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


November wrestling news

TAKUSHOKU WINS FS COLLEGIATE C'SHIPS


SAKAI, Osaka (November 14-15) - Defending champion Sosuke Takatani repeated as champion at 74kg and Takushoku University won the season-ending Japanese collegiate wrestling freestyle championships title. Takushoku wrestlers also claimed a pair of silver and bronze medals each to give the Tokyo school its third national collegiate freestyle crown with 42 points. Senshu University was second with 32 points, followed by Yamanashi Gakuin with 31 points. Takatani, who also won the collegiate open crown in September, was named the tourney's outstanding wrestler.

Meanwhile, Senshu heavyweight Nobuyoshi Arakida upended defending champion Boris Mujikova (YGU) in the quarterfinals 1-0, 1-0 and went on to win his first collegiate crown in three years.

Mujikov had been seeking to complete his second straight grand slam of Japanese collegiate wrestling titles after winning collegiate open titles in freestyle and greco-roman in September and taking his third straight collegiate greco crown in October.

At 60kg, Hiroyuki Oda of Kokushikan added the collegiate crown to his collegiate open title in September.

55kg ? 23 entries
F1 ? Manabu Sudo (Nihon) df. Ryuta Iwanaga (Gunma), 2-0 (1-0, 1x-1)
F3 ? Yuji Nakano (Taku) df. Masiu Yamada (Hosei), 2-0 (5-1, 6-0)
F3 ? Yohei Fujimoto (Waseda) df. Hiroshi Mizuguchi (Ritsu), 2-1 (1-0, 0-1, 6-0)

60kg ? 28 entries
F1 ? Hiroyuki Oda (Kokushi) df. Yuta Uchimura (Taku), 2-1 (0-1, 3-0, 1-0)
F3 ? Kazuhisa Irie (Toyo) df. Atsushi Irie (Doshisha) by fall, 2P=1:26
F3 ? Tomotsugu Ishida (Waseda)df. Yoshizumu Yano (Ritsu), 2-0 (3-0, 6-0)

66kg ? 27 entries
F1 ? Kazuki Morikawa (YGU) df. Yuji Okamoto (Taku), 2-0 (2-1, 3-1)
F3 ? Arashi Nagao (Kinki) df. Junki Masumoto (Daito Bunka), 2-1 (3-2, 1-3, 2-0)
F3 ? Takemoto (Ritsu) df. Takahiro Umeno (Tokuyama), 2-0 (1x-1, 1-0)

74kg ? 26 entries
F1 ? Sosuke Takatani (Taku) df. Kimihiro Eto (Sen), 2-1 (1-8, 3-2, 2-0)
F3 ? Takahiro Kaneko (Kanagawa) df. Shinichi Nakai (Chuo), 2-1 (8-1, 0-2, 2-0)
F3 ? Karamushizawa Ken (Kokushi) df. Yoshiharu Ono (Daito), 2-0 (8-6, 3-1) 


84kg ? 26 entries
F1 ? Takeshi Yamaguchi (Waseda) df. Seiji Suzuki (Sen), 2-1 ( 0-3, 3-1, 3-0)
F3 ? Hiroya Sakai (Toku) df. Ryoki Sato (Kokushi) by fall, 1P=1:59
F3 ? Masayuki Amano (Chuo) df. Yuki Nagata (Nihon), 2-1 (0-2, 1-0, 3-1)

96kg ? 25 entries
F1 ? Katsutoshi Kanazawa (YGU) df. Yasuhisa Irie (Kana), 2-1 (0-1, 3-0, 7-0)
F3 ? Hiroshi Honda (Chuo) df. Yosuke Sato (Meiji), 2-0 (1-0, 1-0)
F3 ? Kenji Fujimoto (Taku) df. Kengo Kamei (Nihon Bunri), 2-0 (1-0, 1-0)


120kg ? 25 entries
F1 ? Nobuyoshi Arakida (Sen) df. Yuto Aisawa (Nihon)by fall, 1P=1:22
F3 ? Boris Mujikov (YGU) df. Takahiro Kawano (Aoyama Gakuin) by fall, 2P
F3 ? Fumihiro Watanabe (Meiji) df. Yuki Fujikawa (Toyo), 2-1 (0-1, 3-1, 1-0)


SEVEN BEIJING OLYMPIANS ENTERED IN ALL-JAPAN C'SHIPS


TOKYO (November 17) ? Seven members of the 2008 Olympic squad are among the 296 wrestlers entered in this year's All-Japan wrestling championships at Yoyogi National Gymnasium. A total of 100 wrestlers are entered in greco-roman, 116 in men's freestyle and 80 in women's freestyle for the December 21-23 meet as the deadline for preliminary entries came to a close.

Winners of the shakaijin (non-student seniors) open and the East Japan fresh-soph tourney, scheduled for later in November, will also qualify for the All-Japan meet.

Officials of the Japan Wrestling Federation will further consider a handful of late wild-card entries at the end of November, but no single weight category is planned to have more than 16 entries.

In the men's competition, 2007 greco-roman world silver medalist Makoto Sasamoto is back at 60kg while Olympic bronze medal winner Kenichi Yumoto is at 60kg in freestyle. Beijing Olympian Kazuhiko Ikematsu and this year's world bronze medalist Tatsuhiro Yonemitsu will be vying for top honors at 66kg in freestyle.

All four female Olympians will be in action led by two-time Olympic gold medalist Saori Yoshida at 55kg. Fellow gold medal winner Kaori Icho returns to the mats in Japan at 63kg, but will be facing newly crowned world champion Mio Nishimaki and a challenge from a revitalized former world champ Seiko Yamamoto.

Olympic silver medal winner at 48kg Chiharu Icho is entered at 51kg and bronze medal Kyoko Hamaguchi returns to 72kg after a year away from the Japanese world team.


SHIMIZU WINS AT SHAKAIJIN OPEN, NAMED OW


TOKYO (November 21-22) ? Hayanobu Shimizu, recently returned for a winning performance at the NYAC Holiday International, won his second title in one week with a triumph in greco-roman at 55kg at the national shakaijin open for non-student senior wrestlers.

Shimizu of the Japan Self Defense Forces club was named the meet's outstanding wrestler at the Sports Kaikan in Tokyo. Meanwhile, Shimizu's SDF teammate Koji Ohara won handily at 66kg and was named the outstanding freestyle wrestler of the tourney. Last year's world student champion Nami Uchida took the 48kg crown and the women's top wrestler award.

Individual winners were:

Men's freestyle
55kg ? Musashi Nagao, Kindai Club
60kg ? Naoki Tomioka, News-Deru club
66kg ? Koji Ohara, Japan SDF
74kg ? Koji Sakurai, Maekawa club
84kg ? Yuta Murakami, Kawauchi SDF
96kg ? Utsumi Yamamoto, Camusa club
120kg ? Antony Casanova, Maekawa club

Women's freestyle
48kg ? Nami Uchida, Toyo University
51kg ? Haruna Tamura, Amino club
55kg ? Haruka Takahashi, Koriyama women's junior college
59kg ? no entries
63kg ? Shiori Tachihikari, Oji driving school
67kg ? Two entries, double default
72kg ? no entries

Greco-roman
55kg ? Hayanobu Shimizu, Japan SDF
60kg ? Ryo Minemura, Kanagawa Univ. club
66kg ? Kosuke Hori, Japan SDF
74kg ? Noritomo Eto, Japan SDF
84kg ? Toshiaki Goto, Tokyo Snuff club
96kg ? Hiroki Fukuda, Japan SDF
120kg ? no entries


SHODA, SHIMIZU WIN AT NYAC HOLIDAY INT'L


NEW YORK (November 17, 22) ? Former world champion Ayako Shoda won the women's 59kg crown and Hayanobu Shimizu won the 55kg title in greco-roman at the NYAC Holiday International.

Shoda defeated world No. 5 Deanna Rix for the 59kg title while Shimizu edged Korea's Choi Dae-Han 2-1 for Japan's only medal in greco-roman.

Japan also got silver medals from Kazuhide Tomita (55kg) and Kohei Fujimoto (66kg) in men's freestyle as well as from Hiromi Sakurai (51kg) and Chikako Matsukawa (55kg) on the women's side.

Final placements of Japanese entries:

Men's freestyle
55kg ? Kazuhide Tomita, Japan SDF (2nd, 10 entries)
60kg ? Hideki Taoka, Japan SDF (4th, 13 entries)
66kg ? Kohei Fujimoto, Tokyo MPD (2nd, 16 entries)
74kg ? Ryuta Takahashi, Japan SDF (dnp, 24 entries)
96kg ? Yoshitaka Shimoyashiki, New Deiry club (dnp, 9 entries)
120kg ? Norihiro Sakurai, Honma club (dnp, 9 entries)

Women's freestyle
48kg ? Ayano Suzuki, Japan Beverage club (3rd, 9 entries)
51kg ? Hiromi Suzuki, Yoyogi club (2nd, 8 entries)
55kg ? Chikako Matsukawa, Japan Beverage (2nd, 11 entries)
59kg ? Ayako Shoda, Amino club (1st, 12 entries)
59kg ? Kayoko Shimada, Japan SDF (3rd, 12 entries)

Greco-roman
55kg ? Hayanobu Shimizu, Japan SDF (1st, 8 entries)
60kg ? Yoshitaka Kido, Japan SDF (9th, 11 entries)
66kg ? Ryo Izawa, Japan SDF (11th, 14 entries)
74kg ? Naoto Kasai, Japan SDF (16th, 18 entries)
84kg ? Ryo Ito, Japan SDF (13th, 17 entries)
96kg ? Yasuhiro Mori, Chomei club (8th, 12 entries)


WINNERS AT EAST JAPAN FROSH-SOPH AUTUMN TOURNEY


TOKYO (November 24-25) ? Winners at the East Japan collegiate freshman-sophomore tournament at Komazawa Gymnasium in Tokyo:

Freestyle
55kg ? Tadahira Yago, Nihon
60kg ? Kenta Kashiwagi, Waseda
66kg ? Keigo Goto, Yamanashi Gakuin
74kg ? Yuta Shimada, Kokushikan
84kg ? Takeshi Yamaguchi, Waseda
96kg ? Koki Tonomura, Waseda
120kg ? Katsutoshi Kanazawa, Yamanashi Gakuin

Greco-roman
55kg ? Yuji Togawa, Takushoku
60kg ? Shinya Yano, Takushoku
66kg ? Shota Fukuhara, Kokushikan
74kg ? Junpei Konishi, Aoyama Gakuin
84kg ? Takeshi Yamaguchi, Waseda
96kg ? Yasuhisa Irie, Kanagawa
120kg ? Katsutoshi Kanazawa, Yamanashi Gakuin


JAPANESE TRIO WIN AT SHAHEED BHAGAT SINGH INT'L


JALANDAR, India (October 31-November 1) ? Miki Akeo and Karina Takahashi and Hiroe Suzuki all won gold medals for Japan in the women's wrestling competition at the Shaheed Bhagat Singh International wrestling tournament.

Akeo of Pacific Rim University, Waseda's Takahashi and Suzuki of Ritsumeikan were members of a women's student select team for the competition. Japanese wrestlers also won a pair of silver and bronze medals as well.

Final placements of the Japanese entries:

48kg ? Miki Akeo, Pacific Rim University (1st, 10 entries)
51kg ? Ai Shimizu, Toyo University (2nd, 8 entries)
55kg ? Chiaki Arai, Waseda University (3rd, 6 entries)
59kg ? Yurika Ito, Pacific Rim (3rd, 7 entries)
63kg ? Karina Takahashi, Waseda (1st, 6 entries)
67kg ? Chiaki Iijima, Nihon University (2nd, 5 entries)
72kg ? Hiroe Suzuki, Ritsumeikan University (1st, 5 entries)


TANAKA TAKES SILVER IN BELT WRESTLING AT ASIA INDOOR GAMES


HANOI, Vietnam (October 30-November 8) ? Kosei Tanaka won a silver medal and Kohei Yoshioka and Masato Ishizaki added bronze medals for Japan at the Asia Indoor Games competition in Vietnam.

Tanaka took the silver medal in belt wrestling at 73kg, while Yoshioka (81kg) and Ishizaki (90kg) bagged bronze medals in gurash.The Japanese squad was sent to the games by the newly formed Japan Kakuto Kyogi Federation.