Bakir Bullies His Way to Second Consecutive European Title

Tuesday, June 4, 2019 - 19:20 By Eric Olanowski

PONTEVEDRA, Spain (June 4) – When you talk about unstoppable Turkish forces competing in the heavyweight division, you often hear names like Yasemin ADAR, Taha AKGUL, or Riza KAYAALP, all of which hold either world or Olympic titles. A name that soon may be added to that list of unstoppable Turkish greats could be Muhammet BAKIR (TUR). Though he doesn’t quite have the resume to stack up to those other Turkish superstars, Bakir, the son of 2001 European runner-up Fatih BAKIR (TUR), is well on his way to adding his name into those discussions.

Bakir, who holds an undefeated international record, just added a second consecutive European title to his resume and did so without surrendering a single point. En route to his 130kg Junior European title, Bakir outscored his four opponents 24-0, including a 4-0 shutout win in the gold-medal bout against Russia’s Osman SHADOV. He also blanked cadet world bronze medalist Tomasz Jacek WAWRZYNCZYK (POL), along with Robinzon ESADZE (GEO) and Dariusz VITEK (HUN).

Dating back to last year when Bakir won a world and European title at the cadet level, he’s compiled a 13-0 record and shutout 11 of those opponents. Maybe more impressive, Bakir has outscored his world and continental championship opponents 83-4.

The next time Bakir is expected to compete will be the Junior World Championships in Tallinn, Estonia (July 12-18).

Ilia ERMOLENKO (RUS) ended the 87kg gold-medal match after 68 seconds of wrestling. (Photo: Gabor Martin)

Russia Leads Georgia by 17 Heading into Final Day of Greco-Roman
The Russian Federation (100 points) heads into the final day of the Greco-Roman competition at the Junior European Championships with a 17-point lead over second place Georgia (83 points).

Russia medaled in all five weights on the second day of wrestling but fell short in three of their four gold-medal bouts. Their lone champion came at 87kg where Ilia ERMOLENKO (RUS) only need 68 seconds to put away David LOSONCZI (HUN) with a takedown and four consecutive gut wrenches.

Russia’s three silver-medal winners were Anvar ALLAKHIAROV, Khamid ISAEV, and Osman Shadov, who dropped the 55kg, 77kg, and 130kg gold-medal bouts, respectively. Their bronze-medal finisher was Adam GAUZHAEV who stuck Gytis KULEVICIUS (LTU) in the 63kg third-place match.

Pridon ABULADZE (GEO) scored seven unanswered points to steal the 55kg title from Anvar ALLAKHIAROV (RUS). (Photo: Gabor Martin)

Abuladze Scored Seven Unanswered to win 55kg Title
Georgian coaches, towing their nation’s flag, poured onto the mat as time expired after Pridon ABULADZE scored seven unanswered points to stun Anvar Allakhiarov, 7-6 in the 55kg gold-medal bout.

Abuladze trailed 6-0 but put together an impressive 7-0 run to steal the gold medal from his Russian opponent.

Early in the first period, Abuladze, who was working off a left side underhook, allowed Allakhiarov to limp arm out and sneak behind for the 2-0 lead. Abuladze’s Russian opponent quickly jumped to a trapped arm gut wrench and extended his lead to 4-0. Abuladze conceded a second opening-period takedown, a slick misdirection duck under, and trailed 6-0.

Before the whistle sounded to end the first period, Abuladze got on the board with an exposure and a step out. After being down by six points, Abuladze only trailed by three points heading into the final three minutes.

The match-deciding points came from a four-point arm spin in the second period, giving Abuladze the one-point advantage and ultimately the 55kg gold medal.

U23 world bronze-medal finisher won his first international gold medal with a 4-1 victory over Khamid ISAEV in the 77kg finals. (Photo: Gabor Martin)

Levai Wins 77kg Gold, His First International Title
Tamas LEVAI’s (HUN) resume is littered with top-three placements, and it may be hard to believe, but none have been gold-medal finishes. He’s a U23 world bronze-medal finisher, a multiple time European bronze medal finish, and now, Levai's a junior European champion.

Levai reached the top of the podium for the first time of his international career with a dominant 4-1 win over Russia’s Khamid ISAEV (RUS) in the 77kg finals. His Tuesday night win capped off arguably the most impressive and dominant runs to a 2019 Greco-Roman junior European title. To win his gold medal, Levai went 5-0, only surrendered one point and combined to outscore his five opponents 38-1.

Abdullah TOPRAK (TUR) overpowered Leri ABULADZE (GEO) in the 63kg gold-medal bout, 8-2. (Photo: Gabor Martin)

Toprak Torches Abuladze to Win 63kg Title
Abdullah TOPRAK (TUR) torched Leri ABULADZE (GEO) in the 63kg finals, scoring the overpowering 8-2 win.

The Turkish wrestler scored a step out and inactivity point in the first period and carried a 2-0 lead into the closing three minutes. To start the second period, Toprak found himself back peddling and tried to throw his Georgian opponent, but instead gave up two points and trailed 2-2 on criteria. In the second period, Torpak poured on the points, scoring two stepouts, and a tornado-like arm spin to win the gold medal, 8-2.

RESULTS

Team Scores (After Day 2)
GOLD - Russia (100 points)
SILVER - Georgia (83 points)
BRONZE - Turkey (66 points)
Fourth - Hungary (60 points)
Fifth - Belarus (50 points)

55kg
GOLD - Pridon ABULADZE (GEO) df. Anvar ALLAKHIAROV (RUS), 7-6
BRONZE - Artium DELEANU (MDA) df. Vladyslav KUZKO (UKR), 6-0
BRONZE - Zaur ALIYEV (AZE) df. Gevorg SUKIASYAN (ARM), 3-1

63kg
GOLD - Abdullah TOPRAK (TUR) df. Leri ABULADZE (GEO), 8-2
BRONZE - Aliaksandr PECHURENKA (BLR) df. Hrachya POGHOSYAN (ARM), 9-0
BRONZE - Adam GAUZHAEV (RUS) df. Gytis KULEVICIUS (LTU), via fall

77kg
GOLD - Tamas LEVAI (HUN) df. Khamid ISAEV (RUS), 4-1
BRONZE - Mikita KAZAKOU (BLR) df. Dmytro VASETSKYI (UKR), 11-6
BRONZE - Nika SHERBAKOVI (GEO) df. Arminas LYGNUGARIS (LTU), 3-1

87kg
GOLD - Ilia ERMOLENKO (RUS) df. David LOSONCZI (HUN), 8-0
BRONZE - Ihar YARASHEVICH (BLR) df. Jacob Edward LOGAARD (SWE), 7-1
BRONZE - Giorgi KATSANASHVILI (GEO) df. Michal Andrzej DYBKA (POL), 8-4

130kg
GOLD - Muhammet BAKIR (TUR) df. Osman SHADOV (RUS), 4-1
BRONZE - Dariusz Attila VITEK (HUN) df. Tomasz WAWRZYNCZYK (POL), 10-1
BRONZE - Nikola MILATOVIC (NOR) df. Raman ULASAU (BLR), 3-2

Development

Iraqi Wrestling Federation host 2nd course for Coaches and Referees

Tuesday, June 17, 2025 - 12:56 By United World Wrestling Press

Baghdad, Iraq (June 17) – The Iraqi Wrestling Federation continues to look to provide education for their coaches and referees. From May 25-30, the IRQ Federation hosted a Level 2 Coaching Course and the Introduction to Referee Course. These were conducted in conjunction with Olympic Solidarity and United World Wrestling. The coaching course was led by Mr. Hassan Madany (EGY) and the referee course was led by Mr. Hadi Hasan Ismael (IRQ).

The Level 2 coaching course focused on the designing and implementing of practice plans. There were 25 coaches that participated in the course. The participants The following topics were covered throughout the course: seven basic skills of wrestling, introduction to performance analysis designing effective practice sessions, and technical session. During the course, the coaches actively practiced and developed their skills through practical evaluations. “The atmosphere was comfortable and collaborative, creating an excellent learning environment. Everyone was eager to engage with the course content across various topics, but there was particular enthusiasm for match performance analysis and practical application. Notably, most participants were former international players, including some who competed in the London 2012 Olympics in the 130 kg Greco-Roman category, such as Coach Ali Nazem. Their presence significantly enhanced the course level, especially in the practical aspects. In the end, I was pleased to be part of this course and to work alongside such a distinguished group of coaches.” Said Mr. Madany.

The Introduction to Refereeing Course was the first-ever women-only course in Iraq. This course had 17 women who were new to refereeing. The participants learned the foundations of what it takes to be a great referee. The areas covered during the course included: safety of the athletes, evaluation of holds, referee mechanics, positioning, and controlling the bout. The participants were active during the course and were able to practice their skills through practical evaluations. “The course was conducted successfully and demonstrated strong organization throughout. The participants showed a high level of enthusiasm, which was clearly reflected in their active engagement during the sessions. Despite all attendees having no prior experience in wrestling, their overall performance was commendable. Several participants displayed exceptional comprehension and aptitude, which was evident in their practical application of refereeing skills during the championship held the day after the course concluded.” Said Mr. Hadi Hasan Ismael.

At the conclusion of the courses, the Iraqi Wrestling Federation organized a competition. The competition allowed the coaches and referees to directly practice the new skills that they learned.

“First of all, I would like to extend my sincere thanks and appreciation to the International Wrestling Federation and the Development Committee of the Federation for their continuous support in developing wrestling in Iraq. Regarding the training and refereeing course, which concluded with great success, the lecturers Hassan Madani and Hadi Hassan presented valuable and useful expertise and information, which was well received and appreciated by all participants”. said Mr. Shaalan Abdulkadhim, President of Iraqi Wrestling Federation.

IRQ Participants gather for a group photo following the conclusion of the Level 2 Coaching Course in Baghdad. (Photo: United World Wrestling)

Quotes from some of the participants:

“The course was of great importance, particularly due to the inclusion of practical applications, which proved to be the most engaging and beneficial aspect for the participants. These hands-on sessions complemented the theoretical lectures, which focused on thoroughly studying the core materials and concepts before transitioning to their practical implementation.” – Hoyam Jazea

“The course was very enjoyable and rich with valuable information that has already benefited us and will certainly be useful in the future. Although the duration of the course was short, the knowledge we gained was impactful and left a lasting impression. For future, I hope there will be more courses, as it would allow us to deepen our understanding and expand our knowledge of refereeing.” – Saja Tariq

"The overall impression of the Level 1 Wrestling Refereeing Course was very positive. It was a well-structured and fruitful course that provided a solid introduction to the fundamentals of wrestling, including basic techniques, refereeing principles, mat movement, and scoring methods. The theoretical component was clearly presented, and the instructor’s approach to delivering the material was excellent, making the information easy to understand and absorb.” – Rusul Falah

Bakir Bullies His Way to Second Consecutive European Title

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Iraqi Wrestling Federation host 2nd course for Coaches and Referees