To Our Friends in Wrestling Around the world
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

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

June wrestling news

WINNERS IN THE EAST JAPAN FROSH-SOPH TOURNEY


TOKYO (June 25) - The Japan Wrestling Federation announced its teams for the junior world wrestling championships in August and the Asian junior wrestling championships in July. In most cases, the winner of the junior national championships in July will go to the world meet in Ankara, Turkey (August 4-9) with the runners-up scheduled to compete in the continental championships in Manila (July 9-12).

However, in cases where wrestlers still in high school won the nationals, the junior national champ will go to the Asia championships in July and the runner-up the worlds because of the high school national championships in August.

Meanwhile, Yu Horiuchi, the women’s defending junior world champion at 51kg, will be replaced because of an injury to her right shoulder. Her replacement will be named later.

Entries for the world championships:

Greco-Roman
50kg - Kosei Taguchi, Hosei University
55kg - Daichi Matsuda, Nippon Sports Science University
60kg - Shinya Yano, Takushoku University
66kg - Takuya Tomiduka, NSSU
74kg - Yuya Tatsukawa, NSSU
84kg - Shohei Iwama, Senshu University
96kg - Takuma Arizono, Yamanashi Gakuin University
120kg - Toru Nishiki, Tokuyama University

Men’s Freestyle
50kg - Junpei Kobayashi, Kansai University
55kg - Yu Kagabu, Kokushikan University
60kg - Kotaro Tanaka, Waseda University
66kg - Tomotsugu Ishida, Waseda
74kg - Sosuke Takatani, Takushoku
84kg - Takeshi Yamaguchi, Waseda
96kg - Koichi Tokinobu, NSSU
120kg - Masahiro Tanida, Takushoku

Women’s Freestyle
44kg - Chiaki Fujikawa, Waseda
48kg - Fuyuko Mimura, Nihon University
51kg - to be named later
55kg - Chiaki Arai, Waseda
59kg - Yurika Ito, International Pacific Rim University
63kg - Ayaka Sato, Chukyo Women’s University
67kg - Chiaki Iijima, Nihon
72kg - no entry

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Asia championships

Greco-Roman
50kg - Mashiu Yamada, Hosei
55kg - Tomoaki Nakano, NSSU
60kg - Gen Sugimura, NSSU
66kg - Gou Shiozaki, Meiji University
74kg - Junpei Konzai, Aoyama Gakuin University
84kg - Yuki Kawashima, NSSU
96kg - Takahide Tsuchida, Takushoku
120kg - Makoto Yokota, Tokyo Agricultural University

Men’s Freestyle
50kg - Kodai Nishi, Amino high school (Kyoto)
55kg - Fumitaka Morishita, Kasumigaura high school (Ibaraki)
60kg - Yoshihiro Arishima, NSSU
66kg - Tatsuya Nabatame, Nihon
74kg - Shinichi Nakai, Chuo University
84kg - Koki Tonomura, Waseda
96kg - Katsutoshi Kanazawa, YGU
120kg - Tomoyuki Oka, Hanabuki Tokuei high school (Saitama)

Women’s freestyle
44kg - Miyuki Kaga, Hanabuki Tokuei
48kg - Nodoka Nishi, Waseda
51kg - Ayaka Oyama, Chukyo Women’s University
55kg - Miyu Shimada, Aomori Shogyo high school
59kg - Chihiro Kumabe, Soegami high school (Nara)
63kg - Shiori Tachihikari, Oji Driving School (Tokyo)
67kg - Kasumi Utada, Abe Gakuin high school (Tokyo)
72kg - no entry

WINNERS IN THE EAST JAPAN FROSH-SOPH TOURNEY


TOKYO (June 18-19) - Winners at the East Japan collegiate freshman-sophomore wrestling tournament at Komazawa Gymnasium:

Freestyle
55kg - Naoto Takayasu, Nippon Sports Science University
60kg - Yasuhiro Suzuki, Takushoku University
66kg - Takahiro Inoue, NSSU
74kg - Ken karamushizawa, Kokushikan University
84kg - Koki Tonomura, Waseda University
96kg - Katsutoshi Kanazawa, Yamanashi Gakuin University
120kg - Masahiro Tanida, Takushoku

Greco-Roman
55kg - Susumu Sasaki, Takushoku
60kg - Yasuhiro Suzuki, Takushoku
66kg - Hideyuki Otoizumi, NSSU
74kg - Yuya Tatsukawa, NSSU
84kg - Toshinori Tokuyama, Meiji University
96kg - Katsutoshi Kanazawa, YGU
120kg - Takuya Haraguchi, YGU

BEIJING OLYMPIC SQUAD RECEIVES SPECIAL AWARD FROM JOC


TOKYO (June 7) - The Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC) named Japan’s female wrestling squad at the 2008 Beijing Olympics as recipients of a special award for meritorious service in the recently concluded fiscal year.

The Japanese quartet -- Saori Yoshida, Kaori and Chiharu Icho, and Kyoko Hamaguchi -- won two gold medals, a silver and a bronze at the Olympic Games last August.

The top JOC award for the fiscal year went to the women’s softball team which won Japan’s first gold medal in an Olympic team competition in 32 years in Beijing. Kosuke Kitahima, meanwhile was given a special honors award after winning a gold medal for a second straight Games.