#WrestleWarsaw

LIVE BLOG: European C'ships (Day Six)

Saturday, April 24, 2021 - 09:23 By Eric Olanowski

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WARSAW, Poland (April 24) -- Freestyle and women's wrestling are behind us, and we move into the final two days of Greco-Roman action at the European Championships.

Saturday's Schedule:
11:30 - Qualification round
16: 45 - Semifinals
18:00 - Finals

WATCH: European Championships 

Wrestlers-to-watch on Saturday:
60kg: Sergey EMELIN (RUS) - world champion
60kg: Gevorg GHARIBYAN (ARM) - European champion
72kg: Frank STAEBLER (GER) - three-time world champion 
82kg: Alex KESSIDIS (SWE) - world silver medalist
82kg: Rajbek BISULTANOV - European champion
97kg: Musa EVLOEV (RUS) - two-time world champion
97kg: Balazs KISS(HUN) - world bronze medalist

17:53: That does it for our semifinal coverage. We'll take a short five-minute break and resume action with the Day Six medal matches. 

17:27: Three-time European champion Frank STAEBLER (GER) was expected to at least wrestle for 72kg gold, but after he was upset in the quarterfinals, it'll be Shmagi BOLKVADZE (GEO) and Malkhas AMOYAN (ARM) wrestling for gold.

17:11: Mateusz BERNATEK (POL) does it! He edged Slavik GALSTYAN (ARM), 5-4, and will wrestle for European gold at 67kg in his home country. The Polish wrestler will take on Tokyo Olympian Mate NEMES (SRB) in Sunday's gold-medal match.

17:05: The two favorites to reach the finals at 60kg were Sergey EMELIN (RUS) and Kerem KAMAL (TUR). They both walked their way to the finals and wrestle on Sunday night for the European title. 

Finals Matches (As they come in):
63kg
GOLD - Sergey EMELIN (RUS) vs. Kerem KAMAL (TUR)
SEMIFINAL - Sergey EMELIN (RUS) df. Razvan ARNAUT (ROU), 9-0
SEMIFINAL - Kerem KAMAL (TUR) vs. Hleb MAKARANKA (BLR), 7-2

67kg
GOLD - Mateusz BERNATEK (POL) vs. Mate NEMES (SRB)
SEMIFINAL - Mateusz BERNATEK (POL) df. Slavik GALSTYAN (ARM), 5-4 
SEMIFINAL - Mate NEMES (SRB) df. Murat FIRAT (TUR), 3-3

72kg
GOLD - Shmagi BOLKVADZE (GEO) vs. Malkhas AMOYAN (ARM) 
SEMIFINAL - Shmagi BOLKVADZE (GEO) df. Robert Attila FRITSCH (HUN), 3-1 
SEMIFINAL - Malkhas AMOYAN (ARM) Roman PACURKOWSKI (POL), 6-0

82kg
GOLD - Adlan AKIEV (RUS) vs. Radzik KULIYEU (BLR)
SEMIFINAL - Adlan AKIEV (RUS) df. Aivengo RIKADZE (GEO), 6-1
SEMIFINAL - Radzik KULIYEU (BLR) df. Rajbek Alvievich BISULTANOV (DEN), 1-1

97kg
GOLD - Musa EVLOEV (RUS) vs. Balazs KISS (HUN)
SEMIFINAL -  Musa EVLOEV (RUS) df. Nikoloz KAKHELASHVILI (ITA), 3-1 
SEMIFINAL - Balazs KISS (HUN) df. Mikalai STADUB (BLR), 3-1

16:45: We're back! Please see the below tweet for the upcoming semifinal match order. 

15:16: We're on our last match of the morning. We'll take a break until 16:45 and return for the semifinals. The Day Six Greco-Roman finals will start at 18:00.

14:23: We're rolling right into the quarterfinal matches. I'll post the semifinal matchups below after the quarterfinal matches wrap up.

Semifinal Matches (As they come in):
63kg
SEMIFINAL - Sergey EMELIN (RUS) vs. Razvan ARNAUT (ROU) 
SEMIFINAL - Kerem KAMAL (TUR) vs. Hleb MAKARANKA (BLR)  

67kg
SEMIFINAL - Slavik GALSTYAN (ARM) vs. Mateusz Lucjan BERNATEK (POL) 
SEMIFINAL - Mate NEMES (SRB) vs. Murat FIRAT (TUR) 

72kg
SEMIFINAL - Shmagi BOLKVADZE (GEO) vs. Robert Attila FRITSCH (HUN) 
SEMIFINAL - Roman PACURKOWSKI (POL) vs. Malkhas AMOYAN (ARM) 

82kg
SEMIFINAL - Aivengo RIKADZE (GEO) vs. Adlan AKIEV (RUS) 
SEMIFINAL - Radzik KULIYEU (BLR) vs. Rajbek Alvievich BISULTANOV (DEN) 

97kg
SEMIFINAL -  Nikoloz KAKHELASHVILI (ITA) vs. Musa EVLOEV (RUS) 
SEMIFINAL - Balazs KISS (HUN) vs. Mikalai STADUB (BLR)

13:42: Down goes Staebler! Can trailed 5-0, but outscored Staebler 6-1 and claimed a spot in the quarterfinals with a 6-6 criteria win. He'll take on the winner of Roman PACURKOWSKI (POL) and Christoph BURGER (AUT) for a spot in Sunday night's 72kg finals.

13:30: Three-time world champ Frank Staebler is coming up next on Mat B. He'll kick off his question for a third European title against last year's continental bronze medalist Selcuk CAN (TUR).

13:04: Fredrik BJERREHUUS (DEN) just made his first appearance since qualifying Denmark for the Olympic Games at 67kg through his fifth-place finish at the '19 World Championships. He cruised to a 9-0 win over Hungary's Mate KRASZNAI. Bjerrehuus will wrestle the winner of Andreas VETSCH (SUI) and Maksim NEHODA (BLR) next.

12:38: Alex KESSIDIS (SWE), the 77kg world silver medalist from Nur-Sultan, is wrestling on Mat B. He's wrestling up at the non-Olympic weight of 82kg. Kessidis wrestled up at 82kg earlier this year at the Grand Prix of Zagreb. In that appearance, he went undefeated and claimed gold. 

12:27: European champions Gevorg GHARIBYAN (ARM) and Rajbek BISULTANOV (DEN) are coming up next on Mats A and C, respectively. 

12:07: World champion Sergey EMELIN (RUS) makes quick work of Grzegorz KUNKEL (POL) in their opening-round meeting. The Russian capitalized on four straight gut wrenches and won, 9-1. 

11:53: Three-time world champion Frank STAEBLER (GER) will be in action today. The "Mele Machine" is wrestling up at the non-Olympic weight of 72kg, where he's looking for a third career continental title. He'll wrestle on Mat B in eleven matches (Bout 426).

11:37: We'll start with three repechage matches on each mat before running into the Day Six matches. 

Development

Wrestling Enters a New Era in Southern Africa with Namib Storm and SADC Open Championships

Wednesday, August 13, 2025 - 13:57 By United World Wrestling Press

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WINDHOEK, Namibia — July 2025 The Namibian Wrestling Federation (NWF), in partnership with United World Wrestling (UWW) and Olympic Solidarity, launched a landmark initiative to boost wrestling development in Southern Africa: the Namib Storm Wrestling Week and SADC Open Championships, held from 30 June to 5 July 2025 at the Windhoek Showgrounds.

Speaking at the official launch in Windhoek, NWF President Colin Steytler emphasized the significance of this new chapter for the sport:

“This is where everything comes together — grassroots, elite, and development levels. It’s the most important step we’ve taken to date in bringing our strategic goals to life.”

A New Benchmark for Regional Wrestling Development

The week-long event featured two core components:

  • REDT – Namib Storm Training Camp (30 June – 3 July)
    This high-performance camp delivered Level 3 Coaching and Level 2 Refereeing Certification under the guidance of UWW instructors — a first for Namibia and a major milestone for the region.

“You can’t grow grassroots wrestling without qualified coaches,” Steytler noted.
Coaches and officials from multiple countries, including Zambia, Zimbabwe, South Africa, and Mauritius, took part in intensive technical sessions.

  • SADC Open Championships (4 July)
    This tournament gathered elite athletes from Angola, South Africa, Zimbabwe, and beyond — many of whom are continental medallists. Importantly, the SADC Open became the first UWW-rated event in Southern Africa, enabling both athletes and referees to earn international exposure without needing to travel abroad.

“This changes the game,” said Steytler. “We can now compete regionally and still gain global recognition — this saves costs and boosts participation.”

NAMAttendees go through the Level 3 Coaching and Level 2 Refereeing Certification under the guidance of UWW instructors. (Photo: United World Wrestling)

Beach Wrestling: Taking the Sport to New Shores

The week concluded on 5 July with a Beach Wrestling showcase, reinforcing UWW’s commitment to accessibility and outreach.

“Beach wrestling will be the only wrestling discipline featured at the 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Senegal,” Steytler reminded. “And we are proud to host Namibia’s first-ever beach wrestling event in Swakopmund on 7 December 2025.”

Beach wrestling, requiring only sand and a rope, offers a practical and inclusive way to expand the sport into rural and underserved communities — a cornerstone of UWW’s vision.

Towards a Self-Sustaining Wrestling Future

The REDT initiative and Namib Storm programme are part of the NWF’s five-year strategy to develop a self-sustainable wrestling ecosystem, bridging the gap between grassroots and elite competition and aiming for future Olympic qualification and medals.

“The Namib Storm Week and SADC Open pull all of our strategic elements together,” said Steytler. “From here, we take what we’ve built back to the regions and expand wrestling further than ever before.”

This event highlights Southern Africa’s growing role in the global wrestling community and reflects UWW’s dedication to regional empowerment, education, and international competition access.