　　Inaba fell to hometown favorite Mansurov 1-0, 1-0 in the opening round at 55 kg, but downed compatriot Hideki Taoka 3-0, 1-0 for third place and 1,500 dollars in prize money in the Golden Grand Prix event. Taoka, for his part, notched a pair of wins before falling to Mansurov in the semifinals and then Inaba in the match for third place.

　　　At 60 kg, Noriyuki Takatsuka lost to former European champion Murad Ramazanov, formerly of Russia and now from Macedonia, in the match for third place and settled for fifth place. Among Takatsuka’s victories was a 2-1 triumph over 1998-1999 Euro champion David Pogosyan of Georgia.

　　　At 66 kg, Kohei Fujimoto fell in the first round to eventual silver medalist Chris Bono of the United States and failed to place after losing to David Nozadze of Georgia in repechage.

　　　Meanwhile, Kenichi Yumoto (60 kg), Kunihiko Obata (74) and Kazuyuki Nagashima (74) all lost their first matches of the competition and did not get the chance to wrestle in the consolation rounds.

Results of Japanese entries:

55 kg - INABA, Yasuhiro (3rd, 15 entries)
1R - lost to Dilshod Mansurov (UZB), 0-2 (0-1, 2-6)
r1 - df. Namik Sevdimov (AZE), 2-0 (1x-1=last point, 2-1)
F3 - df. Hideki Taoka (JPN), 2-0 (3-0, 1-0)
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55 kg - TAOKA, Hideki (5th, 15 entries)
1R - df. Besarion Gochashvili (GEO), 2-0 (1-0, 1-0=2:04)
2R - df. Vagan Simonyan (ARM), 2-0 (3-0, 5-0)
SF - lost to Dishod Mansurov (UZB), 1-2 (0-1, 6-2, 0-2)
F3 - lost to Yasushiro Inaba (JPN), 0-2 (0-3, 0-1)
----
60 kg - TAKATSUKA, Noriyuki (5th, 18 entries)
Pr - df. Smat Zhakunov (KAZ), 2-0 (1-0, 3-1)
1R - df. David Pogosyan (GEO), 2-1 (1-0, 1-2, 1-0=2:05)
2R - lost to Ramzan Saritov (RUS), 0-2 (0-2, 0-1)
r1 - df. Ilais Tlegenov (UZB), 2-0 (1-0=2:08, 2-1)
F3 - lost to Murad Ramazanov (MKD), 0-2 (0-6=1:27, 0-1=2:10)
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60 kg - YUMOTO, Kenichi (dnp, 18 entries)
1R - lost to Bahram Ermatov (UZB), 0-2 (0-7=1:50, 0-1=2:04)
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66 kg - FUJIMOTO, Kohei (dnp, 18 entries)
1R - lost to Chris Bono (USA), 0-2 (0-1, 0-3)
r1 - lost to David Nozadze (GEO), 1-2 (5-3, 0-1=2:05, 0-1)
----
74 kg - OBATA, Kunihiko (dnp, 15 entries)
1R - lost to Semen Semanov (KAZ), 0-2 (0-6=1:42, 0-6=1:43)
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74 kg - NAGASHIMA, Kazuyuki (dnp, 15 entries)
1R - lost to Sanjar Shodmanov (UZB), 0-2 (0-2, 1-2)

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