Iran Team Wins GR World Clubs Cup, Azizli & Kayaalp Remain Undefeated

Monday, December 24, 2018 - 03:05 By Ali Feizasa

ARDABIL, Iran (December 24) -- Iran's Team Bimeh Razi Ardabil defeated Team Russia to capture 2018 Greco-Roman World Clubs Cup title in Ardabil city of Iran.

The Iranian team which had two 2018 world champions in the line up defeated Russia, 8-2 in the final match.

Azerbaijan’s world champion Eldaniz Azizli gave the first win to the Iranian team by a technical fall victory over Vitalii Kabaloev (RUS) at 55kg. Azlili won all of his matches in the tournament with technical falls.

Mehrdad Mardani (60kg) and Saman Abdevali (63kg) added other victories, helping Bimeh Razi take the 3-0 lead.

The first victory of the Russian team came from the 67kg bout, where Maksim Surkov beat Mohammad Elyasi narrowly, 1-1. Then Denis Murtazin doubled Russia's wins as he earned a 10-8 victory over Boroumand Aslan in a fantastic match.

But the Iranian team won all other bouts of the final match.

At 77kg, Iran's 2018 world team member Pejman Pashtam defeated Dmitrii Petakin, 6-4. At 82kg, former world champion and 2016 Olympic medal winner, Saeid Abdevali downed Gadzhimurad Dzhalalov, 5-0, while two-time Asian champion Ramin Taheri defeated former world silver medalist Evgeny Saleev, 5-0 in the 87kg match.

Mehdi Aliyari, the only world medalist of Iran in Budapest, gave Bimeh Razi Ardabil their seventh victory as Murat Lokyaev didn’t compete and the last victory of the Iranian side was at 130kg where 2018 Russian world champion Sergey Semenov, who was competed for the Iranian team, pinned Vasilii Parshin. This helped his team defeat Russia 8-2 in the final of 2018 Greco-Roman World Clubs Cup.

In the third place match, another Iranian team Sina Sanat Izeh had a difficult job against Team Turkey, but won the match narrowly, 6-4.

Rio Olympic bronze medal winner Shmagi Bolkvadze from Georgia was in the Iranian team line up and won the 67kg bout against Turkish veteran Atakan Yuksel. Riza Kayaalp, the nine-time world and Olympic medalist, 2016 Olympic bronze medalist Cenk Ildem and U23 2017 world champion Burhan Akbudak were among winners wrestlers of Team Turkey.

Kayaalp had a great victory over 2018 world champion Sergey Semenov and remained undefeated during the tournament. Kayaalp failed to win his 10th Olympic and world medal during 2018 world championships but had an excellent return in World Clubs Cup.

In fifth place match, Georgia defeated Iranian team Shohadaye Modafe Haram, 6-4, and Ukraine beat Serbia 8-2 to place seventh. Viktor Nemes, 2017 world champion and 2018 world bronze medal winner, competed for Team Serbia and had three wins and one deficit.

Final day results of 2018 Greco-Roman World Clubs Cup:

Final match: Bimeh Razi Ardabil (IRI) df. Russia, 8-2
55kg- Eldaniz AZIZLI (Bimeh) df. Vitalii KABALOEV (RUS) by Tech Fall, 9-0
60kg- Mehrdad MARDANI (Bimeh) df. Ildus YAMUKOV (RUS), 8-3
63kg- Saman ABDEVALI (Bimeh) df. Zhambolat LOKAYAEV (RUS) by Tech Fall, 8-0
67kg- Maksim SURKOV (RUS) df. Mohammad ELYASI (Bimeh), 1-1
72kg-Denis MURTAZIN (RUS) df. Boroumand ASLAN (Bimeh), 10-8
77kg- Pejman PASHTAM (Bimeh) df. Dmitrii PETAIKIN (RUS), 6-4
82kg- Saeid ABDEVALI (Bimeh) df. Gadzhimurad DZHALALOV (RUS), 5-0
87kg- Ramin TAHERI (Bimeh) df. Evgeny SALEEV (RUS), 5-0
97kg- Mehdi ALIYARI (Bimeh) df. Murat LOKYAEV (RUS) by forfeit
130kg- Sergey SEMENOV (Bimeh) df. Vasilii PARSHIN (RUS) by FALL

Third place match: Sina Sanat Izeh (IRI) df. Turkey, 6-4
55kg-Pouya NASERPOUR (Izeh) df. Ekrem OZTURK (TUR), 2-1
60kg- Mehdi MOHSEN NEJAD (Izeh) df. Hammet RUSTEM (TUR) by FALL
63kg- Abdurahman ALTAN (TUR) df. Mohammad Javad REZAEI (Izeh), 3-1
67kg- Shmagi BOLKAVADZE (Izeh) df. Atakan YUKSEL (TUR) by Tech Fall, 8-0
72kg- Ahmet YILMAZ (TUR) df. Ramaz ZOIDZE (Izeh), 8-7
77kg- Keyvan REZAEI (Izeh) df. Fatih CENGIZ (TUR) by Tech Fall, 8-0
82kg- Burhan AKBUDAK (TUR) df. Abbas MEHDIZADEH (Izeh), 4-2
87kg- Saman AZIZI (Bimeh) df. Metehan BASAR (TUR), 7-3
97kg- Cenk ILDEM (TUR) df. Mohammad YEGANEH (Izeh), 6-2
130kg- Riza KAYAALP (TUR) df. Behnam MEHDIZADEH (Izeh) by forfeit

Fifth place match: Georgia df. Shohadaye Modafe Haram (IRI), 6-4
55kg- Nodari OKROMTCHEDLISHVILI (GEO) – No wrestler
60kg- Ramaz SURMANIDZE (GEO) df. Omid OLIYAYI (Shohadaye Modafe) by Tech Fall, 16-8
63kg- Mosayeb AKBARI (Shohadaye Modafe) df. Giorgi SHOTADZE (GEO) by Tech Fall, 8-0
67kg- Otar ABULADZE (GEO) df. Mohsen TAHERI (Shohadaye Modafe), 6-0
72kg- Tornike JANGAVADZE (GEO) df. Milad NEDAEI (Shohadaye Modafe) by Tech Fall, 10-0
77kg- Beka MAMUKASHVILI (GEO) df. Mohammad SORKHI NEJAD (Shohadaye Modafe)
82kg- Hadi ALIZADEH POURNIA (Shohadaye Modafe) df. Aivengo RIKADZE (GEO) by forfeit
87kg- Mehdi MOHAMMADZADEH (Shohadaye Modafe) df. Lasha DEVIDZE (GEO) by Tech Fall, 10-1
97kg-Irakli KAJAIA (GEO) df. Ali KANANI (Shohadaye Modafe), 6-0
130kg- Parsa NAZARI (Shohadaye Modafe) df. Sulxani BUIDZE (GEO) by forfeit

Seventh place match: Ukraine df. Serbia, 8-2
55kg- Sergii DZIUBA (UKR) df. Kristijan GAZDAG (SRB), 9-7
60kg- Andriy MARTYNYUK (UKR) – No wrestler
63kg- Hevorh ARZUMANIAN (UKR) – No wrestler
67kg- Oleksii KALINICHENKO (UKR) df. Tamas NAD (SRB) by Tech Fall, 14-6
72kg- Artur POLITAIEV (UKR) df. Mate NEMES (SRB)
77kg-Oleksandr KUKHTA (UKR) df. Aleksander MAKSIMOVIC (SRB)
82kg- Viktor NEMES (SRB) df. Oleksii OSNIACH (UKR) by Tech Fall, 8-0
87kg- Serhii OMELIN (UKR) df. Oliver TOT (SRB) by Tech Fall, 9-0
97kg- Yevhenii SAVETA (UKR) df. Dejan FRANJKOVIC (SRB) by Tech Fall, 8-0
130kg- Andrii VOZNIUK (UKR) df.Horvat SABOLC (SRB) by Tech Fall, 8-0

Group Standings

Group A:
1- Bimeh Razi Ardabil (IRI) 2-Turkey 3- Shohadaye Modafe Haram(IRI) 4- Serbia

Group B:
1- Russia 2- Sina Sanat Izeh (IRI) 3- Georgia 4- Ukraine 5- Kyrgyzstan

#WrestleZagreb

Chung puts Korea in World C'ships final

Saturday, September 20, 2025 - 16:49 By Vinay Siwach

ZAGREB, Croatia (September 20) -- Hanjae CHUNG (KOR) has long been the training partner of former world champion Hansyu RYU (KOR) at national camps in Korea as both hail from Busan and wrestled at the Kyungsung University.

Eight years after Ryu became a world champion in Paris, Korea's last gold at World Championships, Chung would try to emulate his role model after he made the 63kg final at the World Championships in Zagreb on Saturday.

In his previous two trips to the World Championships, Chung finished eight and 25th but has now assured himself at least a silver medal in 2025. This is also Korea's first medal since Min Seok KIM (KOR) won bronze in 2018.

Chung opened his campaign with a 7-1 victory over Ivan LIZATOVIC (CRO) before picking up a fall over Manato NAKAMURA (JPN). Tokyo bronze medalist Sergey EMELIN (UWW) was next but Chung defended from par terre and posted a 1-1 criteria win.

In the semifinals, Chung had Asian silver medalist Mohammad KESHTKAR (IRI) but he stepped up. Keshtkar got the first par terre position but was not able to score any points, going to the break leading 1-0.

The second period saw Chung go for the reverse throw for two points and Keshtkar was docked two points for a leg foul, giving a 5-1 lead to Chung. Keshtkar tried making a comeback and got a takedown to cut the lead to 5-3 but that was all he had as Chung claimed the victory in the semifinals.

But to win his country's first gold since 2017, Chung will have to go through Aytjan KHALMAKHANOV (UZB) who looks unbeatable. A month after winning the gold medal at the U20 World Championships, the Uzbek star is now in the World Championships final with a dominant 8-0 win over Vitalie ERIOMENCO (MDA).

Khalmakhanov needed only 37 seconds to finish his semifinals against Erimenco as he used an over-under grip to slam him on the mat for two points. He continued the same sequence for two more points and lead 6-0. A trap arm gut was enough to get him two more points and the win.

Iran managed two more wrestlers in the final at the World Championships with Olympic champion Saeid ESMAEILI (IRI) and Olympic silver medalist Alireza MOHAMADI (IRI) a win away from winning their first world titles at 67kg and 87kg respectively.

Esmaeili particularly looked in the form of his life as he blanked his 36-0 in four bouts with none going the full distance of the six minutes. He began with a 9-0 win over 2022 world champion Sebastian NAD (SRB) before two 8-0 wins against Shermukhammad SHARIBJANOV (UZB) and Haavard JOERGENSEN (NOR), 8-0.

In the semifinals, he used a five-point throw to beat Daniial AGAEV (UWW). Using a bodylock, he scored his first takedown and then turned Agaev for a 4-0 lead. He then got the par terre position and reverse lifted Agaev and slammed him for five points.

For the gold medal, he will have to get past Olympic bronze medalist Hasrat JARAFOV (AZE), a returning silver medalist. Jafarov faced Razzak BEISHEKEEV (KGZ) in the semifinal and used a correct throw from par terre to beat the Kyrgyzstan wrestlers 3-1.

Mohamadi had a very contrasting semifinal against David LOSONCZI (HUN) at 87kg. He seemed to be sailing to victory with 5-1 lead and under a minute left but Losonczi locked his waist and threw him for a takedown for two points. Hungary challenged the call asking for four points but it was awarded only two on review and Hungary lost the challenge to give one more point to Mohamadi.

With a 6-3 win, Mohamadi, a silver medalist at 82kg from 2023, will now try to win the gold medal against former European champion Aleksandr KOMAROV (SRB).

Trusting his defense in the semifinal against Milad ALIRZAEV (UWW), Komarov held on to his 1-1 criteria lead to win the bout. Komarov was the beneficiary of the new Greco-Roman rule which states that the criteria will remain with the wrestler who got the first point in a 1-1 finish.

Irrespective of what happens in the final on Sunday, Iran has already won the Greco-Roman team title. This is the first time in the country's history that Iran has won both Freestyle and Greco-Roman team title at the same World Championships.

RESULTS

63kg
GOLD: Hanjae CHUNG (KOR) vs. Aytjan KHALMAKHANOV (UZB)

SF 1: Hanjae CHUNG (KOR) df. Mohammad KESHTKAR (IRI), 5-3
SF 2: Aytjan KHALMAKHANOV (UZB) df. Vitalie ERIOMENCO (MDA), 8-0

67kg
GOLD: Saeid ESMAEILI (IRI) vs. Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE)

SF 1: Saeid ESMAEILI (IRI) df. Daniial AGAEV (UWW), 10-0
SF 2: Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE) df. Razzak BEISHEKEEV (KGZ), 3-1

87kg
GOLD: Alireza MOHMADI (IRI) vs. Aleksandr KOMAROV (SRB)

SF 1: Alireza MOHMADI (IRI) df. David LOSONCZI (HUN), 6-3
SF 2: Aleksandr KOMAROV (SRB) df. Milad ALIRZAEV (UWW), 1-1

Iran Team Wins GR World Clubs Cup, Azizli & Kayaalp Remain Undefeated

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Chung puts Korea in World C'ships final