Kunihiko Obata

{{Short description|Japanese wrestler (born 1980)}}

{{Infobox sport wrestler

| name = Kunihiko Obata

| image =

| imagesize =

| caption =

| fullname = Kunihiko Obata

| nationality = {{JPN}}

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1980|10|17|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Hōfu, Yamaguchi, Japan

| death_date =

| death_place =

| height = {{height|m=1.76|abbr=on}}

| weight = {{convert|74|kg|lb|0|abbr=on}}

| website =

| country =

| style = Freestyle

| club = Yamanashi Gakuin University

| coach = Yuji Takada

| medaltemplates=

{{MedalSport | Men's freestyle wrestling }}

{{MedalCountry | {{JPN}} }}

{{MedalCompetition | Asian Championships }}

{{MedalBronze | 2001 Ulaanbaatar | 76 kg }}

{{MedalBronze | 2004 Tehran | 74 kg }}

| show-medals = yes

}}

{{Nihongo|Kunihiko Obata|小幡 邦彦|Obata Kunihiko|born October 17, 1980 in Hōfu, Yamaguchi}} is a retired amateur Japanese freestyle wrestler, who competed in the men's middleweight category.{{cite Sports-Reference |title=Kunihiko Obata |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ob/kunihiko-obata-1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200417213305/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ob/kunihiko-obata-1.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=17 April 2020 |accessdate=7 July 2014}} He achieved top eight finishes in the 74-kg division at the Asian Games (2002 and 2006), scored two bronze medals at the 2001 and 2004 Asian Wrestling Championships, and also represented his nation Japan at the 2004 Summer Olympics. Before his sporting career ended in late 2006, Obata trained as part of the men's freestyle wrestling squad at Yamanashi Gakuin University under his coach and mentor Yuji Takada.

Obata emerged into the global spotlight by taking home the bronze medal in the 76-kg division at the 2001 Asian Wrestling Championships in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. He also entered the 2002 Asian Games in Busan, South Korea as one of the heavy medal favorites in the middleweight category, but left empty-handed with a seventh-place finish.

At the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Obata qualified for his first Japanese squad in the men's 74 kg class. Earlier in the process, he rounded out the top ten spots at the 2003 World Wrestling Championships in New York City, New York, and then guaranteed his spot on the Japanese team by placing third from the Asian Championships in Tehran, Iran.{{cite news |last=Abbott |first=Gary |title=Olympic Games preview at 74 kg/163 lbs. in men's freestyle |url=http://www.themat.com/section.php?section_id=3&page=showarticle&ArticleID=10316 |work=USA Wrestling |publisher=The Mat |date=15 July 2004 |accessdate=22 June 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714233649/http://www.themat.com/section.php?section_id=3&page=showarticle&ArticleID=10316 |archive-date=14 July 2014 |url-status=dead }}{{cite news |last=Srinivasan |first=Kamesh |title=Face-saving win for Sushil Kumar |url=http://www.hindu.com/2004/08/29/stories/2004082910181600.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041122040103/http://www.hindu.com/2004/08/29/stories/2004082910181600.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=22 November 2004 |date=28 August 2004 |work=The Hindu |accessdate=7 July 2014}} He easily ousted India's Sujeet Maan on his opening match 8–0, but could not resemble a scoring margin to turn down Cuba's Iván Fundora on the mat in his second bout. Placing second in the prelim pool and twelfth in the final standings, Obata's performance fell short to put him further into the quarterfinals.{{cite web |title=Wrestling: Men's Freestyle 74kg |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/olympics_2004/wrestling/results/3532650.stm |work=Athens 2004 |publisher=BBC Sport |date=15 August 2004 |accessdate=30 September 2013}}{{cite news |title=Sujit Mann loses first bout |url=http://www.rediff.com/sports/2004/aug/28oly-wre.htm |work=Rediff.com |date=29 August 2004 |accessdate=7 July 2014}}

At the 2006 Asian Games in Doha, Qatar, Obata notched a pair of two easy victories in the same tournament, but could not score enough points to dismantle Uzbekistan's Soslan Tigiev for the bronze medal 0–4, dropping him to fifth.{{cite news |title=Obama 5th in Asian Games freestyle |url=http://www.japan-wrestling.org/English/2006/923.html |publisher=Japan Wrestling |date=13 December 2006 |accessdate=7 July 2014}}