Iran, Georgia, Azerbaijan send talented stars for U20 Worlds

Friday, August 12, 2022 - 10:26 By Vinay Siwach

SOFIA, Bulgaria (August 11) -- Before they take over the senior level in the coming years, a host of young Greco-Roman stars will land in Sofia to announce themselves at the U20 World Championships. The classic style will be in action in the Bulgarian capital from August 19, after the freestyle and women's wrestling.

While some of them have already participated in senior competitions, a few have burst into the scene by winning the continental tiles this year. And some others will resume their growing rivalries.

Emre MUTLU (TUR) is a U23 European champion. (Photo: UWW / Kostadin Andonov)

The 55kg is a prime example of the quality of the wrestlers that are entered for the tournament. U23 European champion and bronze medalist at the senior level Emre MUTLU (TUR) is eyeing a world title after impressive runs at continentals.

But he is not the favorite. After winning the U23 Euros in February, he suffered a 3-1 loss against Denis MIHAI (ROU) at the U20 Euros.

Mihai reached the final but could not move past Nihad GULUZADE (AZE), a U23 world bronze medalist, who will now hope to get the U20 world title in Sofia.

But U20 Asian champion Seyedarash NEGAHDARI (IRI) looked in solid form in Bahrain and will be a threat at 55kg along with '21 U17 world champion Luka JAVAKHADZE (GEO).

Suren AGHAJANYAN (ARM), red, won the U20 European title by beating Dimitri KHACHIDZE (GEO) in the final. (Photo: UWW / Martin Gabor)

Azerbaijan has a returning bronze medalist at 60kg in Nihat MAMMADLI (AZE) who also won the same medal at the U20 European Championships which was won by Suren AGHAJANYAN (ARM).

The Armenian finished 15th at last year's U20 Worlds but has since improved and won the continental title over Mammadali and Dimitri KHACHIDZE (GEO).

But Saeid Morad ESMAEILI (IRI) will be the favorite to win the gold as he looks to make amends from last year. While he was not on the Iran team for U20 Asians, Esmaeili is a silver medalist from Ufa.

He is joined by Mert ILBARS (TUR) who was a bronze medalist and a former U17 world silver medalist. Ilbars suffered a shock 4-2 loss to Olivier SKRZYPCZAK (POL) at the U20 Europeans.

Pan-Am champion Ronaldo RAMIREZ (COL) will be making the long trip to Sofia as well. He won the gold medal over Jeremy PERALTA (ECU) after a wild 14-10 final. Peralta's semifinal against Edwin MIRANDA (PER) ended with a 21-19 scoreline.

Iman Khoon MOHAMMADI (IRI) will be hoping to add a world title to his continental one. (Photo: UWW / Bayrem Ben Mrad)

At 63kg, former U17 world bronze Arman VARDANYAN (ARM) and U23 European silver Ziya BABASHOV (AZE) will look to make the run to the final. The two have the experience to outclass their opponents.

Another wrestler who has impressed in the past year is U20 Asian champion Iman Khoon MOHAMMADI (IRI) who also won the bronze medal at the senior Asians in May.

Pan-Am champion Haiden DRURY (USA) was dominant in Mexico and will be the USA's medal hope.

Bulgaria would have liked U20 European champion Edmond NAZARYAN (BUL) to enter the home tournament but the senior European silver medalist has decided to sit out.

Two continental champions are likely to clash at 67kg as U20 European champ Nika BROLADZE (GEO) and Asian champ Seyed SOHRABI (IRI) are entered. Broladze won the gold in Rome to add to his U17 world bronze medal from 2019 while Sohrabi is yet to win a world medal. He suffered a first-round loss in Ufa.

Trying to stop them are Kanan ABDULLAZADE (AZE) who won a bronze medal at U20 Euros, Ufa ninth-placer Din KOSHKAR (KAZ), Erlan MARS UULU (KGZ) who won silver at U20 Asians at 72kg and Asia and U17 world bronze medalist Ankit GULIA (IND).

Attila TOESMAGI (HUN) is the favorite to win the 72kg weight class in Sofia. (Photo: UWW / Martin Gabor)

Hungary can hope to crown a world champion as U20 European gold medalist Attila TOESMAGI (HUN) is registered at 72kg. He won the title by beating Gurban GURBANOV (AZE) 2-1 in a close final. Gurbanov will look to avenge that loss and add to his two previous world medals, both at the U17 level.

U20 Asian champion Amir ABDI (IRI) would be itching to win a World Championships medal after finishing fifth in Ufa and later at the U23 Worlds in Belgrade. He won the Asian title without conceding a single point and will hope to continue the same form in Sofia.

The field also has '21 U17 world champion Alexandru SOLOVEI (MDA), European bronze medalists Omer DOGAN (TUR) and Temuri ORJONIKIDZE (GEO), and Pan-Am champion Richard FEDALEN (USA).

Alexandrin GUTU (MDA) is returning bronze medalist at 77kg. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

U23 European champion Khasay HASANLI (AZE) had a disappointing U20 tournament as he lost 3-1 to Yuksel SARICICEK (TUR) and will be hoping to bounce back for the U20 Worlds at 77kg.

Returning bronze medalist Alexandrin GUTU (MDA) defended his U20 European title and will now hope to add a world title to his U17 one which he won in 2018. Overall, Gutu has had a mixed career since 2018, failing to enter the finals of four World Championships since then.

In Sofia, he may have to go past familiar opponents in Tornike MIKELADZE (GEO) and European bronze medalists Deni NAKAEV (GER) and Yuksel SARICICEK (TUR).

U20 Asian champion Samandar BOBONAZAROV (UZB) and silver to him Masoud KAVOUSI GHAFI (IRI) are also entered along with Pan-Am champion Guilherme DE ARRUDA (BRA) who outscored his opponents 50-1 in the five bouts in Mexico.

Alperen BERBER (TUR) was crowned the U17 world champion in July. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Former U17 world champ and U20 European champion Achiko BOLKVADZE (GEO) will start as the favorite to win the gold at 82kg. He defeated Rauf ALIYEV (AZE), Ruslan ABDIIEV (UKR), Hamza SERTCANLI (SWE) and Jonni SARKKINEN (FIN) to win the gold in Rome. All but Sertcanli are entered for the Sofia Worlds.

Sarkkinen will be hoping for a rematch so he can avenge his 9-4 loss in the final. If he manages to win the title in Sofia, Sarkkinen will be Finland's fifth U20 world champion and first since 2018.

But recently crowned U17 world champion Alperen BERBER (TUR) can prove to be the dark horse of the weight class as he tries to win a second world title in three weeks.

European bronze medalists Abdiiev and Ilia CERNOVOL (MDA) along with U20 Asian champion Alireza MOHMADIPIANI (IRI) will be the other names to follow.

U20 European champion Lachin VALIYEV (AZE) finished fifth in Ufa. (Photo: UWW / Martin Gabor)

Wrestling at his final U20 World Championships, Lachin VALIYEV (AZE) will like to sign off on a winning note in the 87kg weight class. He won the U20 European title last month and has a U17 world title from 2019 but since failed to medal at the two U20 Worlds, finishing fifth in Ufa.

Another wrestler who won the continental title and is returning from Ufa is Maksat SAILAU (KAZ), who finished eighth last year.

Both European bronze medalists Nikolaos IOSIFIDIS (GRE) and Vigen NAZARYAN (ARM) are entered along with Asian silver Azamatjon ABDUBANNOBOV (UZB).

Gabriel LUPASCO (MDA) and U20 European silver Patrik GORDAN (ROU) can upset any wrestler in the field and will be big threats to win a medal.

Richard KARELSON (EST) can become Estonia's first-ever medalist at U20 Worlds. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Estonia has never won a medal at the U20 Worlds but Richard KARELSON (EST) may change that as the U20 European champion enters the competition carrying the responsibility of ending the drought. In Rome, he became the first Estonia wrestler to win the continental title at the U20 level and the second to enter the final.

Incidentally, the first ever Estonian to reach the U20 European final was also named Richard KARELSON (EST), who achieved the feat in 1981.

But to create history, Karelson will have a strong field of European and Asian wrestlers. U20 Asian Championships finalists Iussuf MATSIYEV (KAZ) and Nurmanbet RAIMALY UULU (KGZ) are hoping to win a title as well.

Add U20 European silver Connor SAMMET (GER) who is hoping to avenge his final's loss to Karelson and both bronze medalists Maans KLOSTERMANN (SWE) and Oktay DEMIR (TUR).

Fardin HEDAYATI (IRI) is the U20 Asian champion. (Photo: UWW / Bayrem Ben Mrad)

The 130kg weight class has more than one contender eyeing world glory. U20 European champion Mykhailo VYSHNYVETSKYI (UKR) and silver medalist Adolf BAZSO (HUN) may have a rematch in Sofia with Bazso hoping to reverse the result from the continentals.

Fardin HEDAYATI (IRI) won the Asian title over Temurbek NASIMOV (UZB) and both are entered. Nasimov has the experience of wrestling at last year's Worlds.

European bronze medalists Albert VARDANYAN (ARM) and Dominik KRAWCZYK (POL) would like to upset the two European finalists after missing out on in Rome.

#WrestleBratislava

Valiev tops Sidakov; Uguev, Ramazanov win European golds

Wednesday, April 9, 2025 - 23:16 By Vinay Siwach

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia (April 9) -- It took Chermen VALIEV (ALB) five bouts, a tense European Championships final, a challenge decision in his favor and a some incredible skill but he finally managed to beat world champion Zaurbek SIDAKOV (UWW).

Valiev and Sidakov clashed in the final of the European Championships in Bratislava on Wednesday, and the Albanian came out as a 4-2 winner, winning for the first time against Sidakov in five bouts and becoming a European champion at 74kg.

"I've faced Zaurbek before," Valiev said. "Until now, he always came out as the winner. Today, I managed to win, and I'm really happy about that. Zaurbek and I have been good friends since childhood, I have a lot of respect for him. But today, I guess luck was more on my side."

The final sequence between Chermen VALIEV (ALB) and Zaurbek SIDAKOV (UWW) which resulted in a Valiev win. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

The two last clashed in the Russian National Championships which Sidakov won 3-2. But Valiev has since moved to Albania, won a bronze medal at 74kg at the Paris Olympics and emerged as one of the biggest names at 74kg.

Sidakov, world champion in 2023 at the weight class, had wrestled at the European Championships once before -- in 2016 at 70kg but did not win a medal.

In the final, Sidakov held the criteria lead 1-1 when Valiev was put on the activity clock again but he managed to drive Sidakov out of bounds during the 30-second period and get a point for a 2-1 lead.

With 50 seconds left on the clock, Sidakov went for a deep ankle pick, but got countered by Valiev for two-point exposure. Both continued the scramble and Sidakov managed to get a reversal for one point. However, it was initially scored two points for Sidakov which made it 3-2 for Sidakov before the referees awarded two for Valiev and a reversal point for Sidakov. That made the score 4-4 with Sidakov leading on criteria with six seconds remaining.

However, Albania challenged the call and on review, the 44-second scramble was awarded as two points for Valiev and a reversal point for Sidakov which gave Valiev a 4-2 lead to defend which he did. Sidakov limped off the mat which was later confirmed as a knee injury.

"The final was really tough for me, very intense match right up until the last second," he said. "Even at the end, it wasn’t clear who would get the score. But the score was given in my favor. I prepared hard and gave it 100 percent, put everything into my training. And today, God rewarded me with a gold medal."

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Valiev, a former world U23 champion, is now focused on winning the senior world title and said that the gold medal in Bratislava will be a motivation to win in the Zagreb event in September.

"I’ll start preparing for the next competition," he said. "The main goal this year is the World Championships, and I hope to get there healthy and ready. I’ll keep that gold medal in my mind and keep pushing forward."

With that loss Sidakov, Tokyo Olympic champion at 74kg, suffered his first since 2018 when he lost Hetik CABALOV (SRB) in the Ivan Yaryguin Ranking Series.

While Sidakov suffered a loss, fellow Tokyo Olympic champion Zavur UGUEV (UWW) pulled off another last-second thrilling win over Arsen HARUTYUNYAN (ARM) to win his first-ever European gold medal.

Uguev, who was struggling with form in recent past and finished without a medal at the World Championships last year, rebounded with a 7-5 victory in the 61kg final to win gold.

"I’m truly happy," Uguev said. "I had even forgotten what it feels like to be called up to the top of the podium."

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The final got off to a mesmerizing start with Uguev suplexing Harutyunyan during the Armenian's activity period. He was awarded two points for the move but he challenged for four points but lost, making the score 3-1.

In the second period, Uguev tried to pass behind for a takedown but Harutyunyan got hold of his leg and tripped him for four points to claim a 5-3 lead. Uguev was not giving up though. As Harutyunyan tried pushing him out, Uguev hit a underhook throw for two points to make the score 5-5 but Harutyunyan led on criteria for his bigger technique.

This was settled in the final minute when Uguev got on a single leg attack, elevated and finished with a takedown with 25 seconds left. He defended his 7-5 lead to win the gold medal.

"I had said it was going to be an interesting match and it really was," he said. "I got thrown unexpectedly early on and had to catch up. I was working, pushing forward, but I wasn’t worried — I believed I could close the gap, even though I couldn’t at first."

Uguev had three European medals, a bronze and silver, in the past having lost to Giorgi EDISHERASHVILI (AZE) in 2017 and 2018. But he came a two-time world and Olympic champion.

"I was lying down and a thought came to me," he said. "I looked back and realized -- I didn’t actually have a European medal yet. And I thought, “Now it’s time. I have to win one.”

Since winning the gold at 57kg at the Tokyo Games, Uguev has two fifth-place finishes at the World Championships internationally. But with the win on Wednesday, Uguev put his hat in the ring for the world title later this year.

Denis TSARGUSH, who was in the corners of both Sidakov and Uguev, said that Sidakov's loss a bit difficult to digest.

"We performed well overall. It’s just that the final match with Zarubek left a bit of a bitter aftertaste," he said. "He could have won but Chermen also wrestled really well."

Magomed RAMAZANOV (BUL), Paris 2024 Olympic champion was also in action on Wednesday and he scored a thrilling 9-5 win against Mahamedkhabib KADZIMAHAMEDAU (UWW) in the 86kg final.

Kadzimahamedau was leading in 5-1 after he had scored two takedowns and Ramazanov got going only in the final minute. He scored a takedown with a leg-hold before turning Kadzimahamedau four times to make it 9-5. Ramazanov got Kadzimahamedau.

"All my thoughts were about winning — I really didn’t want to lose," Ramazanov said. "If the match had ended like that, without me giving it my all, it would’ve been incredibly disappointing. That’s why I switched into full gear — I wasn’t thinking about tactics anymore, I was just pushing forward. I would rate my performance around 6 out of 10. There were a lot of strong athletes."

Magomed RAMAZANOV (BUL) gut wrenches Mahamedkhabib KADZIMAHAMEDAU (UWW) for the win in the 86kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

With the win, Ramazanov won his second European title and he also avenged his 2019 79kg final loss at the European Championships.

"I wanted to avenge for past losses, but it wasn’t about proving anything," he said. "I just always try to choose the toughest opponents — especially the ones I’ve lost to before."

Dauren KURUGLIEV (GRE) won his fourth European Championships gold medal. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

At 92kg, three-time European champion Dauren KURUGLIEV (GRE) added a fourth after he sneaked through the final against Osman NURMAGOMEDOV (AZE), 6-5.

Kurugliev, who also has a European Games gold medal, opened the final with an ankle pick for a takedown in the first thirty second of the bout and maintained till the break. There was no points scored in the bout until the last 25 seconds.

Nurmagomedov asked for a takedown but he lost the challenge which gave Kurugliev another point. He soon scored a stepout to cut the lead to 3-1 and as he tried to score another, Kurugliev circled and scored a go-behind as Nurmagomedov thought he completed the stepout.

A challenge would have helped Nurmagomedov at this point but he had already used it and Kurugliev's lead swelled to 5-1.

Nurmagomedov got a takedown with a ankle pick for two point and he got another point for Kurugliev's fleeing, making the score 5-4. The bout resumed in par terre with four seconds on the clock but Nurmagomedov failed to score a turn and lost the final.

Giorgi MESHVILDISHVILI (AZE) scores the winning throw against Solomon MANASHVILI (GEO) during the 125kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling)

The European Championships had a different winner at 125kg in 13 years as Giorgi MESHVILDISHVILI (AZE) needed a buzzer-beating front body throw for four to defeat Solomon MANASHVILI (GEO), 7-7, in the final.

Meshvildishvili thus became the first wrestler not named Taha AKGUL (TUR) or Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO) to win the 125kg gold medal since 2012.

Manashvili was leading 7-3 with seven seconds remaining when Meshvildishvili scored a reverse exposure throw for four, awarded only after the Azerbaijan side challenged.

Giorgi MESHVILDISHVILI (AZE) with Taha AKGUL (TUR) during the European Championships. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

The win also captured the Freestyle team title for Azerbaijan over Georgia. The two countries were tied at 94 points and the winner of 125kg would take his country to the top of the podium.

Meshvildishvili's win gave Azerbaijan 119 points for the top spot while Georgia was second with 114 points. Turkiye finished third with 73 points.

RESULTS

61kg
GOLD: Zavur UGUEV (UWW) df. Arsen HARUTYUNYAN (ARM), 7-5

BRONZE: Andrii DZHELEP (UKR) df. Dzmitry SHAMELA (UWW), 3-1
BRONZE: Zelimkhan ABAKAROV (ALB) df. Leomid COLESNIC (MDA), 11-0

74kg
GOLD: Chermen VALIEV (ALB) df. Zaurbek SIDAKOV (UWW), 4-2

BRONZE: Aghanazar NOVRUZOV (AZE) df. Ramazan RAMAZANOV (BUL), 6-4
BRONZE: Taimuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK) df. Murad KURAMAGOMEDOV (HUN), 3-0

86kg
GOLD: Magomed RAMAZANOV (BUL) df. Mahamedkhabib KADZIMAHAMEDAU (UWW), 9-5

BRONZE: Osman GOCEN (TUR) df. Sebastian JEZIERZANSKI (POL), 4-2
BRONZE: Artur NAIFONOV (UWW) df. Eugeniu MIHALCEAN (MDA), 10-0

92kg
GOLD: Dauren KURUGLIEV (GRE) df. Osman NURMAGOMEDOV (AZE), 6-5

BRONZE: Miriani MAISURADZE (GEO) df. Yaraslau IADKOUSKI (UWW), 5-0
BRONZE: Feyzullah AKTURK (TUR) df. Ahmed BATAEV (BUL), 8-6

125kg
GOLD: Giorgi MESHVILDISHVILI (AZE) df. Solomon MANASHVILI (GEO), 7-7

BRONZE: Dzianis KHRAMIANKOU (UWW) df. Vlagyiszlav BAJCAJEV (HUN), 5-2
BRONZE: Kamil KOSCIOLEK (POL) df. Azamat KHOSONOV (GRE), 8-0

Iran, Georgia, Azerbaijan send talented stars for U20 Worlds

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Valiev tops Sidakov; Uguev, Ramazanov win European golds