#WrestleSofia

Amouzadkhalili wins second-straight men's freestyle Cadet World title

By Taylor Miller

Photo of Rahman Mousa AMOUZADKHALILI (IRI).

SOFIA, Bulgaria – Rahman Mousa AMOUZADKHALILI (IRI) won his second-straight Cadet World title, winning the 48 kg bracket on Tuesday evening in Sofia, Bulgaria.

Amouzadkhalili completed the feat with a dramatic 4-4 win on criteria against 2019 Cadet Asian bronze medalist Kamronbek KADAMOV (UZB) in the finals.

Last year, Amouzadkhalili claimed gold at 45 kg. He is also a 2018 and 2019 Cadet Asian champion.

Also winning gold for Iran was Amirhossein Biglar FIROUZPOURBANDPEI (IRI), who added to his 2019 Cadet Asian championship from earlier this year.

In the 80 kg finals, Firouzpourbandpei dominated Arslan BAGAEV (RUS), using two takedowns and two leg laces for an 8-1 victory.

2018 Youth Olympic Games champion Umidjon JALOLOV (UZB) won his second Cadet World medal in as many attempts. In 2017, he won a silver medal at 42 kg.

A two-time Cadet Asian champion, Jalolov earned a spot atop the podium with a 3-1 decision over two-time Cadet Asian bronze medalist Mahdi Mehrdad VEISI (IRI) in the 55 kg gold-medal finals.

Azerbaijan and Russia also picked up gold medals on Tuesday.

At 65 kg, Dzhabrail GADZHIEV (AZE) met up with Batyrbek TSKHOVREBOV (RUS) in a rematch of the 2019 European Youth Olympic Festival finals. The last time they wrestled, Gadzhiev defeated the Russian for the EYOF gold medal.

This time, Gadzhiev notched another victory against Tskhovrebov with a 6-4 decision for the Cadet World title.

For the gold medal at 110 kg, Arsamag ZASSEEV (RUS) picked up a 10-0 tech fall in less than a minute over Giorgi CHIKHRADZE (GEO) to win his first international tournament.

Finals matchups
48 kg
GOLD - Rahman Mousa AMOUZADKHALILI (IRI) dec. Kamronbek KADAMOV (UZB), 4-4
BRONZE – Yuto NISHIUCHI (JPN) dec. Stevo POULIN (USA), 8-6
BRONZE – Udit UDIT (IND) dec. Javid JAVADOV (AZE), 11-2

55 kg
GOLD - Umidjon JALOLOV (UZB) dec. Mahdi Mehrdad VEISI (IRI), 3-1
BRONZE – Aman AMAN (IND) dec. Muhammet KARAVUS (TUR), 10-6
BRONZE – Riku SUGANUMA (JPN) dec. Robert HOWARD (USA), 5-4

65 kg
GOLD – Dzhabrail GADZHIEV (AZE) dec. Batyrbek TSKHOVREBOV (RUS), 6-4
BRONZE - Manish GOSWAMI (IND) dec. Kudratbek NURULLAEV (UZB), 5-2
BRONZE - Ryosuke KERA (JPN) dec. Davit PATSINASHVILI (GEO), 3-1

80 kg
GOLD – Amirhossein Biglar FIROUZPOURBANDPEI (IRI) dec. Arslan BAGAEV (RUS), 8-1
BRONZE - Rakhim MAGAMADOV (FRA) dec. Emre CIFTCI (TUR), 6-1
BRONZE - Denys SAHALIUK (UKR) dec. Ion DEMIAN (MDA), 10-4

110 kg
GOLD - Arsamag ZASSEEV (RUS) TF Giorgi CHIKHRADZE (GEO), 10-0
BRONZE - Adil MISIRCI (TUR) dec. Sergey SARGSYAN (ARM), 3-2
BRONZE - Kumar ANIRUDH (IND) dec. Salar Saeid HABIBIEHSANI (IRI), 8-1

 

Obituary

Habibi, Iran's first Olympic champion, dies aged 94

By United World Wrestling Press

TEHRAN, Iran (August 24) -- Emamali HABIBI (IRI), Iran's first-ever Olympic gold medalist and United World Wrestling Hall of Fame member, passed away Sunday aged 94.

Habibi was born Babol in 1931 and won the first Olympic gold medal for Iran in 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games. Facing Alimbeg BESTAEV in the final round to decide the gold medalist, Habibi secured a fall in the 67kg final and etched his name in history, became first Olympic champion for Iran.

It was a rare feat in those times as he had never wrestled at an international event before the Olympics. He would make his World Championships debut in 1959, winning gold medal at 73kg. He defended his title in 1961 and added a third gold medal in 1962 at 78kg.

Emamali HABIBI (IRI)Emamali HABIBI (IRI) with his World Championships gold medal.

He participated in the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome at 73kg and finished fourth. Habibi also has a gold medal at the 1958 Asian Games, held in Tokyo, Japan.

Habibi's legacy also includes his diverse wrestling techniques and speed on the mat which allowed him to win bouts with domination. He is widely considered one of the greatest freestyle wrestlers of his times. He was included in the UWW Hall of Fame in 2007 for his contribution to wrestling.

UWW offers its condolences to Iran Wrestling Federation and the Habibi family.