#WrestleNoviSad

Russia Leads Georgia Heading into Final Day of Freestyle Competition

By Eric Olanowski

NOVI SAD, Serbia (March 9) – Razambek ZHAMALOV and Radik VALIEV claimed Day 6 freestyle gold medals and helped the Russian Federation carry a 25 points lead over Georgia into the final day of wrestling at the U23 European Championships. 

Zhamalov barreled past Poland’s Patryk OLENCZYN and scored the 13-0 technical superiority victory in the 70kg finals. The Russian pocketed his impressive 13 points from a five-point fireman’s carry, a four-point throw, and a pair of takedowns, and claimed his first-ever continental medal. 

Radik Valiev didn’t have much trouble with Turkey's Ramazan SARI in the 79kg finals, where he scored the 7-2 victory and won his second consecutive U23 European title.

Russia also collected 20 points from their pair of Day 6 silver medalists Amirkhan GUVAZHOKOV and Shamil MUSAEV. 

Guvazhokov fell short to Ukraine’s Andrii YATSENKO in the 57kg gold-medal bout. Yatsenko was behind in the closing minute but scored a takedown and a leg lace to gain the 8-8 lead on criteria with under a minute to go in the match. The Ukrainian wrestler tacked on an exposure and another point for a failed Russian challenge and won the 57kg title, 11-8.

Yatsenko’s win on Saturday night gave him his first European title since he won the 2013 Cadet European Championships. 

The second Russian who dropped his finals match was Shamil Musaev, who fell to Turkey’s Ibrahim CIFTCI, 7-4 in the 97kg finals. 

The fifth gold medal of the day came at the only weight that did not feature a Russian competitor, 65kg. Armenia’s Vazgen TEVANYAN scored a late downtown in the first period, which ultimately turned out to be the match-deciding scoring sequence, as he defeated Edemi BOLKVADZE (GEO), 2-1. 

RESULTS 
Team Scores 
GOLD - Russia (94 points)
SILVER – Georgia  (69 points)
BRONZE - Turkey (66 points)
Fourth – Ukraine  (52 points)
Fifth – Moldova (36 points)

57kg 
GOLD - Andrii YATSENKO (UKR) df. Amirkhan GUVAZHOKOV (RUS), 11-8 
BRONZE - Saban KIZILTAS (TUR) df. Razvan KOVACS (ROU), 7-5
BRONZE - Roberti DINGASHVILI (GEO) df. Mikyay Salim NAIM (BUL), 5-4

65kg 
GOLD - Vazgen TEVANYAN (ARM) df. Edemi BOLKVADZE (GEO), 2-1 
BRONZE - Ilman MUKHTAROV (FRA) df. Maxim SACULTAN (MDA), 3-1
BRONZE - Roman ASHARIN (HUN) df. Fati VEJSELI (MKD), 14-2

70kg
GOLD - Razambek ZHAMALOV (RUS) df. Patryk OLENCZYN (POL), 11-0 
BRONZE - Daud IBRAGIMOV (AZE) df. Vasile DIACON (MDA), 6-5 
BRONZE - Mihail Iliev GEORGIEV (BUL) df. Daniel CHOMANIC (SVK), 5-0

79kg 
GOLD - Radik VALIEV (RUS) df. Ramazan Ishak SARI (TUR), 7-2 
BRONZE - Tariel GAPHRINDASHVILI (GEO) df. Uladzislau YELISEYEU (BLR), 4-0 
BRONZE - Adlan BATAIEV (UKR) df. Simon Christian HARTMANN (AUT), 10-0 

97kg
GOLD -  Ibrahim CIFTCI (TUR) df. Shamil Alievitch MUSAEV (RUS), 7-4 
BRONZE - Dzianis KHRAMIANKOU (BLR) df. Simone IANNATTONI (ITA), 11-0 
BRONZE - Givi MATCHARASHVILI (GEO) df. Aleksandar PANTELIC (SRB), 10-0 

#development

Guinea Bissau Hosts Successful REDT as Part of Dakar 2026 Youth Olympics Preparation

By United World Wrestling Press

BISSAU, Guinea-Bissau (April 17) -- As part of the ongoing efforts to strengthen wrestling development in Africa and in preparation for the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games, the Regional Education and Development Tournament (REDT) for West Africa was successfully held in Bissau, Guinea-Bissau, from April 6 to12, 2026.

Olympic Solidarity and United World Wrestling worked with the Guinea-Bissau Wrestling to organise the event that brought together 10 National Federations from the region: Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Niger, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and host nation Guinea-Bissau.

The REDT tournament was designed as a multi-dimensional development platform, combining education, capacity building, and competition.

Prior to the competition phase, a series of structured activities were implemented including a training camp for wrestlers, aimed at improving technical performance. Educational sessions for coaches and administrators, delivered by UWW Development Officer Vincent AKA and a referee course, conducted by UWW Educator Charles VILLET, were also conducted.

These initiatives contributed to the harmonization of technical standards and reinforced the operational capacity of participating federations.

GBS

Competition

The competition included Men's and Women's Freestyle and Beach Wrestling across U17 and Senior categories at two different locations. Freestyle was conducted at National School of Physical Education and Sports (ENEFD) and Beach Wrestling was held at the Lino Correia Stadium.

The tournament was conducted in accordance with UWW regulations, with approved competition mats and the use of the Athena system for registration and licensing.

Impact

A few crucial outcomes were achieved through the tournament including identifying and developing young talent ahead of Dakar 2026, strengthening regional cooperation among National Federations, capacity building for coaches, referees, and administrators and promotion and integration of Beach Wrestling as a strategic discipline.

Despite the success of the event and the strong performances of athletes, the need for enhanced institutional and financial support remains a key priority. The President of the Guinea-Bissau Wrestling Federation João SOARES emphasized the importance of sustained investment to ensure continued progress and international competitiveness.

The presence of national authorities, including the Prime Minister Ilidio VIEIRA TE and National Olympic Committee President Fernando ARLETE, highlighted the recognition of wrestling as a strategic sport contributing to national development and visibility.

The REDT tournament represents a significant milestone in the regional roadmap toward Dakar 2026. The next steps include continued preparation for the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games, participation in upcoming African Wrestling Championships, expansion of Beach Wrestling development initiatives and further implementation of UWW education and development programs.

The successful organization of the REDT West Africa Tournament in Bissau demonstrates the effectiveness of UWW’s development strategy in the region. By combining education, capacity building, and competition, the event has contributed to building a strong foundation for the future of wrestling in Africa.

GBS

Results

The host nation, Guinea-Bissau, delivered an outstanding performance, finishing first overall with a total of 25 medals - 17 Golds, 4 Silvers and 4 Bronzes.

Freestyle (Both Men's & Women's)

15 medals (12 Golds, 2 Silvers, 1 Bronze)

Team Rankings:
1st place: Guinea-Bissau
2nd place: Benin
3rd place: Ghana

Beach Wrestling

10 medals (5 Golds, 2 Silvers, 3 Bronzes)

Team Rankings:

1st place: Guinea-Bissau
2nd place: Senegal
3rd place: Benin