2026 Asian Wrestling Championships Recap

57 KG

GOLD: #8 Milad Valizadeh (IRI) over #1 Munkh Erdene Batkhuyag (MGL) 14-3

BRONZE: #18 Abdymalik Karachov (KGZ) by forfeit over Sunggwon Kim (KOR)

BRONZE: Ankush Ankush (IND) over Fuga Sasaki (JPN) 8-2

While #8 Milad Valizadeh (IRI) did improve upon his silver medal finish from last year’s Asian Championships , a caveat must be provided to his dominant finals win over Yarygin champion #1 Munkh Erdene Batkhuyag (MGL), as Batkhuyag was clearly diminished from dealing with a rib injury and nearly medically defaulted out of the match and was tech falled shortly after by Valizadeh on multiple gut wrenches.

What was seen from Valizadeh at this competition was him dominating lesser competition with his superior physicality, bullying them with his right underhook and exceptional par-terre offense, but it was nothing new and he still looked like the same guy who was picked apart by #7 Roman Bravo Young (MEX) at the Zagreb Open in February. For Batkhuyag, the concern now is being healthy ahead of the Senior World Championships in October and competing at a ranking series tournament prior to improve his seeding.

61 KG

GOLD: Kwang Myong Kim (PRK) over #14 Aman Sehrawat (IND) 13-10

BRONZE: #15 Ahmad Javan (IRI) over Changsu Kim (KOR) 12-0

BRONZE: #11 Gulomjon Abdullaev (UZB) over Azatberdi Ashyrgulyyev (TKM)

North Korea continues to produce serious medal contenders in the lighter weight classes since returning to competition after the 2024 Olympics, as Kwang Myong Kim upset Olympic bronze medalists #11 Gulomjon Abdullaev (UZB) in the semifinals and #14 Aman Sehrawat (IND) in the finals to win gold. Kim, a bronze medalist at the U23 Asian Championships in 2025, stunned the field with a style built on a foundation of unorthodox, high amplitude counters that punish his opponents when out of position on their attacks, Kim was one of the standout performers in the entire tournament. With his performance in Bishkek, there is a strong possibility that Kim has done enough to usurp 2025 Senior World 5th place finisher #17 Kum Hyok Kim as North Korea’s Senior World rep this season.

Other notable results from the 61 kilogram weight class included #11 Gulomjon Abdullaev (UZB) avenging his loss from the 2025 57 KG Senior World semifinals against #10 Bekzat Almaz Uulu (KGZ) in the quarterfinals along with 2025 Senior World runner-up #15 Ahmad Javan (IRI) beating #13 Toshihiro Hasegawa (JPN) and nearly unsetting #14 Aman Sehrawat (IND) in an 11-9 loss.

65 KG

GOLD: #5 Sujeet Sujeet (IND) over #6 Umidjon Jalolov (UZB) 8-1

BRONZE: Alibeg Alibegov (BRN) over Zeneemeder Byambasuren (MGL) 3-1

BRONZE: #7 Abdulmazhid Kudiev (TJK) over Rustamzhan Kakharov (KGZ) 10-7

It was business as usual for #5 Sujeet Sujeet, as the 2025 U23 World Champion captured his fourth tournament title in a row with a commanding 8-1 win over 2025 Senior World bronze medalist #6 Umidjon Jalolov (UZB). Outside of Sujeet, #7 Abdulmazhid Kudiev (TJK) wrestled well and I would highly recommend watching his bronze medal match against Rustamzhan Kakharov (KGZ), as it saw both men exchange high amplitude throws and showcased Kakharov as a young talent to watch, even in a loss. #14 Takara Suda failed to capture his second Asian Championship to compliment his 61 KG gold from last year, as #7 Abdulmazhid Kudiev dominated him 9-0 in the quarterfinals.

70 KG

GOLD: Abhimanyou Abhimanyou (IND) over #4 Tulga Tumur Ochir (MGL) 5-3

BRONZE: #7 Sina Khalili (IRI) over Shakhzhodbek Yarashev (UZB) 11-0

BRONZE: #3 Ernazar Akmataliev (KGZ) over Siming Wang (CHN) 16-7

Abhimanyou Abhimanyou (IND) had a career breakthrough to win the Asian Championships, as the Indian standout beat world medalists #3 Ernazar Akmataliev (KGZ) and #4 Tulga Tumur Ochir (MGL) to capture his first continental title. Abhimanyou’s relentless pressure coupled with a far improved neutral offense focused on cross body shots (ankle pull single, high crotch) and a surprisingly effective arm spin saw him jump levels against elite competition. After his efforts in Bishkek, Abhimanyou should absolutely be taken seriously as a medal contender for Senior World’s.

#2 Taishi Narikuni’s return to international freestyle competition saw its shares of ups and downs, as he notched a strong second period comeback to beat Yarygin runner-up #6 Viktor Rassadin (TJK) in his qualification round match.

In Narikuni’s quarterfinal match against #3 Ernazar Akmataliev (KGZ), his lack of consistent international freestyle competition showed, as after a very strong start to the period that saw him counter a failed chest wrap from Akmataliev off his own double into multiple gut wrenches, but Narikuni’s put himself in danger multiple times trying to finish the match prematurely through par-terre as Akmataliev reversed him with an elevator sweep and almost pinned him late in the first. While Narikuni held strong positioning in the second, his lack of consistent leg attack offense cost him late as Akmataliev was able to time a perfect back step single counter off Narikuni looking for an underhook pushout on the edge to take the match lead and seal it when Narikuni desperately tried a flying squirrel and gave up a four point move to lose 12-9.

I don’t particularly think the sky is falling when it comes to Narikuni as he looked more than competitive against elite competition in Rassadin and Akmataliev, but his lack of any consistent neutral offense off of leg attacks and upright stance heavy on underhooks and two-on-ones that left him susceptible to low shots against Rassadin will need adjustment to get him back to the top of the podium if he wants to continue in freestyle. Still incredibly elite after nearly four years of solely greco-roman wrestling but the freestyle acclimation period is still in effect.

In the semifinal match between #4 Tulga Tumur Ochir (MGL) and #7 Sina Khalili (IRI), I thought Tumur Ochir did a better job of not reaching for his overunder compared to their match from last year’s Asian Championships, but I absolutely do not agree with the officiating that didn’t call a four for Khalili on the edge when used a high lat drag to set up a back take off Tumur Ochir charging in. While Tumur Ochir was able to take advantage of the new grounding rule that allows for stepouts against a grounded opponent to get two stepouts on Khalili to seal his win, I still think that Khalili has the higher upside of the two moving forward and I look forward to future matchups between them.

74 KG

GOLD: #7 Yoshinosuke Aoyagi (JPN) over Magomedrasul Asluev (BRN) 2-0

BRONZE: Amir Mohammad Yazdani (IRI) over #14 Orozobek Toktomambetov (KGZ) 9-3

BRONZE: Mustafo Akhmedov (TJK) over Begijon Kuldashev (UZB) 7-6

#7 Yoshinosuke Aoyagi (JPN) won his first Asian Championships title in a closely contested match against Bahrain’s Magomedrasul Asluev (BRN). What was more important than the win over Asluev was Aoyagi’s ability to come back and beat past opponents who’d beaten him, which he did twice here, winning a 7-6 shoot out against Amir Mohammad Yazdani (IRI) in a rematch of their 2024 70 KG Asian Championships final won by Yazdani, and then following that with a dominant victory over #14 Orozobek Toktomambetov (KGZ) to avenge his loss from earlier this year at the Universal Sports Platform 4 74 KG tournament in Kazakhstan. Aoyagi should continue to improve throughout the year and come into form by the World Championships, and I will be especially interested to see if he will be able to repeat his triumph over reigning Senior World champion #8 Kota Takahashi (JPN) from the Emperor’s Cup in December to make the world team.

79 KG

GOLD: Keyvan Gharehdaghi (IRI) over Sandeep Singh Mann (IND) 2-1

BRONZE: #5 Suldkhuu Olonbayar (MGL) forfeit over #1 Razambek Zhamalov (UZB)

BRONZE: Zhaksylyk Baitashov (KGZ) over Somonjon Ikromov (TJK) 6-0

Keyvan Gharehdaghi (IRI) was the revelation of this tournament as the 2025 Japanese World Team Trials runner-up came out of nowhere to notch a pair of top five wins on his way to the Asian Championships title and his first international Senior medal. What struck me about Gharehdaghi was the intelligence and composure he showcased, as he dominated #5 Suldkhuu Olonbayar (MGL) in a second period onslaught and soundly outwrestled 2024 74 KG Olympic Champion top ranked Razambek Zhamalov (UZB).

What especially stood out to me was the uniqueness of Gharehdaghi’s style, as while he proceed in his match with lots of forward pressure, he would routinely give up control ties (inside controls, underhooks, 2-1)’s to opponents, but through excellent elbow control snapdowns, elbow control throwbys and overhook throwbys, he would never let his opponents get comfortable establishing tie ups and use his unorthodox tieups and pressure to get them out of position to set up go behinds without overly reliant on the physicality he doesn’t have competing against mature competition. Gharehdaghi’s cut back finishes on his shots are another staple of his game as they allow him to finish clean without getting stuck underneath stronger competition. I love his style and think he can get even better after this performance, but I do carry apprehension in his chances against elite American competition like #2 Levi Haines (USA), #8 Dean Hamiti Jr. (USA), or #9 Evan Wick (USA).

86 KG

GOLD: #7 Kamran Ghasempour (IRI) over Mukul Dahiya (IND) by pin 7-0

BRONZE: Khidir Saipudinov (BRN) over Bolat Sakaev (KAZ) 2-1

BRONZE: Alp Begenjov (TKM) over Yudai Takahashi (JPN) 10-5

Two-time 92 KG Senior World champion #7 Kamran Ghasempour (IRI) outscored his competition 30-2 with two tech falls and a pin to win his third Asian Championships title in dominant fashion. Notably absent from the field was 2025 Senior World silver medalist #9 Hayato Ishiguro (JPN), with Yudai Takahashi (JPN) competing in his place. While Ghasempour’s dominance in this field was to be expected, there were quite a few interesting developments that arose from the results of this tournament.

I first want to draw attention to the strong runner-up finish of 2025 Senior World fifth place finisher Mukul Dahiya of India. Dahiya was able to defeat 2025 79 KG Senior World bronze medalist Khidir Saipudinov (BRN) and 2025 Asian Championships silver medalist Bolat Sakaev (KAZ) to make the finals and win his first Senior Asian medal after a runner-up finish to #7 Kamran Ghasempour (IRI) in a rematch of their 2025 Senior World bronze medal match.

The wins Dahiya was able to notch are encouraging for his growth and for India looking for an anchor in the upperweights since the decline of 2019 Senior World silver medalist Deepak Punia, there is hope that Dahiya’s continued improvement could see stability and potentially a medal breakthrough down the line.

Two-time Russian Nationals champion Malik Shavaev’s international debut for Kyrgyzstan was unable to gain much traction, as the talented Russian transfer was stopped in the qualification round by Khidir Saipudinov (BRN) in a closely contested match that was ultimately decided by a low single by Saipudinov late in the 2nd period. While Shavaev was competitive in his match with Saipudinov, and his pedigree suggests the possibility he could re-establish himself as a contender at the 86 KG, the influx of elite young talent at 86 KG in the form of #1 Ibragim Kadiev, #2 Arsenii Dzhioev, or #5 Vladimeri Gamkrelidze will make it an uphill battle.

92 KG

GOLD: #3 Mohammad Azimi (IRI) over Magomed Sharipov (BRN) 11-0

BRONZE: #7 Azamat Dauletbekov (KAZ) over Takashi Ishiguro (JPN) 6-0

BRONZE: Iakov Chaplin (KGZ) over Hade Ayidusi (CHN) 6-4

#3 Mohammad Azimi (IRI) won in dominant fashion over Magomed Sharipov (BRN) to capture his first Asian Championships gold medal after a bronze medal in 2025 up at 97 KG. Azimi thoroughly controlled #7 Azamat Dauletbekov (KAZ) in a 6-0 shutout in the highest impact match of the weight. The major storyline to look at moving forward for Azimi will be his pursuit of the Senior World team spot, as domestically he must contend with returning Senior World bronze medalist #4 Amirhossein Firouzpour who he beat in November in the Iranian Pro League along with 2025 86 KG U23 World bronze medalist #13 (86) Abolfazl Rahmani (IRI) if he stays at the weight.

97 KG

GOLD: #5 Arash Yoshida (JPN) over #4 Amirali Azarpira (IRI) 4-0

BRONZE: #9 Akhmed Tazhudinov (BRN) over Bekzat Urkimbay (KAZ) 14-0

BRONZE: Sherzod Poyonov (UZB) over Vicky Vicky (IND) 7-5

#5 Arash Yoshida (JPN) won his third Asian Championships gold medal over #4 Amirali Azarpira (IRI) and avenged a loss to Azarpira from the 2024 Asian Olympic Games Qualifier. With Yoshida’s wins over #4 Amirali Azarpira (IRI) and #9 Akhmed Tazhudinov (BRN), he now reigns as best 97 KG in Asia but still faces an uphill battle at the Senior level against Olympic champions #1 Abdulrashid Sadulaev (RUS) and #3 Kyle Snyder (USA) and the potential matchup against #2 Mukhamed-Takhir Khaniev (RUS) at the U23 level.

I would not overrate too much #9 Akhmed Tazhudinov (BRN) taking bronze here as an indicator of a recession from him, but more so his placement here along with over the past year (World bronze, Islamic Solidarity Games bronze, loss to Kyle Snyder at RAF 07) as a return to his mean baseline ability. Still an absolutely incredible talent, but recurring injuries coupled with opponents adapting to his counter heavy style have brought Tazhudinov back down to Earth from the heights of World and Olympic gold in 2023 and 2024.

125 KG

GOLD: #1 Amir Zare (IRI) over #3 Shamil Sharipov (BRN) 4-0

BRONZE: #18 Yedige Kassimbek (KAZ) over Buheerdun Buheerdun (CHN) 8-7

BRONZE: Dinesh Dinesh (IND) over Arslanbek Turdubekov (KGZ) 12-1

Not much surprising here as reigning world champion #1 Amir Zare (IRI) continues to prove he is still the man to beat at the weight. 2025 Junior World champion #18 Yedige Kassimbek of Kazakhstan continues to improve since moving up to the Senior level, notching a bronze in Bishkek to go along with the gold he earned in February at the Medved Memorial over 2020 Olympian #19 Dzianis Khramiankov (BLR), Kassimbek is definitely one to keep an eye on moving forward, and would be a contender for hardware at the U23 level if he pursues it this year.

Match of the Tournament

61 Kilogram Finals: Kwang Myong Kim (PRK) over Aman Sehrawat (IND) 13-10

Outstanding Wrestler

Keyvan Gharehdaghi (Japan, 79 KG)