• Abdelhak Kherbache, Fateh Benferdjallah failed to progress from round of 16 in freestyle categories

Ali Khaled

RIYADH: Three Algerian athletes ended their participation in the Tokyo 2020 wrestling men’s competition after suffering round of 16 and repechage losses at Makuhari Messe Hall on Wednesday.

The first of the medal hopefuls to depart the Olympics was 26-year-old Abdelhak Kherbache, who lost 11-0 to Georgi Vangelov of Bulgaria in the 57-kilogram freestyle category.

Shortly afterwards, Fateh Benferdjallah followed his compatriot after losing to Swiss wrestler Stefan Reichmuth in the 86-kg freestyle. The 20-year-old Algerian put on a brave performance but was ultimately defeated 6-2.

Finally, Sid Azara scored a solitary point in a 5-1 loss to Serbian wrestler Zurabi Datunashvili in their men’s Greco-Roman 87-kg repechage contest having lost his quarterfinal to Zhan Beleniuk of Ukraine the previous day.