#WorldClubsCup

Iran's Bimeh Razi Wins FS World Clubs Cup Title for the Third Time

By Ali Feizasa

Iran’s team Bimeh Razi Babol captured the Freestyle Clubs World Championships for the third time in the last five years.

Bimeh Razi Babol defeated Turkey, 10-0, in the final match to win the title. The five-time world and Olympic medal winner Hassan RAHIMI (61kg), 2016 world champion Magomed KURBANALIEV (70kg), 2018 world bronze medal winner Akhmed GADZHIMAGOMEDOV (79kg) and two-time world bronze medal winner Alireza KARIMI (86kg) were titled wrestlers of the Iranian side who won the team title. 

“I had knee surgery after the Rio Olympic Games and I missed the events for about two years. I am very happy to be competing again. I love wrestling and it is like blood in my vessel.” Hassan Rahimi said after defeating Saban KIZILTAS (TUR) by technical fall.

“I cannot imagine my life without wrestling and I don’t know how I should retire in future. Surely that day will be the worst day of my life.”

“It was my first appearance at 61kg and I am satisfied with my performance. I had a successful surgery but it’s difficult to compete like the past times. The wrestlers who had knee surgery understand what I say,” Rahimi added.

“I have aimed to compete at 61kg in next World Championships but I should think for Olympic Games. I should choose between 57kg and 65kg and it depends on the future situation.”

For third place, Iran’s Setaregan Sari beat Georgia’s Raindi, 9-1, In the fifth-place match, Ukraine beat Kyrgyzstan, 7-3, while India finished in seventh after winning their match against Hungary by a final score of 7-3.

Final: Bimeh Razi Iran df. Turkey, 10-0
57kg- Reza ATRI (Bimeh) df. Ali KARABOGA (TUR) by forfeit

61kg- Hassan RAHIMI (Bimeh) df. Saban KIZILTAS (TUR)  by Tech Fall, 10-0|
Competing after about two years absence, five-time Olympic and world medal winner Hassan Rahimi collected four points in first 30 seconds by a single leg takedown and gut wrench. Rahimi added another takedown to win first period 6-0.

In the second period, Rahimi scored four additional points from a takedown and gut wrench to win by 10-0 technical fall victory.

65kg-Meysam NASIRI (Bimeh) df. Sedat OZDEMIR (TUR) by Tech Fall, 13-2
With a four-point throw, 2016 Asian champion Nasiri finished first period 6-2. Nasiri added seven points by several takedowns to win the match by 13-2. 

70kg- Magomed KURBANALIEV (Bimeh) df. Mustafa ZOPALI (TUR), 12-2
Just ten seconds after starting the match, 2016 World Champion Kurbanaliev collected eight points by a four-point throw and two gut wrench. The Russian wrestler added four more points to earn 12-2 technical fall victory and gave his team the 4-0 lead. 

74kg- Mostafa HOSSEINKHANI df. Nazim KARA (TUR) by forfeit

79kg- Akhmet GADZHIMAGOMEDOV (Bimeh) df. Muhammet NURI KOTANOGLU (TUR) by Tech Fall, 10-0
Two and a half minutes was enough for 2018 World bronze medal winner Gadzhimagomedov to beat KOTANOGLU 10-0. Gadzhimagomedov took four points by two headlocks.

86kg- Alireza KARIMI (Bimeh) df. Ahmet BILICI (TUR), 5-0
Two-time world bronze medal winner Alireza Karimi didn't find himself in any trouble and defeated BILICI, 5-0.

92kg-Mohammad Javad EBRAHIMI (Bimeh) df. Semih YAZICI (TUR), 12-1
Asian champion Ebrahimi finished the first period 7-1 by consecutive gut wrenches. Ebrahimi added five points to finish the match, 12-1.

97kg- Hamed TALEBI ZARRINKAMAR (Bimeh) df. Fatih YASARLI (TUR) by forfeit

125kg- Amin TAHERI (Bimeh) df. Bekir ERYUCEL (TUR) by Tech Fall, 11-0
In the first minute of the match,  Taheri gathered six points with a takedown and two gut wrenches. The two-time U23 world bronze medalist added three more points, finishing the first period with the 9-0 advantage. Taheri earned two points by takedown and won the match, 11-0. 

Third place match: Setaregan Sari Iran df. Raindi Georgia, 9-1
57kg-Amir PARASTEH (Setaregan)df.  Lasha TALAKHADZE (GEO), 5-4
61kg- Younes SARMASTI (Setaregan) df. Otari GOGAVA (GEO) by forfeit 
65kg- Abolfazl HAJIPOUR (Setaregan) df. Giorgi REVAZISHVILI (GEO) by  forfeit 
70kg- Mehdi YEGANEH JAFARI (Setaregan) df. Levani KELEKHSASHVILI (GEO),6-3
74kg- Hossein ELYASI (Setaregan) df. Daviti TLASHADZE (GEO), 12-9
79kg- Hamidreza ZARRINPEYKAR (Setaregan) df. Aleksandre SATHVADZE (GEO) 
86kg- Masoud MADADI (Setaregan) df. Giorgi KVATADZE (GEO) by forfeit 
92kg- Arashk MOHEBI (Setaregan) df. Mukhran NARSAVIDZE (GEO) by Tech Fall, 10-0
97kg- Amir MOHAMMADI (Setaregan)df. Mamuka KORDZAIA (GEO), 6-3
125kg- Rolandi ANDRIADZE (GEO) df. Yadollah MOHEBI (Setaregan) by forfeit 

Fifth place match: Ukraine df. Kyrgyzstan, 7-3
Seventh place match: India df. Hungary, 7-3

#WrestleTirana

Aitmukhan wins U23 Worlds gold; Iran best team

By Vinay Siwach

TIRANA, Albania (October 26) -- After becoming Kazakhstan's first world champion in Freestyle, Rizabek AITMUKHAN (KAZ) is on a mission to collect age-group world titles. Two months after winning the U20 World Championships gold medal, Aitmukhan won the 97kg gold medal at the U23 World Championships in Tirana, Albania. The gold medal ensured Aitmukhan's record of finishing on the podium of all tournaments he has participated in since 2023.

Aitmukhan wrestled Mahdi HAJI (IRI) in the final and led 2-2 at the break but Haji struggled with conditioning in the second. He fell behind 10-4 at one point and there was no coming back against Aitmukhan.

Iran, however, won the Freestyle team title as it got 158 points. Japan had an incredible run and finished with 102 points for second position and Azerbaijan was third with 100 points.

Mahdi YOUSEFI (IRI) claimed the 79kg gold medal for Iran after he defeated Paris Olympian Feng LU (CHN), who became the first wrestler from China to reach the final in Freestyle.

Ibragimov repeats

Ibragim IBRAGIMOV (AIN) claimed his second straight world title at the U23 World Championships as he took only 53 seconds to beat Kaiji OGINO (JPN) 14-2.

A takedown opened the scoring for Ibragimov and he added four turns to make it 8-0. However, Ogino managed to wrap his arm around Ibragimov and tossed him for two points. Ibragimov never left control of Ogino and transitioned to a leg lace to finish the match 13-2.

Ogino challenged for the sequence but it was scored correctly on the challenge. The lost challenge of Japan made it 14-2 for Ibragimov.

The 57kg gold medal was captured by 19-year-old CHIRAG (IND) as he defeated Abdymalik KARACHOV (KGZ) 4-3 in the final.

Chirag was called passive in the second period but scored with a beautiful duckunder during the activity. But Karachov scored a stepout with a minute remaining in the match to take a 3-2 lead.

Chirag continued to work for a takedown for the win, got a leg attack, and scored two points. His 4-3 lead was good enough till the end of six minutes to win India's second-ever gold medal in Freestyle at the U23 World Championships.

 At 70kg, Magomed KHANIEV (AZE) held on to a 5-4 lead against Magomed ELTEMIROV (AIN) and win the gold medal.

RESULTS

57kg
GOLD: CHIRAG (IND) df. Abdymalik KARACHOV (KGZ), 4-3

BRONZE: Ali Hossein MOMENI (IRI) df. Maxwell GALLAGHER (USA), 8-0
BRONZE: Iunus IAVBATIROV (AIN) df. Allan ORALBEK (KAZ), 6-2

65kg
GOLD: Ibragim IBRAGIMOV (AIN) df. Kaiji OGINO (JPN), 14-2

BRONZE: Umidjon JALOLOV (UZB) df. Bilol SHARIP UULU (KGZ), 4-1
BRONZE: Abbas EBRAHIM (IRI) df. Abdullah TOPRAK (TUR), 15-4

70kg
GOLD: Magomed KHANIEV (AZE) df. Magomed ELTEMIROV (AIN), 5-4

BRONZE: Yoshinosuke AOYAGI (JPN) df. Ali Mahmoud KHORRAMDEL (IRI), 10-0
BRONZE: SUJEET (IND) df. Mustafo AKHMEDOV (TJK), 13-4 

79kg
GOLD: Mahdi YOUSEFI (IRI) df. Feng LU (CHN), 12-5

BRONZE: Arsen BALAIAN (AIN) df. Hayk PAPIKYAN (ARM), 9-1
BRONZE: Masaki SATO (JPN) df. Owen MARTIN (CAN), 11-0

97kg
GOLD: Rizabek AITMUKHAN (KAZ) df. Mahdi HAJI (IRI), 11-6

BRONZE: Uladzislau KAZLOU (AIN) df. Shamil GADZHIALIEV (AIN), 2-2
BRONZE: VICKY (IND) df. Ivan PRYMACHENKO (UKR), 7-2