#WrestlePontevedra

Russia Closes Out European C’ships with Third Team Title

Sunday, June 9, 2019 - 18:17 By Eric Olanowski

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PONTEVEDRA, Spain (June 9) – Russia’s freestyle squad medaled in all ten weights classes and closed out the final day of wrestling in Spain with the Junior European team title. Russia (205 points), who also won the Greco-Roman and women’s wrestling team titles, entered the final day of wrestling with 100 points, scored an additional 105 points on Day 7, and captured the team title 89 points ahead of second place Moldova (116 points). 

Russia inserted seven wrestlers into the finals and had four wrestlers win continental golds. They had a solo champion on Day 6 and three champions on Day 7. Dmitrii Alekseevitch KUPRIN, Aslanbek SOTIEV, and Saipudin MAGOMEDOV are the three Russian’s who joined fellow countrymen Nachyn MONGUSH as freestyle European champions. 

Dmitrii Kuprin handed Russia their first Day 7 title. Kurpin continued to dominate the 74kg competition, ending the gold-medal bout in 72 seconds with an 11-0 victory over Turkey’s Abdulvasi BALTA (TUR). Kurpin outscored his four European opponents 41-2. Aslanbek Sotiev was the second Russian of the day who scored an 11-0 shutout win in the finals to capture a European title. Sotiev did so against Askhab HAMZATOV (AZE) in the 92kg finals. Their third champion was Saipudin Magomedov, who scored a pair of takedowns after trailing 2-0 to defeat Yurii IDZINSKYI (UKR), 4-2. 

Vasile DIACON’s (MDA) won the 70kg gold medal on Day 6 and helped Moldova finish in second place. (Photo: Gabor Martin) 

Moldova, led by Vasile DIACON’s (MDA) Day 6 70kg gold-medal, finished in second place with 116 points. Moldova also had a silver medalist and three bronze-medal finishers. 

Azerbaijan (115 points), who finished one point behind Moldova, had two freestyle wrestlers win European titles. Their pair of champions were Turan BAYRAMOV (AZE) and Abubakr ABAKAROV (AZE), who reached the top of the podium at 65kg and 79kg, respectively. 

Turkey (110) and Ukraine (107) rounded out the top five finishers in the freestyle team race. 

RESULTS 

61kg 
GOLD - Hrachya MARGARYAN (ARM) df. Oleksandr YEVSIEIENKO (UKR), 11-0 
BRONZE - Gamzatgadzhi KHALIDOV (HUN) df. Leomid COLESNIC (MDA), 13-3 
BRONZE - Aleksandr SABANOV (RUS) df. Hamza ALACA (TUR), 11-6

74kg 
GOLD - Dmitrii Alekseevitch KUPRIN (RUS) df. Abdulvasi BALTA (TUR), 11-0 
BRONZE - Goga MAMIAURI (GEO) df. Nasib ISAYEV (AZE), 10-0 
BRONZE - Valentin BORZIN (MDA) df. Alex PEREZ CIMARRA (ESP), 6-0 

86kg 
GOLD - Miriani MAISURADZE (GEO) df. Mher MARKOSYAN (ARM), 3-2 
BRONZE - Slavik NANIEV (RUS) df. Mohammad TIMORI (SWE), 10-0
BRONZE - Demid KARACHENKO (UKR) df. Ivan NEDEALCO (MDA), 3-1

92kg 
GOLD - Aslanbek SOTIEV (RUS) df. Askhab HAMZATOV (AZE), 11-0
BRONZE - Ertugrul AGCA (GER) df. Aliaksei PARKHOMENKA (BLR), 6-3 
BRONZE - Bozhidar Mateev TODOROV (BUL) df. Matous VONDAL (CZE),4-4

125kg
GOLD - Saipudin MAGOMEDOV (RUS) df. Yurii IDZINSKYI (UKR), 4-2 
BRONZE - Vasil KHVISTANI (GEO) df. Mikita HORHUN (BLR), via fall 
BRONZE - Pasa Ekrem KARABULUT (TUR) df. Islam Aslangereyvic ABUEV (AZE), 4-2 

#WrestleTirana

Kamal soars high with Tirana Ranking Series gold

Sunday, March 2, 2025 - 00:02 By Vinay Siwach

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TIRANA, Albania (March 1) -- The last time Kerem KAMAL (TUR) was in action internationally, he did not have a favorable outcome. A bloody battle with Georgij TIBILOV (SRB) ended in a loss at the European Championships.

But Kamal, who impressed all with his performance at all the age-group World Championships and continentals, started the 2025 season with a scintillating victory at the Muhamet Malo Ranking Series, capturing the 63kg gold medal.

The 2022 U23 world champion was in his elements as he defeated Doolotbek CHOIBEKOV (KGZ), 10-0, in the final with two big throws for four points each. His first shoulder throw gave him a 4-0 lead, then he got the par terre position from which he performed a suplex for four points to win in just over a minute. Choibekov challenged for a leg-foul but Kamal's movements were clean.

In his earlier bouts, he defeated Mehdi MOHSEN NEJAD (IRI) 5-1 in the quarterfinals with some incredible defense from par terre in the first period. When Mohsen Nejad tried to turn Kamal, the Turkish wrestler moved forward on the mat to break Mohsen Nejad's grip.

Mohsen Nejad needed to score to break Kamal's 1-1 criteria lead and tried a big throw which Kamal blocked and pinned Mohsen Nejad on the mat for four points.

"At the Turkish Championships six weeks ago, I moved up to the new weight class of 63kg," Kamal said. "This time I competed against very strong opponents like Mohsen Nejad from Iran and [Razvan] Arnaut from Romania. I’m happy that I was able to win all my matches. It was a good start to the new year.

Kamal will now be busy for the preparation of European Championships to be held in second week of April in Bratislava, Slovakia.

"I’m not yet 100 percent fit," he said. "I focused a lot on endurance training during the training camp, and my preparations are fully aligned with the European Championships. I wanted to test my ground defense -- I did a good job [in Tirana] but I will work even harder to make sure I can reach my full potential at the European Championships."

Razzak BEISHEKEEV (KGZ)Razzak BEISHEKEEV (KGZ) throws Valentin PETIC (MDA) for four points during the 67kg final in Tirana. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

Kyrgyzstan did win a gold medal as U23 world champion Razzak BEISHEKEEV (KGZ) brought out his best in the final against Valentin PETIC (MDA), beating the Moldovan 11-0 to capture the 67kg gold medal.

This was the second gold medal for Kyrgyzstan in Tirana after Yryskeldi MAKSATBEK UULU (KGZ) won the 77kg gold medal on Friday.

Beishekeev, the U23 world champion last year in Tirana, needed only the first par terre position to complete the technical superiority win over Petic. He went for the reverse left and scored four points and as Petic landed on his back, Beishekeev went for the fall. However, Petic blocked Beishekeev with his hands on legs was docked two caution points.

With a 7-0 lead and restart in par terre, Beishkeev once again went for the reverse lift and scored a four-pointer to complete the 11-0 win.

RESULTS

63kg
GOLD: Kerem KAMAL (TUR) df. Doolotbek CHOIBEKOV (KGZ), 10-0

BRONZE: Baiaman APILOV (KGZ) df. Aleksandrs JURKJANS (LAT), via inj. def.
BRONZE: Mehdi MOHSEN NEJAD (IRI) df. Razvan ARNAUT (ROU), 3-1

67kg
GOLD: Razzak BEISHEKEEV (KGZ) df. Valentin PETIC (MDA), 11-0

BRONZE: Joni KHETSURIANI (GEO) df. Madiyar MAULITKANOV (KAZ), 7-2
BRONZE: Bagdat SABAZ (KAZ) df. Lei LI (CHN), 9-1