#WrestleFaenza

Alili Makes Macedonian History, Wins First-Ever Cadet European Title

Saturday, June 22, 2019 - 17:29 By Eric Olanowski

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FAENZA, Italy (June 22) -- Coming into Saturday's European finals, Macedonia had three wrestlers reach the gold-medal bout but never had a cadet wrestler win a continental title in any style. Besir ALILI (MKD) changed that after winning his nations first-ever cadet European title on the sixth day of wrestling in Faenza, Italy. 

For the second year in a row, Alili had an opportunity to do what his fellow countrymen, Boban DANOV (MKD) and Dejan Bogdanov (MKD), couldn’t do, and that was to come out on the winning end of a European gold-medal bout. That’s exactly what he did on Saturday night, rewriting a page in his nation’s history book with a 7-6 come-from-behind win against Harutyun HOVHANNISYAN (ARM) in the 48kg finals. 

The match couldn’t have started any worse for Alili, but he wasn’t going to be denied a gold medal. His Armenian opponent hit a slide by to start the match, and as Alili squared up, Hovhannisyan shot a fireman’s carry. With Alili’s arm trapped, Hovhannisyan came up to his feet and thunderously tossed the Macedonian to his back. The referrers awarded five points to Hovhannisyan for his spectacular throw, leaving Alili down 5-0 less than 30 seconds into the match. To end the exchange that left him behind 5-1, Alili was able to somehow worm his way on top for the reversal, cutting his deficit to four points. 

With under 30 seconds left in the first period, Alili pulled Hovhannisyan’s head down to the mat and locked up a front head pinch, rolling his Armenian opponent over his back three consecutive times. His six points from the front head pinches, coupled with the reversal, gave Alili the 7-5 lead heading into the break. 

From there, there was nothing flashy from Alili’s end, just sound defense and near perfect position that helped him cruise to the 7-6 victory after being down 5-0 to start the match. 

After the match, and before strolling around the mat with the Macedonian flag draped above his head, Alili celebrated sticking the perfect landing on his cartwheel to a backflip. 

Macedonia now has eight cadet European medals. They have Alili’s Day 6 gold, three silvers and four bronze medals. 

The final day of wrestling at the Cadet European Championships starts tomorrow at 18:00 (local time) and can be followed live onwww.unitedworldwretling.org. 

RESULTS 

Team Scores 
GOLD – Russia (105 points)
SILVER – Azerbaijan (70 points)
BRONZE – Ukraine (56 points)
Fourth – Georiga (55 points)
Fifth – Turkey (38 points)

48kg 
GOLD - Besir ALILI (MKD) df. Harutyun HOVHANNISYAN (ARM), 7-6 
BRONZE - Ramazan BAGAVUDINOV (RUS) df. Ramik HEYBATOV (AZE), 7-3 
BRONZE - Luka GUGESHASHVILI (GEO) df. Andrei VITAN (MDA), 10-0

55kg
GOLD - Simone Vincenzo PIRODDU (ITA) df. Muhammet KARAVUS (TUR), 5-0 
BRONZE - Ziraddin BAYRAMOV (AZE) df. Hayk ABRAHAMYAN (ARM), 8-6  
BRONZE - Magomed TAZHUDINOV (RUS) df. Burak DEMIR (GER), 12-1 

65kg
GOLD - Iman SHIKHSHABEKOV (RUS) df. Dzhabrail GADZHIEV (AZE), 4-0 
BRONZE - Davit PATSINASHVILI (GEO) df. Aliaksandr HULNIK (BLR), 11-0 
BRONZE - Narek POHOSIAN (UKR) df. Krystian Tomasz KRUPINSKI (POL), 13-2 

80kg
GOLD - Akhmedkhan TEMBOTOV (RUS) df. Denys SAHALIUK (UKR), 9-0 
BRONZE - Daviti KOGUASHVILI (GEO) df. Abduljalil SHABANOV (AZE), via fall
BRONZE - Rakhim MAGAMADOV (FRA) df. Nihat BEKTAS (TUR), 11-0

110kg
GOLD - Andrei BESTAEV (RUS) df. Georgi Lyubomirov IVANOV (BUL), 10-0 
BRONZE - Hamlet NASIBLI (AZE) df. Hubert WISNIEWSKI (POL), 4-0 
BRONZE - David MCHEDLIDZE (UKR) df. Marius UJA (MDA), 3-0 

#development

UWW, ITA deliver anti-doping education at World Championships camp

Thursday, September 11, 2025 - 11:30 By United World Wrestling Press

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POREC, Croatia (September 11) -- The United World Wrestling recently hosted a successful on-site Anti-Doping education event in collaboration with the International Testing Agency at the World Championships acclimatization camp in Poreč.

This marked the first time UWW partnered with ITA to deliver education directly at a training camp. A dedicated booth was set up on September 8 and 9 during the camp, and presentation sessions, led by ITA educator Anita HARTUNG, were held during the evenings of both days.

"The camp offered a great opportunity to connect with athletes ahead of their major competition," Hartung said. "Many stopped by the Clean Sport booth before and after training, showing genuine interest and openness in discussing the fundamentals of Anti-Doping.

"It was inspiring to be surrounded by such a motivated athlete community and support them in their sporting journey."

The sessions provided athletes with in-depth knowledge about Anti-Doping rules, safe supplement use, and ethical sporting practices.

Two dedicated presentation sessions explored key topics, including athletes’ rights and responsibilities, how to check medications, Anti-Doping Rule Violations (ADRVs), Therapeutic Use Exemptions (TUEs), and the risks associated with supplement use.

Holding the sessions during the acclimatization period, rather than the competition phase, allowed athletes to engage in a more relaxed environment and fully focus on learning.

CRO

"These are some of the best wrestlers in the world, and thanks to the collaboration with ITA, they are better informed,” Carlos ROY, UWW Secretary General, said. "Education on Anti-Doping protects our sport, promotes fair competition, and ensures our athletes can perform at their best with confidence."

The initiative reflects UWW’s ongoing commitment to clean sport and athlete support. By equipping wrestlers with knowledge and tools to make informed choices, UWW and ITA aim to strengthen integrity in wrestling while fostering a culture of safe and fair competition.

The Anti-Doping education sessions are part of a broader effort by UWW to provide athletes with continuous learning opportunities on the importance of competing clean, complementing existing regulations and testing programs.

With the World Championships on the horizon, these activities ensure that athletes are not only physically and technically prepared but also well-informed about Anti-Doping practices, reinforcing the values of integrity, fairness, and excellence in wrestling.