Bahrain Pair Reach MMA Semis

TDT | Manama

Email: mail@newsofbahrain.com

Bahrain’s Diana Pogosian and Mukhammad Nabiev booked places in today’s mixed martial arts semi-finals following opening victories at the 20th Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, yesterday.

Pogosian advanced by overcoming Japan’s Tomoe Katayama in their women’s modern under-54kg quarter-final at Nagoya City Inae Sports Center. Competing from the blue corner, the Bahraini secured a unanimous decision after two rounds.

Nabiev also impressed in the men’s traditional under-77kg preliminaries, defeating Vietnam’s Quang Van Minh by unanimous decision over two rounds.

He then progressed to the last four without contesting his scheduled quarter-final after India’s Varun Sanyal failed to make weight and was declared medically unfit. Sanyal reportedly suffered dehydration and muscle cramps during an attempted weight cut.

There was disappointment, however, for Kurban Idrisov following a closely fought men’s modern under-71kg quarter-final against Kazakhstan’s Kadyrbek Shinbayev.

The contest went to overtime before Shinbayev edged the Bahraini by majority decision at the end of the third round.

Mohamed Alsameea also bowed out in the men’s traditional under-65kg preliminaries after suffering a unanimous-decision defeat to Iran’s Afshin Salimi Toupghara over two rounds.

With bronze medals awarded to both losing semi-finalists, Pogosian and Nabiev are already guaranteed places on the podium and now stand one victory away from tomorrow’s gold-medal bouts.

Pogosian faces South Korea’s Lee Bomi at 5.10am today, before Nabiev meets Kyrgyzstan’s Syimyk Zhanybek Uulu at 5.50am.

Victory would send Pogosian into the women’s modern under-54kg final at 8.10am tomorrow, while the men’s traditional under-77kg gold-medal bout is scheduled for 8.50am.

All times are in Bahrain time.