Scientific Commission

Barbas Wins 2019 Rayko Petrov Award for Scientific Contributions

Monday, May 20, 2019 - 13:23 By United World Wrestling Press

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CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (May 20) -- Dr. Ioannis Barbas has been awarded the 2019 Rayko Petrov Award for Scientific Contributions to Wrestling by the the International Network of Wrestling Researchers (INWR) and the Scientific Commission of United World Wrestling.

The award was presented in Komotini, Greece by Dr. David Curby, the Director of the INWR.

Following a mat career as a Greco-Roman wrestler for the Greek National Team, Ioannis began his early academic career in the Department of Physical Education and Sports Science at the Democritus University of Thrace. 

Dr. Barbas continued his studies at the National Academy of State in Sofia where he studied with scholarship and gained his PhD in Physical Education in 2001 under the tutelage of Dr. Petrov.  

He's the chair of Wrestling at the Physical Education and Sports School of the Democritus University of Thrace. In 2007 he was one of the founding members and deputy director of the INWR and has helped organized 13 International Scientific Wrestling Forums and Symposiums.

Dr. Barbas has also presented ninety-six (96) papers at scientific conferences and symposia around the world including the "Wrestling+ Injury Prevention Program for Young Athletes" which was created in cooperation with his colleagues from the Rehabilitation Laboratory of Democritus University of Thrace.

He also created the “Barbas 3D Wrestling Dummy” and has written and translated four books.

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The Rayko Petrov Award is named in honor of-PROFESSOR RAYKO (1930 – 2011). Petrov was a coach, scientist and pedagogue who dedicated all his life to wrestling. Prof. Rayko Petrov’s works are numerous; hundreds of titles in scientific publications, textbooks, manuals, programs, sports regulations and over 80 books. The message in all these works is unambiguous: wrestling existed in the past, exists today and shall exist in the future as it is a cultural factor in human society. It is an integral part of traditions, folklore, literature and art. It is an integral part of people's lives. Prof. Rayko Petrov’s works reflected his personality – a brilliant scientist with outstanding intellectual capacity for whom coaching was not simply work, but rather a science and a way of forging human character.

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UWW Top Ranked Wrestlers of 2025: Verbina, Komarov, Aoyagi

Wednesday, December 17, 2025 - 19:03 By United World Wrestling Press

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CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (December 17) -- United World Wrestling has announced the three Best Ranked Wrestlers in 2025. The three wrestlers earned the most ranking points in the year 2025.

The most ranking points in the year 2025 were earned by world champion Aleksandr KOMAROV (SRB) in Greco-Roman as he scored 83,500 points. In Women's Wrestling, world silver medalist Ekaterina VERBINA (UWW) was the highest ranked wrestler as she earned 64,200 points.

In Freestyle, world champion Yoshinosuke AOYAGI (JPN) earned 76,900 points, the best among all wrestlers.

Verbina: Women's 55kg

Verbina may not have won the gold medal at the World Championships but she had a busy year, wrestling more often than others. That earned her more ranking points than many as she finished at the top of the rankings in Women's Wrestling.

Her first competition was the Zagreb Open Ranking Series in which she finished fifth for just 4,000 points. In the Muhamet Malo Ranking Series in Tirana, Albania where she finished with a bronze medal that earned her 5,2000 points. She added 10,000 points for her gold medal at the European Championships. Another gold, at the Budapest Ranking Series, added 8,000 points.

Verbina entered the World Championships with 27,200 points. She jumped ahead of many with 37,000 points for her silver medal at 55kg. Her total went up to 64,200 points, taking her past the likes of world champions Sakura ONISHI (JPN) and Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN). Both finished 1,200 points less than Verbina.

Komarov: Greco 87kg

Komarov began his season with the Zagreb Open Ranking Series and finished fifth, giving him 9,000 points. A similar result at the Muhamet Malo Ranking Series gave him 9,000 points.

A big boost came at the European Championships in which Komarov won a bronze medal at 87kg to earn 11,500 points. In June, another fifth place finish at the Budapest Ranking Series added 9,000 points to his name to take the total to 38,500 points before the World Championships.

In Zagreb at the Worlds, Komarov won the gold medal and earned a stunning 45,000 points to 83,500 points, the most among all wrestlers and 13,780 points more than second most -- Aytjan KHALMAKHANOV (UZB).

Aoyagi: Freestyle 70kg

World champion was the top ranked freestyle wrestler with 76,900 points, 9,600 points more than the second place wrestler.

His first competition was the Muhamet Malo Ranking Series in which he bagged the gold medal to earn 11,000 points. He then added a bronze medal at the Asian Championships and earned 9,500 points for the same.

The Budapest Ranking Series gold gave him another 11,000 points, taking his total to 31,500 points before the World Championships. He became a world champion in Zagreb and that gold medal was worth 45,000 points, sending his total to 76,500 points.

Tajmuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK), with 66,900 points, is the second-best wrestler, 9,600 points less than Aoyagi.