Bahraini judoka bows to Japanese opponent in bronze medal contest at Asian Games

TDT | Manama    

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Bahrain narrowly missed out on securing its first medal at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, yesterday.

Judoka Askerbii Gerbekov came up just short in his men’s under-81kg bronze medal B contest against Yuhei Oino of Japan. Gerbekov lost by ippon, the highest score a fighter can achieve in the martial art, to place fifth overall while preventing him from making an appearance on the podium.

Somon Makhmadbekov of Tajikistan took the category’s gold medal, while Joonhwan Lee of South Korea was the silver-medallist and both Abylaikhan Zhubanazar of Kazakhstan and Oino the two bronze-medallists.

Earlier in  the competition, Gerbekov had a bye in the round of 32 before winning by ippon against Mehdi Fathip - oorardal of Iran in the round of 16, to set up a quarter-final showdown with Zhubanazar.

The Bahraini lost that contest but had another chance to medal in the repechage.

There, he first beat Asad Masabirov of Kyrgyzstan by waza-ari, the second-highest score awarded in judo, to advance to his bronze medal B tie with Oino.

Meanwhile, in the men’s under-73kg category, Bahrain’s Biaslan Hajali lost his round of 16 contest to Murodjon Yuldoshev of Uzbekistan by ippon.

The judo competitions in Hangzhou continue today, and three Bahrainis are set to take to the mat.

Sulim Maraev will be going up against Davlat Bobonov of Uzbekistan in the men’s under-90kg round f 16, Zelimkhan Yakub will be facing Nurlykhan Sharkhan of Kazakhstan in the men’s under-100kg round of 16, and Azamat Chotchaev will be taking on China’s Ruixuan Li in the men’s over-100kg round of 16.

Should any of the Bahraini judokas advance, their ensuing elimination rounds will also take place today.

In other combat sports yesterday at the Hangzhou Asiad, Bahrain’s Azat Makhmetov lost his round of 32 bout in men’s boxing, and Moaz Ebrahim Ahmed also suffered defeat in the same stage of his men’s taekwondo competition.

Makhmetov was eliminated from further medal contention in men’s boxing’s 46-51kg group by Chonryong So of North Korea, who won their three-round fight on points 4-0.

The judges scored 30-27, 30-27, 30-27, 29-28, 28-28 in So’s favour.

Today, fellow-Bahraini boxer Danis Latypov will be competing in the men’s over-92kg round of 16, where he will take on Mohammad Mlaiyes of Syria.

For Ahmed yesterday, he lost his men’s taekwondo under-58kg contest to Seiya Higashijima of Japan. Ahmed was the only Bahraini taking part in taekwondo at this year’s Asian Games.