Top Stories of the Decade

Wrestling Expands to Include Cadet, U23 and U15 World Championship Events

By Andrew Hipps

CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (December 25) -- Over the past decade, United World Wrestling has continued to expand its world championship events, reinstating the world championships for cadet wrestlers and adding world championship events for U23 and U15 wrestlers.

The first Cadet World Championships took place in 1975. However, it did not become an annual event on the competition calendar until 1987. Starting in 1987, the Cadet World Championships were contested for 13 consecutive years before being removed from the competition calendar after 1999. After a dozen years, the event was reinstated in 2011 and has once again become an annual world championship event that attracts the world's top 17-and-under wrestlers.

In 2017, United World Wrestling announced the addition of the U23 World Championships to its official competition calendar. The inaugural event took place that same year in Bydgoszcz, Poland. The U23 World Championships event was created following the success of the U23 European Championships in 2016 where more than 400 wrestlers from 34 nations competed for the continental gold. The large turnout was attributed to a desire by many national federations to give their top prospects a chance to compete in a meaningful federation-based championship.

Wrestling success tends to favor the young, with the average age of 2016 Olympic champion being just 23.1 years old for freestyle wrestling, 24.6 years in women’s wrestling and 27.5 years old in Greco-Roman.

In 2019, United World Wrestling held the World School Combat Games, the first-ever world championship event for U15 wrestlers, in Budapest, Hungary. Ten nations competed in freestyle and Greco-Roman, while seven competed in women’s wrestling. 

U-15 continental championship events were also held for Asia, Europe and the Americas.

#WrestleUlaanbaatar

Ulaanbaatar Open 2025 Ranking Series Entries

By United World Wrestling Press

ULAANBAATAR, Mongolia (May 19) -- The third stop of the Ranking Series will be in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. The competition will kick off on May 29 and continue till June 1.

Hosts Mongolia and India dominate entry list of over 200 wrestler. The UWW wrestlers will also have a significant presence.

The competition will be live on UWW+ on uww.org and the UWW App. Follow United World Wrestling on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, X and YouTube.

Note: These are preliminary entries and subject to change 72 hours before the draws of each style. For real time entries, refer to arena.uww.org

Freestyle 

57kg
RAHUL (IND)
AMAN (IND)
Abdymalik KARACHOV (KGZ)
Almaz SMANBEKOV (KGZ)
Roman BRAVO YOUNG (MEX)
Davaabandi MUNKH ERDENE (MGL)
Jiguur SARANTUYA (MGL)
Batmend ZORIGOO (MGL)
Bekir KESER (TUR)
Lev PAVLOV (UWW)

61kg
Georgii OKOROKOV (AUS)
UDIT (IND)
Bekzat ALMAZ UULU (KGZ)
Bekbolot MYRZANAZAR UULU (KGZ)
Ganbayar NAMSRAI (MGL)
Enkhbold ENKHBAT (MGL)
Bolor Erdene GANBOLD (MGL)
Dzmitry SHAMELA (UWW)
Artem GOBAEV (UWW)
Anzor MAZHIDOV (UWW)

65kg
ROHIT (IND)
Taiyrbek ZHUMASHBEK UULU (KGZ)
Ikromzhon KHADZHIMURODOV (KGZ)
Junsik YUN (KOR)
Zeneemeder BYAMBASUREN (MGL)
Gantulga BATBAATAR (MGL)
Battulga RAASH (MGL)
Ahmet DUMAN (TUR)
Dzhambulat KIZINOV (UWW)

70kg
Vishal KALIRAMANA (IND)
Mohammadali AMOUZAD (IRI)
Aliakbar FAZLI (IRI)
Jin su JEON (KOR)
Usukhbayar BAATARKHUU (MGL)
Ankh Erdene ALTANGEREL (MGL)
Khangaibayar GANBOLD (MGL)
Viktor RASSADIN (TJK)
Konstantin KAPRYNOV (UWW)
Zagir SHAKHIEV (UWW)

74kg
JAIDEEP (IND)
Hossein ABOUZARI (IRI)
Yones EMAMI (IRI)
Amirmohammad YAZDANI (IRI)
Orozobek TOKTOMAMBETOV (KGZ)
Burenjargal BATBAYAR (MGL)
Deleg SHINEBAYAR (MGL)
Tugsjargal ERDENEBAT (MGL)
Soner DEMIRTAS (TUR)

79kg
AMIT (IND)
Fariborz BABAEI (IRI)
Yeruult YADAMJAV (MGL)
Sukhbat GANSUKH (MGL)
Dalaitseren JAVKHLANKHUU (MGL)
Magomet EVLOEV (TJK)

86kg
ASHISH (IND)
Bekzat RAKHIMOV (KGZ)
Taegyu HWANG (KOR)
Byambadorj BAT ERDENE (MGL)
Dayanbileg GAN OCHIR (MGL)
Tamiraa TSEVEEN OCHIR (MGL)
Ganbat TSERENPUNTSAG (MGL)
Osman GOCEN (TUR)

92kg
Deepak PUNIA (IND)
Demchigdorj TUMURBAATAR (MGL)
Bayarbaatar SANJAASUREN (MGL)
Delgerdalai DEMBEREL (MGL)
Askhab SAADULAEV (UWW)

97kg
VICKY (IND)
Ahmad BAZRI (IRI)
Pureun KIM (KOR)
Gankhuyag GANBAATAR (MGL)
Sarantsogt DEMUUL (MGL)
Tuvshintur GANBAYAR (MGL)
Resul GUNE (TUR)
Uladzislau KAZLOU (UWW)
Bady Maadyr SAMDAN (UWW)
Irbeg TAVGAZOV (UWW)

125kg
DINESH (IND)
Altangerel CHINBAT (MGL)
Byamba Erdene DULAMKHUU (MGL)
Narantulga DARMAABAZAR (MGL)
Hakan BUYUKCINGIL (TUR)
Dzianis KHRAMIANKOU (UWW)
Abdulla KURBANOV (UWW)

Kerem KAMAL (TUR)
European champion Kerem KAMAL (TUR) will be at 63kg. (Photo: United World Wrestling Federation / Kostadin Andonov)

Greco-Roman

55kg
Anil MOR (IND)
Ulan MURATBEK UULU (KGZ)
Davaabandi MUNKH ERDENE (MGL)
Sumiyabazar MUNKHZAYA (MGL)
Alexander CUEVAS (SGP)

60kg
SURAJ (IND)
Akyl SULAIMANOV (KGZ)
Kurmanbek ZHAPAROV (KGZ)
Ganbayar NAMSRAI (MGL)
Enes BASAR (TUR)

63kg
CHETAN (IND)
Mohammad KESHTKAR (IRI)
Doolotbek CHOIBEKOV (KGZ)
Hanjae CHUNG (KOR)
Aref MOHAMMADI (QAT)
Kerem KAMAL (TUR)

67kg
NEERAJ (IND)
Razzak BEISHEKEEV (KGZ)
Murat FIRAT (TUR)

72kg
Ankit GULIA (IND)
Danial SOHRABI (IRI)
Yryskeldi KHAMZAEV (KGZ)
Zandanbat BATSAIKHAN (MGL)
Mehmet SAHIN (TUR)

77kg
Nishant PHOGAT (IND)
Yryskeldi MAKSATBEK UULU (KGZ)
Orgil NYAM ERDENE (MGL)
Lkhagvasuren DASHJAMTS (MGL)
Sumiyabazar ZANDANBUD (MGL)
Ahmet YILMAZ (TUR)

82kg
PRINCE (IND)
Bekzat ORUNKUL UULU (KGZ)
Shahin BADAGHIMOFRAD (QAT)
Burhan AKBUDAK (TUR)

87kg
Karan KAMBOJ (IND)
Asan ZHANYSHOV (KGZ)
Batbayar TSOGTBAATAR (MGL)
Alperen BERBER (TUR)

97kg
NITESH (IND)
Uzur DZHUZUPBEKOV (KGZ)

130kg
PREM (IND)
Erlan MANATBEKOV (KGZ)
Nambardagva BATBAYAR (MGL)
Turbat BATBAYAR (MGL)
Hamza BAKIR (TUR)

Orkhon PUREVDORJ (MGL)Orkhon PUREVDORJ (MGL) will wrestle at 62kg for Mongolia. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

Women's Wrestling

50kg
NEELAM (IND)
Oyundari GANBAT (MGL)
Purevtungalag MUNKHBAT (MGL)
Amar Orchlon AMGALANTUGS (MGL)
Evin DEMIRHAN (TUR)
Natalia PUDOVA (UWW)
Aiana UKHEEVA (UWW)

53kg
ANTIM (IND)
Namuuntsetseg TSOGT OCHIR (MGL)
Tsovoo GANKHUYAG (MGL)
Oyunbileg RENDOO (MGL)
Ariunzaya ODONCHIMEG (MGL)
Aysun ERGE (TUR)
Natalia MALYSHEVA (UWW)

55kg
PUSHPA (IND)
Otgontuya BAYANMUNKH (MGL)
Khulan BATKHUYAG (MGL)
Dulguun MUNKHBOLD BOLORMAA (MGL)
Tumendemberel NYAMDAVAA (MGL)

57kg
Ana PEREIRA (BRA)
NEHA (IND)
Enkhtuvshin BALJINNYAM (MGL)
Erdenebolor LKHAGVASUREN (MGL)
Munkhchimeg URJIN (MGL)
Elvira KAMALOGLU (TUR)

59kg
MUSKAN (IND)
Anudari BATKHUYAG (MGL)
Khorolgarav BOLDBAATAR (MGL)
Bayasgalan MONGOLKHUU (MGL)
Bediha GUN (TUR)

62kg
MANISHA (IND)
Tserenchimed SUKHEE (MGL)
Orkhon PUREVDORJ (MGL)
Saruul ERDENEBILEG (MGL)
Alina KASABIEVA (UWW)

65kg
SHIKSHA (IND)
Maitsetseg BAYARAA (MGL)
Odgerel ERDENE OCHIR (MGL)
Narkhajid NYAMSUREN (MGL)
Ekaterina KOSHKINA (UWW)
Valeriia DONDUPOVA SUVOROVA (UWW)

68kg
MONIKA (IND)
Balqis TAAIBIN (JOR)
Davaajargal ALTANSUKH (MGL)
Gantsetseg BATSUKH (MGL)
Batsuren MYAGMARSUREN (MGL)

72kg
HARSHITA (IND)
Bolortungalag ZORIGT (MGL)
Naidansuren BYAMBASUREN (MGL)
Tsogzolmaa DORJSUREN (MGL)
Kristina BRATCHIKOVA (UWW)

76kg
REETIKA (IND)
Tselmuun OTGONBAT (MGL)
Urtnasan GAN OCHIR (MGL)
Suvd Erdene KHURELCHULUUN (MGL)