▼Previous page
By William May
（Japan Amateur Wrestling Federation, Public Information Committee：wmay52@hotmail.com）
JAPAN THUMPED BY AZERBAIJAN IN JR WORLD CUP OPENER
PLAUEN, Germany (May 27) – Fumitaka Morishita posted a convincing win at 55kg, but Azerbaijan thumped Japan 7-1 in the opening round of the inaugural Junior World Cup of men's freestyle wrestling.
Morishita, who reclaimed his national junior crown last month in Yokohama, overcame a slow start with a headlock at the end of the first period at Einheit Arena and then pulled away with tilts and turns for an easy win at 55kg.
His teammates, however, could not build on his triumph, failing to take even one period in the other seven bouts and scoring on five other individual points against the wrestlers from last year's team runner-up at the junior world championships in Budapest.
Senior world and junior world runner-up at 55kg last year Togrul Asgarov put on a clinic against Ryo Kuwabara with arm shucks to an uchimata leg elevator and throw at 60kg. Asgarov's teammates also used the shuck to go-behind effectively.
Meanwhile, world No. 1 Russia opened with an 8-0 win over host Germany in Group A while Iran and Georgia posted first-round wins.
On the final day of competition, Japan will square off with Georgia and the United States.
Group B, Round 1
Azerbaijan 7, Japan 1
(Japanese wrestlers listed first)
50kg – Yu Ito lost to Alisa Abbasov, 0-2 (0-2=2:10, 0-4)
55kg – Fumitaka Morishita df. Chinguz Gakhadzhov, 2-0 (4-0, 6-0=1:15)
60kg – Ryo Kuwabara lost to Togrul Asgarov, 0-2 (0-8=0:59, 0-4)
66kg – Naoki Iwabuchi lost to Magomed Muslimov by fall, 2P=0:25, (0-6=0:52, F1-3)
74kg – Daisuke Shimada lost to Ibrahim Yusubov, 0-2 (0-3, 3-6)
84kg – Kengo Sasaki lost to Ilya Khamikoyev by TF, 0-2 (0-6=1:56, 0-6=1:16)
96kg – Koki Yamamoto lost to Aslanbek Alborov, 0-2 (0-6=0:50, 0-1)
120kg – Tomoyuki Oka lost to Ali Magomeddabirov, 0-2 (0-6=1:56, 1-2)
Group A
Russia 8, Germany 0
Iran 5, Turkey 3
Group B
Azerbaijan 7, Japan 1
Georgia 6, United States 2
▼Previous page