Pakistan's Asian Games wrestling campaign ends as Inayat Ullah, Gulzar bow out
Pakistan’s Asian Games wrestling campaign ends as Inayat Ullah, Gulzar bow out
NAGOYA: Pakistan’s Asian Games wrestling campaign ended in disappointment on Saturday as the country’s last two wrestlers, Inayat Ullah and Muhammad Gulzar, lost their round-of-16 bouts at the 20th Asian Games in Nagoya.
Former Youth Olympics bronze medallist Inayat Ullah lost 12-2 to Kazakhstan’s Nurkozha Kaipanov in the men’s freestyle 74kg. Inayat showed early resistance, but Kaipanov, the 2024 world champion from Tirana, took control to lead 6-2 after the opening period and added six more points in the second. The bout ended by technical superiority.
Asian Games wrestling: Inayat Ullah falls to the world champion
Kaipanov imposed himself steadily after a competitive start, building a 6-2 lead in the first period before sealing the contest with six unanswered points in the second. The Kazakh’s victory by technical superiority ended Pakistan’s interest in the 74kg division.
Gulzar outclassed by Iran’s Azarpira, then loses repechage
Muhammad Gulzar lost 10-0 to Iran’s Amirali Azarpira in the men’s freestyle 97kg round of 16. Azarpira led 6-0 after the opening period and added four more points in the second, winning by technical superiority without conceding a point.
Gulzar got a second chance in the repechage but could not take it. Turkmenistan’s Shatlyk Hemelyayev controlled the bout throughout, collecting 12 unanswered points to win by technical superiority while Gulzar again failed to register a point.
PWF chief blames mat-wrestling gap
Pakistan Wrestling Federation president Arshad Sattar blamed the gap between Pakistan’s traditional wrestling base and the modern mat game.
“You know we need more exposure for mat-wrestling development,” Sattar told The Express Tribune on Saturday.
“Our grapplers are product of mud-wrestling which is their key source of income and you know mat-wrestling is something different and this needs a huge push with the massive assistance of the state. If state backs us so I hope we will start lifting medals even at the Olympics in the next few years,” he added.
The complaint is a familiar one in Pakistani wrestling: pehlwans learn their trade in mud akharas, while international bouts are fought on the mat, which demands different technique and footwork.
Taekwondo: Hamzah Omar Saeed bows out
In taekwondo, Hamzah Omar Saeed lost 2-0 to Thailand’s Jack Mercer in the men’s +80kg competition on Saturday. Mercer took the opening round 4-2 and the second 7-5. Saeed scored two body-punch points and three points from body kicks, while Mercer landed a head kick worth three points. With no Gam-jeom penalties for either fighter, Mercer reached the quarter-finals.
A tough week for Pakistan’s combat sports
The two exits close Pakistan’s wrestling account in Nagoya without a medal. Noman Zaka and Mohammad Abdullah had also failed to progress a day earlier, and Shahzaib Khan went out of the taekwondo -58kg event on Friday.
Wrestling has long been a Pakistani strength at multi-sport events; the PWF chief’s plea for state backing of mat-wrestling is the loudest takeaway from a blank Nagoya campaign.
FAQs
How did Inayat Ullah lose at the Asian Games?
Inayat Ullah lost 12-2 to Kazakhstan’s Nurkozha Kaipanov, the 2024 world champion, in the men’s freestyle 74kg round of 16. Kaipanov led 6-2 after the first period and added six more in the second to win by technical superiority.
What happened to Muhammad Gulzar?
Muhammad Gulzar lost 10-0 to Iran’s Amirali Azarpira in the men’s freestyle 97kg round of 16, then lost 12-0 to Turkmenistan’s Shatlyk Hemelyayev in the repechage. Both defeats came by technical superiority, and Gulzar did not score a point in either bout.
Has Pakistan won a wrestling medal at these Asian Games?
No. The exits of Inayat Ullah and Gulzar ended Pakistan’s wrestling campaign at the 20th Asian Games without a medal. Noman Zaka and Mohammad Abdullah had been eliminated a day earlier.
What did the PWF president say after the defeats?
Arshad Sattar said the wrestlers need more mat-wrestling exposure, noting they come from mud-wrestling backgrounds and need state backing to win Olympic medals in the coming years.
Did any other Pakistani exit on Saturday?
Yes: taekwondo fighter Hamzah Omar Saeed lost 2-0 to Thailand’s Jack Mercer in the men’s +80kg in Nagoya.
