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

January wrestling news

NISHIMAKI NAMED TOP FEMALE WRESTLER BY FILA FOR 2009


TOKYO (January 27) - World champion Mio Nishimaki has been named the Female Wrestler of the Year for 2009 by FILA, the International Federation of Associated Wrestling Styles. Nishimaki, who won her second world title and the Golden Grand Prix final in 2009, is the fourth Japanese wrestler to be honored. Previous winners are Kyoko Hamaguchi (1998), Hitomi Sakamoto (2000) and Saori Yoshida (2002).

Under the point system used by FILA, Nishimaki accumulated an insurmountable mark of 23 points by winning in all three of the events used in the rankings - the world championship (11 points), the continental crown (6 points) and the GGP final (6 points).

In the men's events, Farid Mansurov (AZE) racked up 19 points in greco-roman with the world title, the GGP crown and 2 points in the European championships. Zelimkhan Huseinov (AZE) won the men's freestyle award with the European and GGP titles along with a silver medal at the world championships for 22 poins.

The 2009 awards will be presented at the 2010 world championships in Moscow, September 6-12.


ASAKURA WINS 7TH JAPAN MASTERS TITLE


TOKYO (January 17) - Former world champion Toshio Asakura won the 63kg title in the division for wrestlers 51-55 years old and claimed his seventh overall title in the Japan Masters championships. Asakura, who won Japan's last freestyle world title in 1981 at 52kg, also claimed his fifth masters title in a row.

Meanwhile, Satoru Goizuka won the 69kg title in the 46-50 age group for his seventh masters crown.

Katsuyoshi Yonemori renewed his record as the oldest wrestler in the masters tourney, competing in the 66 and older age group at the age of 84 years old.

A total of 172 wrestlers, 21 more than the previous year, with increases in each age group competed in the meet at the Olympic Memorial Youth Center in Tokyo.


'FILA NEWS' HIGHLIGHTS YOSHIDA, QUEEN OF WRESTLING


TOKYO (January 15) - Two-time Olympic champion Saori Yoshida was featured in the annual publication of the International Federation of Associated Wrestling Styles, “FILA NEWS,” in a profile by Hungarian wrestling journalist Istvan Szekeres.

Szekeres described Yoshida as a “true master of freestyle wrestling,” summarizing a list of achievements that include gold medals at the Olympic Games in Athens (2004) and Beijing (2008), seven world titles and six major titles in Asia.

Szekeres likened the “perfect harmony between her physical abilities and technical knowledge” to that of the “outstanding athlete of the 1970s, Yuji Takada.”

He added that Yoshida has an enormous chance to become a “living legend” in female wrestling and the first three-time Olympic champion in women's wrestling since the 2012 Olympic Games in London will be held before her 30th birthday.


JUNIOR QUEENS CUP TO BE HELD APRIL 3-4


TOKYO (January 21) - The Japan Wrestling Federation announced that it will organize the “Junior Queens Cup” championships in April for wrestlers in the junior division and younger. The announcement follows an earlier JWF decision to incorporate the senior women's events into the Meiji Nyugyo Cup men's invitational tournament.

In recent years, the senior women's events highlighted the Japan Women's National Championships, which also included competition for wrestlers in younger divisions.

This year's Junior Queens Cup tournament will be held at Komazawa Gymnasium in Tokyo, April 3-4, featuring competition in the junior, cadet, middle school and elementary school divisions.

The meet will also serve as a qualifying tourney for the Asian qualifier to the Youth Olympic Games. The Asian qualifier will be held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, from April 30 to May 2 for the Youth Olympic Games in Singapore in August.


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