#Trnava2018

India Inserts Trio into #Trnava2018 Greco-Roman Semifinals

By Eric Olanowski

TRNAVA, Slovakia (September 17) – The biggest surprise of the opening round at the #Trnava2018 2018 Junior World Championships was India inserting three wrestlers into tonight’s Greco-Roman semifinals. 

Led by last year’s Tampere bronze medalist Sajan SAJAN (IND), along with Vijay VIJAY (IND) and Sagar SAGAR (IND), India wrap up the first session that saw seven wins and only two defeats. 

Sajan, one of four returning 74kg Junior World medalists, will compete against Dmytro GARDUBEI (UKR) in the 77kg semifinals. The winner of that bout will have the opportunity to wrestle against the winner of reigning world champion Kamal BEY (USA) and Russia’s Islam OPIEV for the gold medal. 


Kamal BEY (USA), reigning World champion looks for a life in the opening round of the 2018 Junior World Championships. (Photo by Max Rose-Fyne) 

Bey, arguably the most electrifying Junior wrestler in the world, made the semifinals with an opening round technical superiority victory that was followed by two falls. 

Opiev, one of three Russians to make the semifinals stunned the Trnava crowd, upsetting reigning World runner-up Akzhol MAKHMUDOV (KGZ), 1-1 in the 77kg quarterfinals. Opiev’s win stopped the potential 74kg rematch of last year’s Tampere World Championships between Bey and Makhmudov, a match that United World Wrestling voted as the No. 2 Greco-Roman match of the year. 

Iran became the third nation to insert three wrestlers into semifinals with quarterfinal wins from Pouya NASERPOUR (IRI) (55kg), Amin MIRZAZADEH (IRI) (130kg), and Mohammadhadi SARAVI (IRI) (87kg). 

Semifinal action will resume tonight at 18:00. 

SEMIFINALS 
55kg
Nurtazin KERIMBERDI UULU (KGZ) vs. Pouya NASERPOUR (IRI) 
Vijay VIJAY (IND) vs. Tigran MINASYAN (ARM)

63kg
Azamat KAIROV (RUS) vs. Erbol BAKIROV (KGZ) 
Sagar SAGAR (IND) vs. Hassan Hassan MOHAMED (EGY)

77kg
Kamal Ameer BEY (USA) vs. Islam OPIEV (RUS) 
Dmytro GARDUBEI (UKR) vs. Sajan SAJAN (IND)

87kg 
Ilia ERMOLENKO (RUS) vs. Mohammadhadi SARAVI (IRI) 
Nazarshah FATULLAYEV (AZE) vs. Ramon Rainer BETSCHART (SUI)

130kg 
Cohlton Michael SCHULTZ (USA) vs. David OVASAPYAN (ARM)
Beka MAKARIDZE (GEO) vs. Amin MIRZAZADEH (IRI)

#UnitedWorldWrestling

UWW President Lalovic re-elected as IOC member

By United World Wrestling Press

MUMBAI, India (October 16) -- United World Wrestling President Nenad LALOVIC has been re-elected as an International Olympic Committee member at its 141st session in Mumbai, India on Monday.

Lalovic, also a member of the IOC Executive Board, was first elected as an IOC member in 2015 for an eight-year term. He was re-elected unanimously for a new eight-year term.

As an IOC EB member, Lalovic was first elected in 2018 and then re-elected in 2022 in Beijing for a four-year term. He also serves on the WADA Executive Committee and the ASOIF Council.

"It's a privilege to be part of the IOC," Lalovic said. "I am humbled by the continuous support of the IOC members. I will continue to work towards the success of the Olympic Movement."

The 65-year-old was the first wrestling president to be elected as an IOC member in 2015, two years after being elected as the president of UWW in February 2013. He worked to keep wrestling in the Olympic program, rebranding and modernizing the sport and is also credited for bringing transparency and accountability to the workings of the federation.

"Representing our wrestling family in the IOC and Olympic Movement is also a great honor," he said. "It's a sport that teaches a lot to everyone involved and it only makes me confident that I will use those values to work towards a better delivery of my position in the Olympic Movement."