#kaspeuro2018

Russia Bounces Back To Win Trio of Golds After Azerbaijan Snags Pair

Saturday, May 5, 2018 - 16:38 By Eric Olanowski

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KASPIISK, Russia - (May 5) - Azerbaijani’s Giorgi EDISHERASHVILI (AZE) and Haji ALIYEV (AZE) stunned the sold-out Palace of Sport and Youth after picking up buzzer beater takedowns on Russian opponents to win European gold medals. But, the Russian's bounced back to win the final three gold medals on the sixth day of competition at the 2018 European Championships.

Giorgi Edisherashvili stole his second 57kg European title by picking up a four-point throw with three seconds left to defeat last year’s European bronze medalist, Zavur UGUEV (RUS), 4-3. 

Edisherashvili, the back-to-back European champion seized his second crown with a lateral drop on the out of bounds line as he trailed the Russian by three points. 

“Even if you’re losing, you don’t have a right to give up. You have to wrestle until the end of the match. I wanted to wait until the end to take a risk, and that's what I did, risked it all at the end.” 

Haji ALIYEV (AZE), the reigning 61kg world champion gave Azerbaijan their second straight gold medal of the night with a last-second takedown to defeat reigning 65kg European champion, Ilias BEKBULATOV (RUS), 8-7. 

Magomed KURBANALIEV (RUS) gave Russia their first freestyle gold medal of the 2018 European Championships with a 3-1 win over Magomedmurad GADZHIEV (POL) at 70kg. 

“The score wasn’t high because my opponent was very experienced. The luck was just on my side today.” 

Kurbanliev, the 2016 world champion completed his run to his second European title by scoring three one point sequences. The 2014 European champion's lead was cut to 3-1 after being penalized for failing to score on the passivity clock but hung on to win his first European title in four years.

Akhmed GADZHIMAGOMEDOV (RUS) celebrating after defeating Germany’s Martin OBST in the 79kg gold-medal bout.  

Akhmed GADZHIMAGOMEDOV (RUS) locked up back-to-back gold medals for the Russian Federation with a 6-3 victory over Germany’s Martin OBST in the 79kg gold-medal bout. 

Gadzhimagomedov’s three-point first period proved to be the difference in the match as both wrestlers score three points in the final period. 

“Magomed Kurbanliev, Abdulrashid SADULAEV (RUS) and I are good friends and are living in the same hotel room. I was very happy for Magomed, and I hope Abdulrashid wins tomorrow so we can have a gold room.”

Vladislav BAITCAEV (RUS) closed out the sixth day of competition with a 6-0 shutout over Belarus’ Aliaksandr HUSHTYN. 

"Right now, I'm on top of my physical form like never before...I couldn't become a three-time runner-up, and this time I finally won the gold because of my coaches, family, and friends. We all won this together!" 

Also of note, at 57kg, Stevan MICIC (SRB) grabbed a bronze medal with a 10-0 pummeling of Levan METREVELI VARTANOV (ESP), giving Serbia their first European medal ever. 

RESULTS 
57kg 
GOLD -  Giorgi EDISHERASHVILI (AZE) df. Zavur UGUEV (RUS), 5-3 

BRONZE - Uladzislau ANDREYEU (BLR) df. Mihran JABURYAN (ARM), 8-1
BRONZE - Stevan MICIC (SRB) df. Levan VARTANOV (ESP), 10-0 

65kg 
GOLD –  Haji ALIYEV (AZE) df. Ilias BEKBULATOV (RUS), 8-7

BRONZE – Vladimer KHINCHEGASHVILI (GEO) df. Krzysztof BIENKOWSKI (POL), 8-4
BRONZE -  Selahattin KILICSALLAYAN (TUR) df. David HABAT (SLO), 8-7 

70kg 
GOLD – Magomed KURBANALIEV (RUS) df. Magomedmurad GADZHIEV (POL), 3-1 

BRZONE -  Murtazali MUSLIMOV (AZE) df. Azamat NURYKAU (BLR), 9-2
BRONZE -  Zurabi IAKOBISHVILI (GEO) df. Andriy KVYATKOVSKYY (UKR), 3-1 

79kg 
GOLD - Akhmed GADZHIMAGOMEDOV (RUS) df. Martin OBST (GER), 6-3

BRONZE - Jabrayil HASANOV (AZE) df. Muhammet Nuri KOTANOGLU (TUR), 10-4
BRONZE - Mihaly NAGY (HUN) df. Alexandru BURCA (MDA), 8-1 

97kg
GOLD - Vladislav BAITCAEV (RUS) df. Aliaksandr HUSHTYN (BLR), 7-0 

BRONZE - Elizbar ODIKADZE (GEO) df. Murazi MCHEDLIDZE (UKR), 5-2 
BRONZE - Nurmagomed GADZHIYEV (AZE) df. Magomedgadji Omardibirovich NUROV (MKD), 4-0

#wrestlemanama

Bahrain to host 2026 World Championships

Tuesday, September 16, 2025 - 12:02 By United World Wrestling Press

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ZAGREB, Croatia (September 16) -- For the first time in history, the World Championships are headed to Bahrain.

The 2026 World Championships will be held in Manama, Bahrain from September 5 to 13, United World Wrestling announced on Tuesday, during the ongoing World Championships in Zagreb.

No Arab country has ever hosted a World Championships but Bahrain will etch its name in history with the 2026 edition.

Secretary General of the Bahrain Olympic Committee Faris AL-KOOHEJI attended the press conference at the Arena Zagreb for the historic announcement. UWW President Nenad LALOVIC and Al-Kooheji announced the host together and signed the agreement.

"Bahrain has a superstar in wrestling," UWW President Lalovic said. "They probably want to use this opportunity to promote the sport through this superstar [Akhmed] TAZHUDINOV (BRN). But he's not the only one.

"They also want to develop the local Bahrain born athletes to compete because they have the role model of the top achievement in wrestling. This is something that we considered and that is why we made this decision.

Bahrain won its first-ever gold medal in Olympics in Paris when Tahzudinov ran-through the 97kg weight class and captured the gold medal. A year before that, he won the world title in the same weight class.

Tazhudinov is also an Asian champion, Asian Games champion and winner of other Ranking Series events.

Lalovic on the fact that wrestling wants to change the host continent of the World Championships more regularly.

 "We also want to change the continent regularly," he said. "A state that can organize the Asian [Youth] Games like they will do now in October, they will not face any problem with the championships, especially that we give all the assistance possible for the execution"

Manama, Bahrain will host the Asian Youth Games in which wrestling will be held from October 28 to 30.

Expressing its gratitude to UWW and readiness to host the mega event, Al-Kooheji said that the tournament will help Bahrain take wrestling to the grassroot levels in the country.

"For us, wrestling is a long term project," Al-Kooheji said. "Wrestling is a growing sport. It's a strategic sport for us. We got a gold medal in Paris, and we're looking to getting more medals. That gold medal started to inspire a lot of people, locally, to pursue wrestling, which is why part of the discussions with United World Wrestling is to even help us add wrestling in schools."

The Bahrain Olympic Committee expects that the World Championships will have a positive impact in growing the sport in the country.

"Strong economic impact [from the event]," he said. "We're going to get lots of travel spectators from Iran, the United States, and other countries as well. It's going to encourage the local community. They will understand more wrestling."