WRESTLING – BAHRAIN’S Khidir Kurban Saipudinov captured a silver medal yesterday in men’s freestyle wrestling at the Senior Asian Championships in Amman, Jordan.
Saipudinov finished as runner-up in the 79kg weight division following a hotly contested draw where he had to hit the mat in four matches.
The talented 21-year-old grappler earned his second successive podium in the prestigious meeting, held under the banner of United World Wrestling (UWW), the sport’s international governing body. He captured the bronze medal in the same category in last year’s competition, which took place in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.
Saipudinov had to settle for silver yesterday after losing to Mohammad Yousefihajivar of Iran in their final. Yousefihajivar defeated Saipudinov 10-0 for a victory by superiority to take the gold.
Sharing the bronze medals in class were Suldkhuu Olonbayar of Mongolia and Magomet Evloev of Tajikistan. Olonbayar won his concluding classification match against Arsalan Budazhapov of Kyrgyzstan while Evloev beat Daulet Yergesh of Kazakhstan.
Earlier, in the men’s 79kg semi-finals, Saipudinov overcame Olonbayar with three takedowns in the second period. He was down 0-1 at the break but went on to win 7-1.
In the quarter-finals, Saipudinov overcame a tough challenge from Budazhapov. His rival scored a double-leg takedown late in the contest but Saipudinov hit a front chest-wrap roll just before time ran out to claim a 7-6 win.
Saipudinov began his campaign yesterday by defeating Bumgue Seo of South Korea 7-4.
Meanwhile, also yesterday, Bahrain’s Alibeg Saigidgusein Alibegov bowed out in the quarter-final stage of the men’s 65kg category. He suffered a 0-2 defeat to Taiyrbek Zhumashbek Uulu of Kyrgyzstan.
Alibegov earlier won 10-0 for a victory by superiority against Yan Ze Ursus Lee of Singapore in the earlier stage.
Elsewhere yesterday, Bahrain’s world and Olympic champion Akhmed Tazhudinov was supposed to compete in the men’s 97kg division. He was entered in the list of participants, but eventually decided to skip the competition as his “shoulder is not ready” yet, according to UWW.
Tazhudinov had suffered a shoulder injury en route to securing his gold medal last year at the Paris 2024 Olympics. He needed season-ending surgery right after and has been recovering since.
Bahrain’s campaign in the Senior Asian Championships continues today with three other wrestlers set for action.
Magomed Sharipov, Shamil Magomed Sharipov, and Magomedrasul Asluev will all be hitting the mat. Magomed Sharipov won the bronze medal in the men’s 92kg division in the past two editions of the tournament and will be looking for a treble or better.
Shamil Magomed Sharipov will be contesting the men’s 125kg division, where he won bronze last year, while Asluev will be wrestling in the men’s 74kg class.
Bahrain will be looking to match their four medals won in the 2024 competition, when they ranked as the number one team amongst Arab nations.
patrick@gdnmedia.bh
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