2026 U17 World Championships

U17 World Championships 2026 Day 5 Freestyle Video Highlights

Friday, July 31, 2026 - 06:20 By Vinay Siwach

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BAKU, Azerbaijan (July 31) -- The U17 World Championships enters day five with five Freestyle weight class -- 48kg, 55kg, 65kg, 80kg and 110kg. The matches will go on till semifinals before the Women's Wrestling medal bouts at 18:00 hours.

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WATCH LIVE | LIVE MATCH ORDER | DAY 4 RESULTS

Freestyle semifinals will begin at 17:00 hours local time

14:50: Amirhossein ESMALI (IRI) needed a four-pointer to steer clear of Behruz ASHIROV (UZB) and win 7-4 at 110kg and advance to the semifinals.

14:35: A 10-0 blanking of Hanto HAYASHI (JPN) by Magomed OMAROV (RUS) as he moves into the 110kg semifinals. Can the U17 European champion double up with a U17 world title?

14:30: AARYAN (IND) with another comeback at 48kg to beat Kooper DEPUTY (USA) in the quarterfinals. Deputy led 4-2 before Aaryan with a duckunder for four and then two more for exposure to lead 8-4. He got another exposure for two more points but Deputy was working on an armbar for a fall. But Aaryan managed to defend it and win 10-7

14:10: Jakhongir TULKUNOV (UZB) downs U17 Asian champion Arman ELAHI (IRI) at 55kg. Elahi, who had beaten Tulkonov, 9-6, at the U17 Asians failed to find any openings and Tulkunov was right in it to win 5-1

13:58: Amirhossein ESMALI (IRI) storms past Sergko CHOUTSISVILI (GRE) at 110kg after a 10-0 win. No issues for Esmali. He will face Behruz ASHIROV (UZB) in the quarterfinals.

13:40: First quarterfinal and Sam ARSHAD (IRI) comes from behind to beat Tymur ABUMISLIMOV (UKR) 13-6 at 65kg. Abumislimov just could not match Arshadgh in his pace

13:20: High stake match at 48kg as U17 European champion Huseyn RZAZADE (AZE) and AARYAN (IND) square off. Rzazade with an early takedown before a stepout from Aaryan. Rzazade leads 2-1 at the break. He continues to add stepouts in the second period and even got a point for lost challenge to lead 5-1. But Aaryan continued the pressure and got a stepout and point for fleeing, making it 5-3 with 18 seconds left. He goes a duckunder for his last move and gets the takedown for a 5-5 criteria lead and the win. Azerbaijan challenges to find its saviour but there is none. Aaryan moves on with a 6-5 win

13:10: Amirali FERASATI (IRI) in complete control of his 80kg bout against Kantemir ELMESOV (RUS). He scores a takedown on edge before getting an activity point. He scored a stepout to lead 4-0. Elmesov missed his attack which gave Ferasati chances to jump over for takedowns. The Iranian wins 8-2

12:52: Arsenii KIKINIOU (USA), who won silver and bronze medals last year in Greco-Roman and Freestyle, has lost his 65kg bout against Jovani SOLIS (PUR). Solis got a takedown and turn to get a 5-1 lead in the second period which changed the match. The U.S. challenged the two and two call but lost it which gave Solis a 6-1 win. Kikiniou did not win a medal in Greco-Roman this year but still has a chance to win bronze in Freestyle if Solis reaches the final

12:50: Chase KARENBAUER (USA) with a very tactical match against Kyosuke IKEDA (JPN) for a 6-4 win at 55kg. He got a takedown and turn in the second period and despite giving up a takedown, he comes out as a winner

12:45: Arman ELAHI (IRI) wrestles till the last second and is rewarded with a thrilling win against Temirlan MURAT (KAZ) at 55kg. Murat led 3-1 thanks to two stepouts and one passivity point. But Elahi scored a stepout to make it 3-2 with around 30 seconds left. He then caught Murat but failed to bring him down so went the other way to throw Murat and get two points for the win. Kazakhstan challenges and on review, the two is changed to four with a reversal for Murat. Elahi wins 6-4

12:35: Magomed IBRAGIMOV (RUS) with another second period show to beat Erik PAPIKYAN (ARM), 8-1, at 65kg. Papikyan led 1-0 at the break but Ibragimov with two takedowns to lead 4-1. He then launches Papikyan for a four

12:10: Returning bronze medalist Hakim TAGHIYEV (AZE) falls 3-2 against Behruz ASHIROV (UZB) at 110kg. Ashirov was up 2-1 when he got put on activity clock. The one point gave Taghiyev a 2-2 criteria but Ashirov with a stepout with 5 seconds left to win 3-2

12:00: Returning bronze medalist at 80kg Ayubjon BOZORZODA (TJK) completes an 8-6 victory over Jayden OFARRILL (USA). He was leading 5-2 at the break but was struggling with his conditioning. However, he still managed to defend the late attacks from Ofarrill

11:58: AARYAN (IND) with a 10-0 technical superiority win over Amirali RAGHEB (IRI) at 48kg. Aaryan with some beautiful duckunders to score his takedowns as Ragheb looked clueless in that bout

11:48: Deepanshu KHOKHAR (IND) was down 6-1 until the final 15 seconds against Layden ACEVEDO (PU). But he scores a four-pointer to make it 6-5 with 9 seconds left. Using all he got, Khokhar gets a stepout with less than two seconds left and wins 6-6 on criteria at 80kg

11:42: Chase KARENBAUER (USA) uses cradles to score exposure points on Valentin DELEANU (MDA) and completes a 10-0 win in the first period at 65kg.

11:33: KRISHAN (IND) and Magomed IBRAGIMOV (RUS) with an electric bout at 65kg. Leading 6-2, Krishan gave up a stepout. Ibragimov then hit a headlock throw which was initially scored two point, then a headpinch for two more before Krishan got the reversal making the score 7-7 on criteria. But India challenged perhaps because of all the confusion on the scoreboard. On review, the two for headlock was changed to four and Ibragimov got a 9-7 lead with 16 seconds left. Ibragimov got a double-arm lock and two rolls in that time to win 11-7

11:30: Saba MINDIASHVILI (GEO) with a 3-2 victory over Mustafa BERSANUKAEV (RUS) at 55kg. It needed a challenge from Mindiashvili to remove the a takedown that was awarded to Bersanukaev. With 3-1 lead and 36 seconds left, Mindiashvili gave up a stepout but held on to win the match.

11:10: Erik PAPIKYAN (ARM) was called passive in the first period Rashid NAZAROV (AZE) got one point. But in the second period, Papikyan scored a takedown on a missed shot from Nazarov, turned him three times using the gut-wrench and take an 8-1 lead. He also scored a stepout and in 9-1 and advance at 65kg.

10:55: Arseni KIKINIOU (USA) opens his Freestyle campaign at 65kg with a 7-0 blanking of Bidzina JINTCHARADZE (GEO). While he won't be a medalist in both styles this year, he can still repeat as Freestyle medalist

10:30: Freestyle will take centrestage in Baku with five weight classes. Russia, Iran and the U.S. will be eyeing the team title as well with hosts Azerbaijan also in with an outside chance.

Obituary

Abdullah Movahed: Iranian Legend Who Elevated Wrestling to Art Form

Friday, May 1, 2026 - 10:44 By United World Wrestling Press

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CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland, (May 1) -- Abdullah MOVAHED (IRI), one of the all-time greats of world wrestling and a dominant force in Freestyle during the 1960s, passed away in the United States on Thursday, April 30, after suffering a heart stroke. The Iranian legend was 86.

A member of the United World Wrestling Hall of Fame, Movahed’s name became synonymous with technical brilliance and relentless discipline. A five-time world champion, an Olympic gold medalist and twice Asian Games winner, Movahed was at the forefront of an era of Iranian excellence on the global stage. Competing in the 68kg and 70kg Freestyle weight classes, Movahed achieved a level of sustained dominance rarely seen in the sport.

Born in March 1940 in Babolsar, in Iran’s Mazandaran province, Movahed was introduced to volleyball as a young boy and was known locally for his exploits as a spiker. However, he quit the sport as he felt he wasn’t tall enough and didn’t believe he was suited for it. Ultimately, it was on the wrestling mat that he would carve out his legacy. 

He went on to join the Tehran Javan Sports Club, and as a youngster, Movahed didn’t have it easy. He frequently lost to established wrestlers like Mohammad SANATGARAN (IRI). However, he persevered, and coaches recognized his rare blend of agility, intelligence, and composure under pressure. These traits would define his career.

Movahed emerged during a time when Iranian wrestling was rich in talent. He shared the stage with wrestling legends such as Gholamreza TAKHTI (IRI), Mansour MEHDIZADEH (IRI), Ebrahim SEYFPOUR (IRI), and Emamali HABIBI (IRI). In such a company, greatness was neither guaranteed nor easily attained, but Movahed’s rise was swift.

His breakthrough came in 1962, when the erstwhile Soviet Union’s Freestyle champions travelled to Iran for a series of friendly bouts. His win over Zarbag BERYASHVILI made him an overnight sensation in Iran, and the following year, Movahed made his debut for the Iranian national team at the World Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria.

As a 23-year-old rookie, Movahed didn’t make much of an impact -- he shared sixth place with well-known Bulgarian wrestler Enyu VALCHEV (BUL). At the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo, he showed signs of improvement and finished fourth. A year later, at the World Championships in Manchester, he claimed his first world title, beginning an extraordinary run.

Abdullah MOVAHED (IRI)

From 1965 to 1970, Movahed was virtually untouchable. He won six consecutive major global titles at 68kg and 70kg, including World Championships in 1965, 1966, 1967, 1969, and 1970, along with Olympic gold at the 1968 Summer Olympics. That 1968 triumph, often cited as the pinnacle of his career, showcased his tactical mastery and unyielding determination. He also won the gold medal at the 1966 and 1970 Asian Games.

He returned for the 1972 Summer Olympics, but an unfortunate shoulder injury cut his campaign short, preventing a final chapter that might have further illuminated his already illustrious record. After the Games, Movahed, who had a master’s degree, moved to the USA, where he pursued a PhD at George Washington University. He continued to live there after earning his doctorate and worked as a mechanic.

Abdullah MOVAHED (IRI)

Beyond his medals, Movahed’s legacy lies in the standard he set. He helped define a golden generation of Iranian wrestling and inspired countless athletes who followed in his footsteps. His induction into the United World Wrestling's Hall of Fame secured his place among the all-time greats.

In mourning his passing, the wrestling world remembers not just a champion, but a craftsman whose sustained excellence elevated freestyle wrestling to an art form.