#WrestleSkopje

#WresleSkopje U23 European C'ship Entries

By Eric Olanowski

SKOPJE,  North Macedonia (May 13) --- After a 592 day layoff due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and for the first time since the '19 U23 World Championships, the U23 calendar resumes with the U23 European Championships (May 17-23). 

The VIP Arena Boris Trajkovski in North Macedonia's capital city, Skpoje, will welcome nearly 425 rising stars from 36 different nations.

Freestyle action begins on Monday, women's wrestling takes center stage on Wednesday and Greco-Roman closes out the competition beginning on Friday.

Freestyle

57kg
Endrio AVDYLI (ALB)
Karen ZURABYAN (ARM)
Aliabbas RZAZADE (AZE)
Dzmitry SHAMELA (BLR)
Mehmed Hasan MEHMED (BUL)
Ramaz TURMANIDZE (GEO)
Niklas STECHELE (GER)
Richard Lajos RACZ (HUN)
Simone Vincenzo PIRODDU (ITA)
Ghennadi DIUVENJI (MDA)
Besir ALILI (MKD)
Akhmed IDRISOV (RUS)
Nils LEUTERT (SUI)
Hafiz Can HASDEMIR (TUR)
Kamil KERYMOV (UKR)

61kg
Razmik PAPIKYAN (ARM)
Ilya RAHOZAU (BLR)
Ruhan Hyusnyu RASIM (BUL)
Arman Norik ELOYAN (FRA)
Teimuraz VANISHVILI (GEO)
Nico MEGERLE (GER)
Leomid COLESNIC (MDA)
Arben ABAZI (MKD)
Muslim MEKHTIKHANOV (RUS)
Nino LEUTERT (SUI)
Emrah ORMANOGLU (TUR)
Artem KRYVENKO (UKR)

65kg
Sure VRIONI (ALB)
Hrachya MARGARYAN (ARM)
Ziraddin BAYRAMOV (AZE)
Uladzislau KOIKA (BLR)
Alish Gyoksel ALISH (BUL)
David KOPRIVA (CZE)
Marwane Ahmed YEZZA (FRA)
Ross Taylor CONNELLY (GBR)
Giorgi TCHOLADZE (GEO)
Leon GERSTENBERGER (GER)
Karoly KISS (HUN)
Altin BERISHA (KOS)
Sergiu LUPASCO (MDA)
Elmedin SEJFULAU (MKD)
Stefan Ionut COMAN (ROU)
Abdulmazhid KUDIEV (RUS)
Cavit ACAR (TUR)
Erik ARUSHANIAN (UKR)

70kg
Eriglent PRIZRENI (ALB)
Arman ANDREASYAN (ARM)
Dzhabrail GADZHIEV (AZE)
Daniil AMELYANCHYK (BLR)
Dimitar Atanasov ANGELOV (BUL)
Giorgi ELBAKIDZE (GEO)
Roland BIRO (HUN)
Raul ZARBALIEV (ISR)
Albin SHEHU (KOS)
Nicolai GRAHMEZ (MDA)
Fati VEJSELI (MKD)
Norbert MOLNOS (ROU)
Inalbek SHERIEV (RUS)
Tobias PORTMANN (SUI)
Daniel CHOMANIC (SVK)
Cuneyt BUDAK (TUR)
Denys BOROHAN (UKR)

74kg
Arjan DANAJ (ALB)
Hrayr ALIKHANYAN (ARM)
Simon MARCHL (AUT)
Ashraf ASHIROV (AZE)
Davud ALIZALAU (BLR)
Nikolay Iliev DIMITROV (BUL)
Charles André AFA (FRA)
Vladimeri GAMKRELIDZE (GEO)
Lucas Marco KAHNT (GER)
Georgios KOUGIOUMTSIDIS (GRE)
Naftali Hertz HOROWITZ (ISR)
Luca FINIZIO (ITA)
Vasile DIACON (MDA)
Serhan SHAKIROV (MKD)
Szymon WOJTKOWSKI (POL)
Krisztian BIRO (ROU)
Chermen VALIEV (RUS)
Isa DEMIR (TUR)
Andrii NUHUMANOV (UKR)

79kg
Arman AVAGYAN (ARM)
Yahor AKULICH (BLR)
Oktay Ruzhdi HASAN (BUL)
Erik REINBOK (EST)
Goga MAMIAURI (GEO)
Beat Konstantin SCHAIBLE (GER)
Botond LUKACS (HUN)
Max KASPEROVICH (ISR)
Salvatore DIANA (ITA)
Lilian BALAN (MDA)
Astrit ISMAILI (MKD)
Jakub Patryk WLADCZYK (POL)
Khalid IAKHIEV (RUS)
Tanguy DARBELLAY (SUI)
Ramazan SARI (TUR)
Valentyn BABII (UKR)

86kg
Benjamin GREIL (AUT)
Orkhan ABASOV (AZE)
Ilya KHAMTSOU (BLR)
Ivan Kostadinov STEFANOV (BUL)
Matous VONDAL (CZE)
Demur MEGENEISHVILI (GEO)
Lars SCHAEFLE (GER)
Patrik SZUROVSZKI (HUN)
Uri KALASHNIKOV (ISR)
Ivars SAMUSONOKS (LAT)
Andrian GROSUL (MDA)
Omer SEJFULAI (MKD)
Cezary Marek SADOWSKI (POL)
Amanula RASULOV (RUS)
Emre CIFTCI (TUR)
Denys SAHALIUK (UKR)

92kg
Osman NURMAGOMEDOV (AZE)
Arkadzi PAHASIAN (BLR)
Ivaylo Stefanov NANCHEV (BUL)
Miriani MAISURADZE (GEO)
Sebastian SCHMIDT (GER)
Richard VEGH (HUN)
Shai Shabtai SHOTASHVILI (ISR)
Auron SYLA (KOS)
Gheorghe ERHAN (MDA)
Redjep HAJDARI (MKD)
Azamat ZAKUEV (RUS)
Erhan YAYLACI (TUR)
Daniil PIDLYPENETS (UKR)

97kg
Islam ILYASOV (AZE)
Aliaksei PARKHOMENKA (BLR)
Tsvetan Danielov EVTIMOV (BUL)
Luka KHUTCHUA (GEO)
Ertugrul AGCA (GER)
David LABKOVSKY (ISR)
Radu LEFTER (MDA)
Ramadan MUSTAFOVSKI (MKD)
Michal Jan BIELAWSKI (POL)
Aslanbek SOTIEV (RUS)
Viliam OROSS (SVK)
Sven Janovitj ENGSTROEM (SWE)
Feyzullah AKTURK (TUR)
Danylo STASIUK (UKR)

125kg
Paris KAREPI (ALB)
Hovhannes MAGHAKYAN (ARM)
Timon Johann HASLWANTER (AUT)
Vakhit GALAYEV (AZE)
Yaraslau SLAVIKOUSKI (BLR)
Georgi Lyubomirov IVANOV (BUL)
Aleksi ZHORZHOLIANI (GEO)
Lior ALTSHULER (ISR)
Semion PLUGARU (MDA)
Uvejs FEJZULAHU (MKD)
Atsamaz TEBLOEV (RUS)
Anil Berkan KILICSALLAYAN (TUR)
Yurii IDZINSKYI (UKR)


Four-time age group world champion Aleksandr Andreevitch KOMAROV (RUS) will compete at 87kg. (Photo: Kadir Caliskan)

Greco-Roman
55kg

Bajram SINA (ALB)
Ashot MKHITARYAN (ARM)
Zaur Eyvaz ALIYEV (AZE)
Maksim STUPAKEVICH (BLR)
Denis Krasimirov DEMIROV (BUL)
Ramaz SILAGAVA (GEO)
Artiom DELEANU (MDA)
Denis Florin MIHAI (ROU)
Mavlud RIZMANOV (RUS)
Sebastian KOLOMPAR (SRB)
Adem Burak UZUN (TUR)
Mykola HAVRYCHKIN (UKR)

60kg
Tigran MINASYAN (ARM)
Elmir ALIYEV (AZE)
Uladzislau PRYBYLSKI (BLR)
Edmond Armen NAZARYAN (BUL)
Andy JUAN SUCH (ESP)
Irakli DZIMISTARISHVILI (GEO)
Krisztian KECSKEMETI (HUN)
Vitalie ERIOMENCO (MDA)
Razvan ARNAUT (ROU)
Anvar ALLAKHIAROV (RUS)
Ahmet UYAR (TUR)
Ihor KUROCHKIN (UKR)

63kg
Hrachya POGHOSYAN (ARM)
Zaur NURIYEV (AZE)
Aliaksandr PECHURENKA (BLR)
Ilia Dimitrov MUSTAKOV (BUL)
Leri ABULADZE (GEO)
Andrej GINC (GER)
Andrea SETTI (ITA)
Alexandru TRANDAFIR (ROU)
Rakhman TAVMURZAEV (RUS)
Dejan PETROVIC (SRB)
Niklas Jan Olov Pontus OEHLEN (SWE)
Abdulkadir SAYDAM (TUR)
Maksym LIU (UKR)

67kg
Gurgen ALEKSANYAN (ARM)
Aker AL OBAIDI (AUT)
Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE)
Maksim NEHODA (BLR)
Ivo Krasimirov ILIEV (BUL)
Denis MERTL (CZE)
Marcos SANCHEZ SILVA MEJIAS (ESP)
Elmer Joakim MATTILA (FIN)
Gagik Mishai SNJOYAN (FRA)
Joni KHETSURIANI (GEO)
Krisztian Istvan VANCZA (HUN)
Mateusz Radoslaw SZEWCZUK (POL)
Vasile Alexandru DOSOFTEI (ROU)
Turpal Ali ISAEV (RUS)
Kadir KAMAL (TUR)
Oleksii MASYK (UKR)

72kg
Kevin KUPI (ALB)
Malkhas AMOYAN (ARM)
Khasay HASANLI (AZE)
Aliaksandr LIAVONCHYK (BLR)
Luka MALOBABIC (CRO)
Akseli Elias YLI HANNUKSELA (FIN)
Otar ABULADZE (GEO)
Idris IBAEV (GER)
Oliver KAJTAN (HUN)
Mihai PETIC (MDA)
Haavard JOERGENSEN (NOR)
Sergei KUTUZOV (RUS)
Aron PINTER (SRB)
Michael PORTMANN (SUI)
Oliver OLAH (SVK)
Hasan ORAKCI (TUR)
Andrii KULYK (UKR)

77kg
Samvel GRIGORYAN (ARM)
Mikita KAZAKOU (BLR)
Pavel PUKLAVEC (CRO)
Jakub BIELESZ (CZE)
Waltteri Harri Kristian LATVALA (FIN)
Nikoloz TCHIKAIDZE (GEO)
Erik LOESER (GER)
Moric KISMONI (HUN)
Alexandrin GUTU (MDA)
Per Anders KURE (NOR)
Patryk Adam BEDNARZ (POL)
Nicolae POPA (ROU)
Sergei STEPANOV (RUS)
Aleksa ILIC (SRB)
Gergely BUERSOELY (SVK)
Per Albin OLOFSSON (SWE)
Erkan ERGEN (TUR)
Ihor BYCHKOV (UKR)

82kg
Gagik HAKOBYAN (ARM)
Yauheni YUROU (BLR)
Tihomir Todorov DIMOV (BUL)
Sebastian PETRAC (CRO)
Ranet KALJOLA (EST)
Otto Eemeli KETONEN (FIN)
Aivengo RIKADZE (GEO)
Dimitrios TSOMPANOUDIS (GRE)
Tamas LEVAI (HUN)
Arminas LYGNUGARIS (LTU)
Vladislav GUTU (MDA)
Marcel STERKENBURG (NED)
Magnus GROENVIK (NOR)
Vasile Daniel COJOC (ROU)
Shamil Letkaevitch OZHAEV (RUS)
Branko KOVACEVIC (SRB)
Ramon Rainer BETSCHART (SUI)
Mats Ola Lukas AHLGREN (SWE)
Dogan KAYA (TUR)
Dmytro GARDUBEI (UKR)

87kg
Gevorg TADEVOSYAN (ARM)
Lachin VALIYEV (AZE)
Ihar YARASHEVICH (BLR)
Svetoslav Nikolaev NIKOLOV (BUL)
Matej MANDIC (CRO)
Andreas VAELIS (EST)
Juho Matias PAHIKAINEN (FIN)
Temuri TCHKUASELIDZE (GEO)
Ilias PAGKALIDIS (GRE)
Istvan TAKACS (HUN)
Mirco MINGUZZI (ITA)
Tyrone STERKENBURG (NED)
Szymon SZYMONOWICZ (POL)
Nicu Samuel OJOG (ROU)
Aleksandr Andreevitch KOMAROV (RUS)
Mario VUKOVIC (SRB)
Muhutdin SARICICEK (TUR)
Dmytro KIIASHOK (UKR)

97kg
Kevi BALLABANI (ALB)
Albert YEGHIKYAN (ARM)
Markus RAGGINGER (AUT)
Pavel HLINCHUK (BLR)
Mariyan Iliyanov MARINOV (BUL)
Filip SMETKO (CRO)
Ondrej DADAK (CZE)
Giorgi KATSANASHVILI (GEO)
Patrick NEUMAIER (GER)
Michail IOSIFIDIS (GRE)
Robert ERSEK (HUN)
Luca SVAICARI (ITA)
Arnoldas BARANOVAS (LTU)
Marcus WORREN (NOR)
Piotr CHUDZIK (POL)
Artur SARGSIAN (RUS)
Aleksandar SIMOVIC (SRB)
Damian VON EUW (SUI)
Beytullah KAYISDAG (TUR)
Valentyn SHKLIARENKO (UKR)

130kg
David OVASAPYAN (ARM)
Sarkhan MAMMADOV (AZE)
Ilya YUDCHYTS (BLR)
Mate GOKADZE (GEO)
Franz RICHTER (GER)
Nikolaos NTOUNIAS (GRE)
Dariusz Attila VITEK (HUN)
Nikola MILATOVIC (NOR)
Gerard Cyprian KURNICZAK (POL)
Lenard Istvan BEREI (ROU)
Mikhail LAPTEV (RUS)
Vladan ZIVKOVIC (SRB)
Delian Hossein ALISHAHI (SUI)
Fatih BOZKURT (TUR)
Mykhailo VYSHNYVETSKYI (UKR)

Cadet, junior, U23 and senior European champion Anastasia NICHITA (MDA) headlines the women's wrestling entries. She'll compete at 59kg. (Photo: Kadir Caliskan)

Women's Wrestling
50kg

Anastasiya YANOTAVA (BLR)
Ana Maria TORRES RUBIO (ESP)
Taru Marketta VAINIONPAEAE (FIN)
Lisa ERSEL (GER)
Jekaterina JERMALONOKA (LAT)
Vestina DANISEVICIUTE (LTU)
Maria LEORDA (MDA)
Amanda TOMCZYK (POL)
Maria Alexandra CIOCLEA (ROU)
Mariia TIUMEREKOVA (RUS)
Anna POLLAKOVA (SVK)
Aynur ERGE (TUR)
Liliia MALANCHUK (UKR)

53kg
Viktoryia VOLK (BLR)
Emma Solange Irène LUTTENAUER (FRA)
Anastasia BLAYVAS (GER)
Szimonetta Timea SZEKER (HUN)
Elvira KRASNIQI (KOS)
Mariana DRAGUTAN (MDA)
Alicja CZYZOWICZ (POL)
Elena Simona IONESCU (ROU)
Ekaterina VERBINA (RUS)
Esra PUL (TUR)
Mariia VYNNYK (UKR)

55kg
Florine Maria SCHEDLER (AUT)
Anastasiya RAMANIONAK (BLR)
Aleksandrina Nikolaeva KASHINOVA (BUL)
Laura GOMEZ VIZCAINO (ESP)
Laura STANELYTE (LTU)
Dominika Ewa KULWICKA (POL)
Beatrice Ionela FERENT (ROU)
Aleksandra SKIRENKO (RUS)
Zeynep YETGIL (TUR)
Khrystyna Zoryana DEMKO (UKR)

57kg
Hanna VAHER (BLR)
Sezen Behchetova BELBEROVA (BUL)
Josefine Maria PURSCHKE (GER)
Erika BOGNAR (HUN)
Aurora RUSSO (ITA)
Othelie Annette HOEIE (NOR)
Patrycja GIL (POL)
Denisa Iuliana FODOR (ROU)
Viktoriia VAULINA (RUS)
Kristina CINTALANOVA (SVK)
Eda TEKIN (TUR)
Alina HRUSHYNA AKOBIIA (UKR)

59kg
Celina Michelle DENZ (AUT)
Krystsina SAZYKINA( BLR)
Maria Victoria BAEZ DILONE (ESP)
Anne Beatrice NUERNBERGER (GER)
Tamara DOLLAK (HUN)
Ineta DANTAITE (LTU)
Anastasia NICHITA (MDA)
Magdalena Urszula GLODEK (POL)
Aleksandra NITSENKO (RUS)
Anna FABIAN (SRB)
Elvira KAMALOGLU (TUR)
Solomiia VYNNYK (UKR)

62kg
Tatsiana PAULAVA (BLR)
Raya Zhanetova KYOSEVA (BUL)
Kelsey BARNES (GBR)
Debora LAWNITZAK (GER)
Elena ESPOSITO (ITA)
Anhelina LYSAK (POL)
Mariia LACHUGINA (RUS)
Cansu AKSOY (TUR)
Tetiana RIZHKO (UKR)

65kg
Albina DRAZHI (ALB)
Viktoryia Alesia DZEHTSIARENKA (BLR)
Nerea PAMPIN BLANCO (ESP)
Eyleen SEWINA (GER)
Elma ZEIDLERE (LAT)
Irina RINGACI (MDA)
Kamila Czeslawa KULWICKA (POL)
Amina Roxana CAPEZAN (ROU)
Dinara KUDAEVA SALIKHOVA (RUS)
Linnea Antonia SVENSSON (SWE)
Asli DEMIR (TUR)
Kateryna ZELENYKH (UKR)

68kg
Natallia BELSKAYA (BLR)
Siyka Todorova IVANOVA (BUL)
Kendra Augustine Jocelyne DACHER (FRA)
Ewelina Weronika CIUNEK (POL)
Adina Ionela IRIMIA  (ROU)
Vusala PARFIANOVICH (RUS)
Tindra Linnea SJOEBERG (SWE)
Nesrin BAS (TUR)
Oksana CHUDYK (UKR)

72kg
Anastasiya ZIMIANKOVA (BLR)
Kornelija ZAICEVAITE (LTU)
Wiktoria CHOLUJ (POL)
Maria larisa NITU (ROU)
Marina SUROVTSEVA (RUS)
Zsuzsanna MOLNAR (SVK)
Merve PUL (TUR)
Anastasiya ALPYEYEVA (UKR)

76kg
Hanna MASLAKOVA (BLR)
Bernadett NAGY (HUN)
Enrica RINALDI (ITA)
Kamile GAUCAITE (LTU)
Ewelina KACZYNSKA (POL)
Diana Elena VLASCEANU (ROU)
Evgeniia ZAKHARCHENKO (RUS)
Andela PRIJOVIC (SRB)
Aysegul OZBEGE (TUR)
Romana VOVCHAK (UKR)

#WrestleBudapest

Budapest Ranking Series 2026 Day 1 Results & Highlights

By Vinay Siwach

BUDAPEST, Hungary (July 15) -- The last stop for the Ranking Series in Budapest will kick off with Freestyle. Wrestlers in  57kg, 61kg, 65kg, 70kg, 74kg and 86kg will take the mat and aim to win the medals.

Wrestling UWW+

WATCH LIVE | LIVE MATCH ORDER

86kg semifinals: Rakhim MAGAMADOV (FRA) moves into the 86kg final after a 10-0 win over Nan CAO (CHN) using leg lace to score his points. He seemed injured at the end and needed medical assistance. He will, if healthy, wrestle Vladimeri GAMKRELIDZE (GEO) for the gold medal after the Georgian defeated compatriot Tornike SAMKHARADZE (GEO), 12-4.

74kg semifinals: Feng LU (CHN) with a stepout in the final second of the 74kg semifinals against Murad KURAMAGOMEDOV (HUN) to complete a stunning, 2-2, criteria win and advance to the final. He will now face former 70kg world champion Nurkozha KAIPANOV (KAZ) who got the better of Muhammed BESIR (TUR). Besir led 2-2 on criteria but Kaipanov got on the legs and scored exposure for two points, a counter from Besir made it 4-4 criteria lead for Besir. However, Kaipanov did not let go off his hold and exposed Besir again to win 6-4. Besir challenged the scoring but lost it to add one more point to Kaipanov's score.

70kg semifinals: Akaki KEMERTELIDZE (GEO) stuns world silver medalist Tulga TUMUR OCHIR (MGL), 3-2, in the semifinals. He will face Ridge LOVETT (USA) for the gold medal after the American pinned U23 world champion Kanan HEYBATOV (AZE).

65kg semifinals: Shamil MAMEDOV (BUL) reaches his second straight Ranking Series final after a 10-0 win over Mohit KUMAR (IND). He used a strong gut-wrench and leg lace to complete a 10-0 win over Kumar. He will now try to claim the gold medal when he faces Abbas EBRAHIMZADEH (IRI) who got the better of Vishal KALIRAMANA (IND), 5-5 on criteria. Up 2-1, Ebrahimzadeh gave up a takedown and turn but countered the next attempt and scored two points. He also scored a turn to take the criteria lead and the win.

61kg semifinals: Tolga OZBEK (TUR) gives Turkiye a finalist in Budapest after beating Adilet ALMUKHAMEDOV (KAZ), 15-7, in a high-scoring semifinal. Ozbek with constant takedowns that rattled Almukhanmedov. Ozbek will now try to beat another Kazakhstan wrestler for the gold medal when he takes on Assyl AITAKYN (KAZ) in the final. Aitakyn reached the final after beating DEEPAK (IND), 2-1, in the other semifinal. Deepak, who won gold at the Ulaanbaatar Open, failed to find any opening in the second period in which Aitakyn scored a takedown for two points.

57kg semifinals: An 11-0 victory for AMAN (IND) over European champion Islam BAZARGANOV (AZE) in the 57kg semifinals. Aman works stepouts in the first period and Bazaganov is called passive as well. A takedown and turn make it 7-0 for Aman at the break. He comes back to score a takedown and one turn using Figure 4 to win

For the gold medal, Aman will take on Roberti DINGASHVILI (GEO) who blanks Nurdanat AITANOV (KAZ), 4-0, in the others semifinal. He scored two points in each period for the win.

Semifinals will start soon after the last quarterfinals.

13:30: Murad KURAMAGOMEDOV (HUN) scores eight points in the second period and beats Sagar JAGLAN (IND), 8-1, at 74kg. He scored a stepout before getting a point for Jaglan's passivity to add to the takedown he scored. He then comes out with big throw for four points to make it 8-1 and secure the win.

13:15: Shamil MAMEDOV (BUL) blanks Nachyn KUULAR (KAZ), 10-0, at 65kg. No trouble for Mamedov as he scored five different takedowns for an easy win advance to the semifinals

12:52: Meirambek KARTBAY (KAZ) scored the opening takedown on AMAN (IND) in their 57kg bout he could not sustain the pressure and counter Aman's relentless attacks. Aman eventually wins 10-3 

12:43: At 70kg, Tulga TUMUR OCHIR (MGL) and Iszmail MUSZUKAJEV (HUN) traded four pointers but it was Tumur Ochir who did it in the last minute and pinned Muszukajev. Tumur Ochir led 2-0 after two activity clock points but Muszukajev hit a four-pointer soon after to make it 4-2. He challenged asking for more points but there were none in that sequence, losing the challenge. Tumur Ochir, lead 4-3 now, scored a stepout but Muszukajev still had a 4-4 criteria lead. Then both went in a bear hug position and Tumur Ochir hit the throw for four and the fall.

12:38: A huge win for Murad KURAMAGOMEDOV (HUN) as he takes out European champion Taimuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK), 5-0, at 74kg. Kuramagomedov blocked out Salkazanov who failed to find any scoring moves.

12:30: European champion Islam BAZARGANOV (AZE) with scores off two counters to beat RAHUL (IND), 5-3, at 57kg. Both were called passive but it was Bazarganov who scored a stepout and takedown to maintain a lead.

12:25: Sagar JAGLAN (IND), who won gold medal at the Ulaanbaatar Open, produces the leg lace and rolls to a 10-0 win over Sangho HAN (KOR) at 74kg.

12:22: Ali SAVADKOUHI (IRI) and his conditioning gave up against Tornike SAMKHARADZE (GEO). Leading 5-0 in the 86kg bout, Savadkouhi dropped the match 15-5 and 15 seconds remaining.

12:15: Peiman BIABANI (CAN) got two points for Quentin STICKER (FRA) passivity and then stuck to that lead despite giving up a point. Sticker, down 2-1, tried a few moves late in the bout but Biabani managed to counter it and score four points and win 6-1 at 65kg.

12:10: Farhad NOURI (UWW), a refugee wrestlers and European bronze medalist, starts his 74kg campaign with a technical superiority 10-1 win over Jorge GATICA (CHI). Here's Nouri's story.

12:05: Nachyn KUULAR (KAZ) manages to secure a fall over U23 European champion Magomedkhan MAGAMEDKHANOV (BLR) using a cradle and advance at 65kg.

12:00: Rakhim MAGAMADOV (FRA) moves into the next round at 86kg after Bolat SAKAYEV (KAZ) abandons the bout due to injury. It seemed that Sakayev hit head first on the mat that caused the bleeding. Magamdov was leading 4-0 when the stoppage occured.

11:50: Stunning result for Giorgi GONIASHVILI (GEO) as he pins Zelimkhan ABAKAROV (ALB) at 61kg. Abakarov had a comfortable 6-0 lead but Goniashvili used a head pinch for four points and then pinned Abakarov who tried find a foul in the move but there was none.

11:30: Ebrahim ELAHI (IRI) stuns Asian champion ABHIMANYOU (IND) at 70kg. Elahi scores a takedown and then rolls Abhimanyou four times for a technical superiority win.

10:45: Shamil MAMEDOV (BUL) begins with a technical superiority win over Adil OSPANOV (KAZ) at 65kg. Mamedov competed at the Ulaanbaatar Open and reached the final. He was on the verge of upsetting Rahman AMOUZAD (IRI) in the final as he led 8-0. But Amouzad mounted a comeback and won 17-10.

10:45: Nachyn KUULAR (KAZ) controls the first match against Ali KHORRAMDEL (IRI) throughout and wins 13-2 at 65kg. Khorramdel opened a few attacks but Kuular never looked in trouble. He even had a solid cardio