#WrestleBucharest

U23 European Championships entry list

By Eric Olanowski & Vinay Siwach

BUCHAREST, Romania (March 10) -- The 2023 U23 European Championships are set to take place in Bucharest, Romania from March 13 to 19 with eleven wrestlers trying to defend their titles.

The tournament will feature some of the top young wrestlers from across Europe, with a few who have tasted success at the senior level as well.

Leading the pack are Alex SZOKE (HUN), Turan BAYRAMOV (AZE), Georgios KOUGIOUMTSIDIS (GRE), Turpal BISULTANOV (DEN), Irina RINGACI (MDA), Andreea ANA (ROU) and Oleksandra KHOMENETS (UKR) among others.

A few of these wrestlers will also enter the European Championships a month later and the U23 tournament will be the perfect warm-up for the wrestlers trying to win a medal in Zagreb in April.

In freestyle, Azerbaijan is bringing a strong team with Georgia and Turkey. In Greco-Roman, Georgia will look to defend its team title as three returning champions and two more world medalists are part of the team.

In women's wrestling, Ukraine will once again be the team to beat but as Turkiye showed last year, it cannot be taken lightly.

Vladimeri GAMKRELIDZE (GEO)A rematch between Vladimeri GAMKRELIDZE (GEO) and Gerogios KOUGIOUMTSIDIS (GRE) is expected at 79kg. (Photo: UWW / Kostadin Andonov)

Freestyle 

57kg
Edik HARUTYUNYAN (ARM)
Nuraddin NOVRUZOV (AZE)
Ivaylo TISOV (BUL)
Luka GVINJILIA (GEO)
Niklas STECHELE (GER)
Ghennadi DIUVENJI (MDA)
Besir ALILI (MKD)
Rafal SZEWC (POL)
Valentin BARBULESCU (ROU)
Thomas EPP (SUI)
Tolga OZBEK (TUR)
Vladyslav ABRAMOV (UKR)

61kg
Mezhlum MEZHLUMYAN (ARM)
Aykhan ABDULLAZADA (AZE)
Stilyan ILIEV (BUL)
Adam BIBOULATOV (FRA)
Daviti ABDALADZE (GEO)
Simone PIRODDU (ITA)
Andrei VITAN (MDA)
Arben SEJDI (MKD)
Daniel RITTER (ROU)
Emre KURAL (TUR)
Andrii DZHELEP (UKR)

65kg
Tigran GHAZARYAN (ARM)
Rashid BABAZADE (AZE)
Bozhidar DZHOROV (BUL)
Khamzat ARSAMERZOUEV (FRA)
Goga OTINASHVILI (GEO)
Nico MEGERLE (GER)
Veniamin BORZIN (MDA)
Muhamed FERUKI (MKD)
Aminjon SADULLOEV (POL)
Daniel SANDU (ROU)
Dominik LARITZ (SUI)
Hamza ZOPALI (TUR)
Mykyta HONCHAROV (UKR)

70kg
Hayk PAPIKYAN (ARM)
Benedikt HUBER (AUT)
Magomed KHANIEV (AZE)
Muhammad ABDURACHMANOV (BEL)
Ivan STOYANOV (BUL)
Moukhammad SANGARIEV (FRA)
Davit PATSINASHVILI (GEO)
Shamil USTAEV (GER)
Egzon XHONI (KOS)
Pavel GRAUR (MDA)
Mateusz LUSZCZYNSKI (POL)
Eduard LENARD (ROU)
Shwe WIN (SWE)
Burak SININ (TUR)
Narek POHOSIAN (UKR

74kg
Menua YARIBEKYAN (ARM)
Turan BAYRAMOV (AZE)
Nikolay DIMITROV (BUL)
Magamed DELIEV (FRA)
Giorgi GOGRITCHIANI (GEO)
Balint BALAZS (HUN)
Raul ZARBALIEV (ISR)
Raul CASO (ITA)
Vasile DIACON (MDA)
Szymon WOJTKOWSKI (POL)
Krisztian BIRO (ROU)
Ismet CIFTCI (TUR)
Mykyta MORHUN (UKR)

79kg
Narek GRIGORYAN (ARM)
Sabuhi AMIRASLANOV (AZE)
Radomir STOYANOV (BUL)
Gabriel IGLESIAS RAMOS (ESP)
Vladimeri GAMKRELIDZE (GEO)
Georgios KOUGIOUMTSIDIS (GRE)
Max KASPEROVICH (ISR)
Eugeniu MIHALCEAN (MDA)
Mateusz PEDZICKI (POL)
Gigi SUBTIRICA (ROU)
Okan TAHTACI (TUR)
Vladyslav BODORIAK (UKR)

86kg
Knyaz IBOYAN (ARM)
Benjamin GREIL (AUT)
Farid JABBAROV (AZE)
Ilia HRISTOV (BUL)
Rakhim MAGAMADOV (FRA)
Daviti KOGUASHVILI (GEO)
Joshua MORODION (GER)
Angelos KOUKLARIS (GRE)
Akhmedkhan TEMBOTOV (ITA)
Ivan ICHIZLI (MDA)
Adam MODOSJAN (MKD)
Denis CHIRICA (ROU)
Ismail KUCUKSOLAK (TUR)
Vladyslav PRUS (UKR)

92kg
Sergey SARGSYAN (ARM)
Abduljalil SHABANOV (AZE)
Sali SALIEV (BUL)
Adlan VISKHANOV (FRA)
Andro MARGISHVILI (GEO)
Gkivi BLIATZE (GRE)
Ion DEMIAN (MDA)
Redjep HAJDARI (MKD)
Alexandru BESLIU (ROU)
Farhad ANOSHEH (SWE)
Muhammed GIMRI (TUR)
Roman RYCHKO (UKR)

97kg
Khachatur KHACHATRYAN (ARM)
Islam ILYASOV (AZE)
Kolyo DIMITROV (BUL)
Merab SULEIMANASHVILI (GEO)
Ertugrul AGCA (GER)
Richard VEGH (HUN)
Radu LEFTER (MDA)
Georgian TRIPON (ROU)
Oktay CIFTCI (TUR)
David MCHEDLIDZE (UKR)

125kg
Martin SIMONYAN (ARM)
Vakhit GALAYEV (AZE)
Georgi IVANOV (BUL)
Nika BERULAVA (GEO)
Azamat KHOSONOV (GRE)
Nicolae STRATULAT (MDA)
Uvejs FEJZULAHU (MKD)
Jakub CZERCZAK (POL)
Florin DREVE (ROU)
Efe Anil AL (TUR)
Volodymyr KOCHANOV (UKR)

Exacue MUKUBU (NOR)Exacue MUKUBU (NOR) is the U23 world champion at 82kg. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Greco-Roman

55kg
Karapet MANVELYAN (ARM)
Rahim HASANOV (AZE)
Giorgi TOKHADZE (GEO)
Ilias ZAIRAKIS (GRE)
Amare FETENE (ISR)
Leonid MOROZ (MDA)
Denis MIHAI (ROU)
Sabolc LOSONC (SRB)
Muhammet CAKIR (TUR)
Eduard STRILCHUK (UKR)

60kg
Suren AGHAJANYAN (ARM)
Elmir ALIYEV (AZE)
Aser EBRO RODRIGUEZ (ESP)
Dimitri KHACHIDZE (GEO)
Georgios SCARPELLO (GER)
Melkamu FETENE (ISR)
Adrian ANTON (ROU)
Mert ILBARS (TUR)
Vladyslav KUZKO (UKR)

63kg
Sahak HOVHANNISYAN (ARM)
Ziya BABASHOV (AZE)
Miroslav EMILOV (BUL)
Tino OJALA (FIN)
Giorgi SHOTADZE (GEO)
Ioannis PETKOS (GRE)
Abere FETENE (ISR)
Vitalie ERIOMENCO (MDA)
Mairbek SALIMOV (POL)
Petru ALEXE (ROU)
Ismail CULFA (TUR)
Andrii SEMENCHUK (UKR)

67kg
Ashot KHACHATRYAN (ARM)
Hasan MAMMADLI (AZE)
Ivo ILIEV (BUL)
Denis MERTL (CZE)
Gagik SNJOYAN (FRA)
Diego CHKHIKVADZE (GEO)
Shon NADORGIN (ISR)
Adomas GRIGALIUNAS (LTU)
Alexandr GURALI (MDA)
Aleksander MIELEWCZYK (POL)
Iosif IONESCU (ROU)
Michael PORTMANN (SUI)
Mustafa YILDIRIM (TUR)
Maksym LIU (UKR)

72kg
Klodjan SHEHU (ALB)
Hayk ASATRYAN (ARM)
Gurban GURBANOV (AZE)
Ilia MUSTAKOV (BUL)
Luka MALOBABIC (CRO)
Junior BENITEZ (ESP)
Joni KOMPPA (FIN)
Giorgi CHKHIKVADZE (GEO)
Aaron BELLSCHEIDT (GER)
Krisztofer KLANYI (HUN)
Giovanni ALESSIO (ITA)
Vilius SAVICKAS (LTU)
Kamil CZARNECKI (POL)
Igor BOTEZ (ROU)
Maurus ZOGG (SUI)
Oliver OLAH (SVK)
Abdullah TOPRAK (TUR)
Irfan MIRZOIEV (UKR)

77kg
Ashot KIRAKOSYAN (ARM)
Khasay HASANLI (AZE)
Michal ZELENKA (CZE)
Khvicha ANANIDZE (GEO)
Deni NAKAEV (GER)
Andreas VASILAKOPOULOS (GRE)
Attila TOESMAGI (HUN)
Aistis LIAUGMINAS (LTU)
Alexandrin GUTU (MDA)
Konrad KOZLOWSKI (POL)
Iulian LUNGU (ROU)
Aleksa ILIC (SRB)
Simon BORKENHAGEN (SWE)
Sahan ACAR (TUR)
Mykyta POLITAIEV (UKR)

82kg
Karen KHACHATRYAN (ARM)
Ismayil RZAYEV (AZE)
Ivaylo IVANOV (BUL)
Ivo SVIGLER (CZE)
Marcel HEIN (DEN)
Jonni SARKKINEN (FIN)
Saba MAMALADZE (GEO)
Ilias PAGKALIDIS (GRE)
Peter DOEMOEK (HUN)
Semion BREKKELI (MDA)
Exauce MUKUBU (NOR)
Adam GARDZIOLA (POL)
Vasile COJOC (ROU)
Branko KOVACEVIC (SRB)
Kadir KAMAL (TUR)
Madamin MIRZOIEV (UKR)

87kg
Hovhannes HARUTYUNYAN (ARM)
Mahammad AHMADIYEV (AZE)
Ivan MANOV (BUL)
Matej MANDIC (CRO)
Ondrej HAVELKA (CZE)
Turpal BISULTANOV (DEN)
Waltteri LATVALA (FIN)
Achiko BOLKVADZE (GEO)
Nikolaos IOSIFIDIS (GRE)
David LOSONCZI (HUN)
Gabriel LUPASCO (MDA)
Patrik GORDAN (ROU)
Muhittin SARICICEK (TUR)
Mykyta ALIEKSIEIEV (UKR)

97kg
Hayk KHLOYAN (ARM)
Murad AHMADIYEV (AZE)
Kaloyan IVANOV (BUL)
Vinko PRODANOVIC (CRO)
Kristian LUKAC (CRO)
Richard KARELSON (EST)
Lasha TVILDIANI (GEO)
Lucas LAZOGIANIS (GER)
Archontis XOURAS (GRE)
Alex SZOKE (HUN)
Mindaugas VENCKAITIS (LTU)
Roman BALCHIVSCHII (MDA)
Jakub ANTOSZEWSKI (POL)
Ionut GOSA (ROU)
Luka KATIC (SRB)
Maans KLOSTERMANN (SWE)
Fatih ONVERMEZ (TUR)
Oleksandr YEVDOKIMOV (UKR)

130kg
Albert VARDANYAN (ARM)
Sarkhan MAMMADOV (AZE)
Marcel ALBINI (CZE)
Giorgi TSOPURASHVILI (GEO)
Nikolaos NTOUNIAS (GRE)
Dominik KRAWCZYK (POL)
Gean ALI (ROU)
Muhammet BAKIR (TUR)
Mykhailo VYSHNYVETSKYI (UKR)

Irina RINGACI (MDA)Irina RINGACI (MDA) will look to defend her U23 European title in Bucharest. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Women’s Wrestling

50kg
Shahana NAZAROVA (AZE)
Emine OSMAN (BUL)
Taru VAINIONPAEAE (FIN)
Emma LUTTENAUER (FRA)
Szimonetta SZEKER (HUN)
Emanuela LIUZZI (ITA)
Gabija DILYTE (LTU)
Maria LEORDA (MDA)
Marija SPIRKOVSKA (MKD)
Amanda TOMCZYK (POL)
Ana PIRVU (ROU)
Khrystyna BASYCH (SVK)
Zehra DEMIRHAN (TUR)
Snizhana ONUFRIIEVA (UKR)

53kg
Gultakin SHIRINOVA (AZE)
Mihaela MIHOVA (BUL)
Chadia AYACHI (FRA)
Anastasia BLAYVAS (GER)
Maria FERONE (ITA)
Vestina DANISEVICIUTE (LTU)
Mariana DRAGUTAN (MDA)
Beatrice FERENT (ROU)
Zeynep YETGIL (TUR)
Liliia MALANCHUK (UKR)

55kg
Elnura MAMMADOVA (AZE)
Irena BINKOVA (BUL)
Laurie LESAFFRE (FRA)
Amory ANDRICH (GER)
Erika BOGNAR (HUN)
Immacolata DANISE (ITA)
Laura STANELYTE (LTU)
Mihaela SAMOIL (MDA)
Angelika MYTKOWSKA (POL)
Andreea ANA (ROU)
Jonna MALMGREN (SWE)
Melda DERNEKCI (TUR)
Mariia VYNNYK (UKR)

57kg
Zhala ALIYEVA (AZE)
Nazife TAIR (BUL)
Anna MICHALCOVA (CZE)
Celeste SION (FRA)
Naemi LEISTNER (GER)
Anna SZEL (HUN)
Aurora RUSSO (ITA)
Wiktoria KARWOWSKA (POL)
Georgiana Carla LIRCA (ROU)
Nellie FLORENTIN (SWE)
Nazar KAYA (TUR)
Oleksandra KHOMENETS (UKR)

59kg
Fatme SHABAN (BUL)
Amel REBIHA (FRA)
Nikolett SZABO (HUN)
Asia CRAPAROTTA (ITA)
Gabriele DILYTE (LTU)
Othelie HOEIE (NOR)
Ana PUIU (ROU)
JOVANA RADIVOJEVIC (SRB)
Evelina HULTHEN (SWE)
Ebru DAGBASI (TUR)
Solomiia VYNNYK (UKR)

62kg
Viktoria IVANOVA (BUL)
Viktoria VESSO (EST)
Ameline DOUARRE (FRA)
Kelsey BARNES (GBR)
Luisa SCHEEL (GER)
Elena ESPOSITO (ITA)
Alina ANTIPOVA (LAT)
Paulina DANISZ (POL)
Gabriela CUC (ROU)
Selvi ILYASOGLU (TUR)
Iryna BONDAR (UKR)

65kg
Birgul SOLTANOVA (AZE)
Gergana STOYANOVA (BUL)
Iva GERIC (CRO)
Iris THIEBAUX (FRA)
Gerda BARTH (GER)
Drosoula TZIANAKOPOULOU (GRE)
Bianca CONTRAFATTO (ITA)
Elma ZEIDLERE (LAT)
Amina CAPEZAN (ROU)
Masa PEROVIC (SRB)
Olha MASLOVSKA (SVK)
Nora SVENSSON (SWE)
Busra EFE (TUR)
Oksana CHUDYK (UKR)

68kg
Nigar MIRZAZADA (AZE)
Daniela BRASNAROVA (BUL)
Marta OJEDA NAVARRO (ESP)
Sophia SCHAEFLE (GER)
Karolina POK (HUN)
Laura GODINO (ITA)
Irina RINGACI (MDA)
Karolina KOZLOWSKA (POL)
Adina IRIMIA (ROU)
Zsuzsanna MOLNAR (SVK)
Nesrin BAS (TUR)
Manola SKOBELSKA (UKR)

72kg
Vanesa GEORGIEVA (BUL)
Milla ANDELIC (CRO)
Lilly SCHNEIDER (GER)
Noémi SZABADOS (HUN)
Wiktoria CHOLUJ (POL)
Paula ROTARU (ROU)
Tindra SJOEBERG (SWE)
Nazar BATIR (TUR)
Romana VOVCHAK (UKR)

76kg
Marta PAJULA (EST)
Laura KUEHN (GER)
Kamile GAUCAITE (LTU)
Marion BYE (NOR)
Elena MARGAS (ROU)
Fanni NAGY NAD (SRB)
Mehtap GULTEKIN (TUR)
Anastasiya ALPYEYEVA (UKR)

#WrestleSamokov

U20 World Championships 2025 Day 7 Highlights

By Vinay Siwach

SAMOKOV, Bulgaria (August 23) -- With four Greco-Roman weight classes, the U20 World Championships come towards the end. 63kg, 77kg, 87kg and 130kg wrestlers will be in action in Samokov, Bulgaria.

WATCH LIVE | LIVE MATCH ORDER | DAY 6 RESULTS

13:55: In the final match of the morning session, former world U17 champion Yusuf BAKIR (TUR) needed a stepout with 40 seconds remaining to beat Mazaim MARDANOV (AZE), 4-3 at 130kg. Bakir with a 3-0 lead after he scored a turn from par terre, Mardanov takes criteria lead with a exposure from par terre and he tries to defend his criteria lead. However, Bakir manages a pushout to win 4-3.

13:45: Abolfazl FATHITAZANGI (IRI), the returning silver medalist, is not troubled by a Hungarian wrestler as he beats Koppany LASZLO (HUN) in the 130kg semifinal. Fathitazangi scored three stepouts while Laszlo had two as the Iranian wins 4-2.

13:25: Elias LYYSKI (FIN) stops world U17 champion Amirsam MOHAMMADI (IRI) in the 87kg quarterfinal with a 6-4 win. After he led 6-0 in the first period, Lyyski holds on to it and only gives four points in the second period.

13:15: Senior Asian champion Aytjan KHALMAKHANOV (UZB) lets out a huge scream as he down European U20 champion Igor PUNCHENKO (UWW) in the 63kg quarterfinal. Khalmakhanov got his defense in the second period and defended his lead to win 6-4.  

13:05: Damir IBRASHOV (KAZ) needed a challenge to beat Tural AHMADOV (AZE), 1-1, at 63kg. Ibrashov had the criteria from first par terre but was cautioned for fleeing but Kazakhstan challenged the call and won it to win 1-1.

12:50: Returning world champion from 72kg Zaur BESLEKOEV (UWW), who is now at 77kg, has no trouble in seeing off Petro SHAFRANSKYI (UKR), 8-0. Beslekoev is looking to win his second straight title.

12:40: Abdurakhman ABDULKADYROV (UWW), the European silver medalist at U20s, pins Orkhan HAJIYEV (AZE) and advance at 87kg.

12:32: Anri PUTKARADZE (GEO), European U20 champion and former world U17 champion, enters the 77kg quarterfinals with a 5-3 win over Asian U23 champion Akzhan YKYLASSOV (KAZ)

12:30: Martin LJOSAAK (NOR) will be ruing the chances he missed as he drops his 87kg bout 11-9 against world U17 champion Amirsam MOHAMMADI (IRI). was down 10-7 but Mohammadi was cautioned for blocking but Ljosaak can't finish the match

12:20: Ilias LAAOUINA (NED) is on a hot run here in Samokov. He now beats European U20 bronze medalist Bende OLASZ (HUN) at 63kg and into the quarterfinals.

12:17: Igor PUNCHENKO (UWW) with a technical superiority 9-0 victory over Al Bara CHOPALAEV (EST) and reach the 63kg quarterfinals. Punchenko looking to complete the world and continental double.

12:15: Tural AHMADOV (AZE) with a first par terre advantage and he keeps it until the end of the bout to win 1-1 against GAURAV (IND) at 63kg and advance to the quarterfinals.

12:10: Senior Asian champion AYTJAN KHALMAKHANOV (UZB) with a first-period fall over Manato NAKAMURA (JPN) at 63kg and wins his opening bout. Khalmakhanov is a 2022 world U17 champion

11:45: No problems for returning silver medalist at 130kg Abolfazl FATHITAZANGI (IRI) as he pins Saba PURTSELADZE (GEO), a former world U17 champion.

11:35: Big match between European U20 silver medalist Davud MAMMADOV (AZE) and bronze medalist Samvel TERTERYAN (ARM) at 77kg. Both wrestlers can't turn from par terre but Terteryan got the first point and he holds on to his criteria lead to win win 1-1.

11:20: Luka KOCHALIDZE (GEO), European U20 champion at 87kg, with a close 2-1 victory over Branko DUKIC (SRB).

11:12: Amirsam MOHAMMADI (IRI), who was recently crowned world U17 champion in Greece, is tested by Antonio LUKAC (CRO) in his first 87kg bout but Mohammadi wins 3-1. Perhaps he is feeling the difference in strength in the upper age-group.

10:55: Returning world U20 bronze medalist at 87kg Temirlan TURDAKYN (KAZ) looked a little rusty but manages to see off Wojciech IWANOWSKI (POL), 3-2.

10:40: Ilias LAAOUINA (NED) with an upset win over Asian U20 champion Emirlan DUISHENALIEV (KGZ). He manages to score 8 points from par terre and win 9-0 at 63kg.

10:30: European U20 champion Igor PUNCHENKO (UWW) faces William EKEROT (SWE), a European U20 bronze medalist. After a slow start Punchenko finishes the match in the second period with a fall and advance at 63kg.