NOVI SAD, Serbia and Montenegro (February 27) - Preliminary pool
groupings involving Japanese wrestlers for the 1st greco-roman wrestling
Olympic qualifying tournament at Vojvodina Sports Center:
55 kg (29 entries, 9 pools)
TOYOTA, Masatoshi (Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department)
Pool A
R1 - v Elgin Elwais (PAL)
R2 - v Jansel Martinez (DOM)
R3 - bye
Note: Pool B includes Asia champion Asset Imanbayev (KAZ), Pool C
includes 2002 European champion Renat Bikkinin (RUS).
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60 kg (30 entries, 10 pools)
SASAMOTO, Makoto (Sogo Seibi security employee)
Pool J
R1 - bye
R2 - v Aliaksandr Slivinski (BLR)
R3 - v Ali Ashkani Agboloag (IRI)
Note: Slivinski was 4th in Europe last year, Agboloag was 2nd in Asia.
QF opponent could well be Shevtsov of Russia.
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66 kg (36 entries, 12 pools)
IMURO, Masaki (Japan Self Defense Forces)
Pool A - Masaki Imuro (JPN)
R1 - v Peter-Georg Philippitsch (AUT)
R2 - v Vladimir Tatarski (SCG)
R3 - bye
Note: To get to the semifinals, Imuro may have to face Asia bronze
medalist Kanatbek Begaliev of Kyrgyzstan and winner of Pool C which includes
Atlanta gold medalist Ryszard Wolny (POL) and three-time Olympic medal
winner Juan Maren (CUB).
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74 kg
Japan has already qualified.
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84 kg (28 entries, 9 pools)
MATSUMOTO, Shingo (Ichimiya Transport, employee)
Pool I
R1 - v Alexej Michin(RUS)
R2 - v Luiz Mendez (CUB)
R3 - v Filip Soukup (CZE)
Note: One of the toughest draws of the competition. Michin is world
runner-up in 2001 and reigning European champion and Mendez was world
champion in 1999. In the quarterfinals, Matsumoto could face last year's
Asian champion Abdullah Jabrailov of Kazakhstan.
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96 kg (33 entries, 11 pools)
KATO, Kenzo (Japan Self Defense Forces)
Pool F
R1 - bye
R2 - v Vinko Kadecka (CRO)
R3 - v Masoud Hashemzadeh (IRI)
Note: Hashemzadeh was bronze medalist at Busan Asian Games and 2001
junior world champion.
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120 kg (26 entries, 8 pools)
SUZUKI, Katsuaki (Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department)
Pool A
R1 - bye
R2 - v Barzi Sajad (IRI)
R3 - v Miriani Giorgadze (GEO)
Note: Giorgadze was 20th in Sydney. Helger Hallik of Estonia in Pool
B was fifth in the 2002 world championships.
