#WorldClubsCup

Iran and Turkey to Meet in FR World Clubs Cup Final

By Ali Feizasa

BABOL, Iran (December 14) - Teams from Iran and Turkey advanced to the final match of 2018 Freestyle Clubs World Championships in Babol City, Iran.  Both sides went undefeated on the day and finished with 3-0 records to qualify for the final.

Iran's Bimeh Razi Babol had an easy job in pool A with their pair of Iranian and Russian stars in the lineup.

In the opening match, the host team beat the Team Ukraine, 9-1. The first and the last win for Ukraine came at 57kg, where Taras MARKOVYCH (UKR) dominated Nader HAJAGHANIA, 14-3. Marovych, a U23 world bronze medal winner, finished all his opening day bouts with technical victories. 

In arguably the most important match, 70kg, 2016 world champion and 2018 European gold medal winner, Magomed KURBANALIEV (RUS), earned a 2-1 win over Ukraine's Semen RADULOV. At 79 kg, 2018 world bronze medal winner Akhmed GADZHIMAGOMEDOV (RUS) defeated Alfes DOLIDZE (UKR) by technical fall, 13-3. Also, 2018 U23 world champion Kamran GHASEMPOUR (IRI) added a technical fall victory for Team Babol, defeating Andril GYKA (UKR), 10-0.

In their second-round matchup, Team Babol downed Team Hungary, 10-0. 

After being absent for nearly two years, five-time world and Olympic medal winner, Hassan RAHIMI (IRI), stepped on the mat and defeated Karoly KISS (HUN), 10-0. It was Rahimi's first appearance since winning the 2017 World Cup title.

In other matches, 2018 92kg world bronze medalist, Alireza KARIMI (IRI), moved down to 86kg and edged Patrik SZUROVSZKI (HUN), 12-0.

In the third round of pool A, two Iranian sides met to determine the first finalist of the tournament, but Bimeh Razi Babol came out on top against Setaregan Sari, 9-1.

This year's Asian Games bronze medal winner, Reza ATRI (IRI) (57kg), former Asian champion, Behnam EHSANPOOR (IRI)(61kg), and two-time Asian medal winner Meysam NASIRI (IRI) (65kg) claimed victories and gave Team Babol the 3-0 lead.

Magomed Kurvanaliev (70kg) and Akhmed Gadzhimgomedov (79kg) added two more victories and secured the win for their team.

Mostafa HOSSEINKHANI (IRI) (74kg), Alireza KARIMI (IRI) (86kg), Mohammad Javad EBRAHIMI (IRI) (92kg), and Hamed TALEBI ZARRINKAMAR (IRI) (97kg) added three other victories for Babol, giving them the 9-0 lead.

At heavyweight, Bimhe's Iranian youngster Abbas FOROUTAN (IRI) didn’t compete against Yadollah MOHEBI (IRI). Foroutan was the 2018 junior world champion at 92kg, and it seems he'll be a future star of Iran at the senior level. 

In pool B, Team Turkey opened the tournament with a 6-4 win against Team India, then earned an 8-2 victory over Georgia. They also beat Kyrgyzstan, 6-4, and will meet Iran's Bimeh Razi Babol in the final.

Ahmet BILICI (86kg), Semih YAZICI (92kg) and Bekir ERYUCEL (125kg) were three Turkish wrestlers who finished all their matches undefeated.

On the final day, Iran's Bimeh Razi meets Team Turkey for the team title, and Iran's Setaregan Sari will compete against  Georgia's Raindi for third place.

Results

Groups standings:
Pool A: 1- Bimeh Razi Babol (Iran) 2- Setaregan Sari (Iran) 3- Ukraine Club 4- Hungary Club
Pool B: 1- Turkey Club 2- Raindi (Georgia) 3- Kyrgyzstan club 4- India club

Round 1

Pool A
Bimeh Razi Iran df. Ukraine, 9-1
57kg- Taras MARKOVYCH (UKR) df. Nader HAJAGHANIA (Bimeh) by Tech Fall, 14-3 
61kg- Behnam EHSANPOOR (Bimeh) df. Volodymyr BURUKOV (UKR), 7-2
65kg- Mehran NASIRI (Bimeh) df. Pavlo VYZIR (UKR), 6-0
70kg- Magomed KURBANALIEV (Bimeh) df. Semen RADULOV (UKR), 2-1
74kg- Reza AFZALI (Bimeh) df. Mukhammed ALIEV (UKR), 12-4
79kg- Akhmed GADZHIMAGOMEDOV (Bimeh) df. Alfes DOLIDZE (UKR) by Tech Fall, 13-3
86kg- Kamran GHASEMPOUR (Bimeh) df. Andril GYKA (UKR)  by Tech Fall, 10-0
92kg- Mohammad Javad EBRAHIMI (Bimeh) df. Bohdan HRYTSAI (UKR) by Tech Fall, 13-2
97kg- Hamed TALEBI ZARRINKAMAR (Bimeh) df. Andriy VLASOV (UKR), 5-0
125kg- Amin TAHERI (Bimeh) df. Danylo KARTAVY (UKR), 6-4

Setaregan Sari df. Hungary, 10-0
57kg- Amir PARASTEH (Setaregan) – No wrestler
61kg- Mehran SHEIKHI (Setaregan) df. Karoly KISS (HUN) by Tech Fall, 10-0
65kg- Abolfazl HAJIPOUR (Setaregan) – No wrestler
70kg- Mehdi YEGANEH JAFARI (Setaregan) df. Csaba VIDA (HUN), 10-1
74kg- Hossein ELYASI (Setaregan) df. Botond IUKACS (HUN) by Tech Fall, 10-0
79kg- Bahman TEYMOURI (Setaregan) df. Milan MESTER (HUN) by Tech Fall, 10-0
86kg- Masoud MADADI (Setaregan) df. Patrik SZUROVSZKI (HUN) by Tech Fall, 10-0
92kg- Arashk MOHEBBI (Setaregan) df. Pejman FAZLOLLAHTABAR (HUN), 4-1
97kg- Amir MOHAMMADI (Setaregan) df. Hossein RAMEZANIAN (HUN), 4-2
125kg- Alireza GORZBAR (Setaregan) df. Mihaly NAGY (HUN) by Tech Fall, 10-0

Pool B

Georgia df. Kyrgyzstan, 9-1  
57kg- Lasha TALAKHADZE (GEO) df. Khurshid PARPIEV (KGZ), 9-5 
61kg- Otari GOGAVA (GEO) df. Ikromzhon KHADZHIMURODOV (KGZ), 7-1 
65kg- Giorgi REVAZISHVILI (GEO) df. Ravil SAMAT UULU (KGZ), 6-1  
70kg- Adelit MAMATAEV (KGZ) df. Levani KELEKHSASHVILI (GEO), 5-5
74kg- Daviti TLASHADZE (GEO) df. Elaman DOGTURBEK UULU (KGZ) by FALL 
79kg- Aleksandre SATHVADZE (GEO) df. Bekten ABDIMUSA (KGZ), 11-3 
86kg- Giorgi KVATADZE (GEO) df. Dinislambek TAALAIBEK UULU (KGZ) by FALL 
92kg- Mukhran NARSAVIDZE (GEO) df. Symbat SULAIMANOV (KGZ) by FALL 
97kg- Mamuka KORDZAIA (GEO) df. Kunai NURDAVLETOV (KGZ) by Tech Fall, 11-0 
125kg- Rolandi ANDRIADZE (GEO) df. Ayan ALYMOV (KGZ) by Tech Fall, 10-0 

Turkey df. India, 6-4 
57kg- Ravi KUMAR (IND) df. Ali KARABOGA (TUR), 9-2
61kg- Saban KIZILTAS (TUR) df. MANDEEP (IND) by Tech Fall, 10-0 
65kg- HARPHOOL (IND) df. Sedat OZDEMIR (TUR), 9-6
70kg- RAJNEESH (IND) df. Mustafa ZOPALI (TUR), 4-0
74kg- No Wrestler – Nazim KARA (TUR)
79kg- JITENDER (IND) df. Muhammet NURI KOTANOGLU (TUR), 4-1
86kg- Ahmet BILICI (TUR) df. PARVEEN (IND) by Tech Fall, 14-3 
92kg- No Wrestler – Semih YAZICI (TUR)
97kg- No Wrestler – Fatih YASARLI (TUR)
125kg- Bekir ERYUCEL (TUR) SATENDER (IND), 3-1

Round 2
Pool A

Bimeh Razi Iran df. Hungary, 10-0
57kg- No wrestler –Nader HAJAGHANIA (Bimeh)
61kg- Hassan RAHIMI (Bimeh) df. Karoly KISS (HUN) by Tech Fall, 10-0
65kg- No wrestler – Meysam NASIRI (Bimeh)
70kg- Mehran NASIRI (Bimeh) df. Csaba VIDA (HUN) by Tech Fall, 11-0
74kg- Mostafa HOSSEINKHANI (Bimeh) df. Botond IUKACS (HUN) by Tech Fall, 10-0
79kg- Akhmet GADZHIMAGOMEDOV (Bimeh) df. Milan MESTER (HUN) by Tech Fall, 11-0
86kg- Alireza KARIMI (Bimeh) df. Patrik SZUROVSZKI (HUN), 12-0
92kg- Mohammad Javad EBRAHIMI df. Pejman FAZLOLLAHTABAR (HUN) by forfeit
97kg- Abbas Foroutan (Bimeh) df. Hossein RAMEZANIAN (HUN) by forfeit
125kg- Amin TAHERI (Bimeh) df. Mihaly NAGY (HUN) by Tech Fall, 10-0

Setaregan Sari Iran df. Ukraine, 7-3
57kg- Taras MARKOVYCH (UKR) df. Amir PARASTEH (Setaregan) by Tech Fall, 12-2
61kg- Younes SARMASTI (Setaregan) df. Volodymyr BURUKOV (UKR) by Tech Fall, 12-0 
65kg- Abolfazl HAJIZADEH (Setaregan) df. Pavlo VYZIR (UKR), 12-5
70kg- Semen RADULOV (UKR) df. Mehdi YYEGANEH JAFARI (Setaregan), 6-6
74kg- Hossein ELYASI (Setaregan) df. Mukhammed ALIEV (UKR) by Tech Fall, 13-2 
79kg- Hamidreza ZARRINPEYKAR (Setaregan) df. Alfes DOLIDZE (UKR), 3-2 
86kg- Ali MOJERLOU (Setaregan) df. Andril GYKA (UKR), 8-2
92kg- Bohdan HRYTSAI (UKR) df. Arashk MOHEBI (Setaregan) by FALL
97kg- Amir MOHAMMADI (Setaregan) df. Andriy VLASOV (UKR), 4-2
125kg- Yadollah MOHEBI (Setaregan) df. Danylo KARTAVY (UKR), 8-3

Pool B
Turkey df. Georgia, 8-2
57kg- Ali KARABOGA (TUR) df. Lasha TALAKHADZE (GEO), 7-3
61kg- Otari GOGAVA (GEO) df. Saban KIZILTAS (TUR), 9-2 
65kg- Giorgi REVAZISHVILI (GEO) df. Sedat OZDEMIR (TUR), 11-10
70kg- Mustafa ZOPALI (TUR) df. Levani KELEKHSASHVILI (GEO), 4-3
74kg- Nazim KARA (TUR) df. Daviti TLASHADZE (GEO) by Tech Fall, 11-0
79kg- Muhammet NURI KOTANOGLU (TUR) df. Aleksandre SATHVADZE (GEO), by FALL
86kg- Ahmet BILICI (TUR) df. Giorgi KVATADZE (GEO) by FALL 
92kg- Semih YAZICI (TUR) df. Mukhran NARSAVIDZE (GEO), 5-2
97kg- Mamuka KORDZAIA (GEO) df. Fatih YASARLI (TUR), 3-2
125kg- Bekir ERYUCEL (TUR) df. Rolandi ANDRIADZE (GEO), 5-3

Kyrgyzstan df. India, 5-5 (24-20)
57kg- Ravi KUMAR (IND) df. Khurshid PARPIEV (KGZ) by Tech Fall, 11-0 
61kg- Ikromzhon KHADZHIMURODOV (KGZ) df. MANDEEP (IND), 6-3 
65kg- HARPHOOL (IND) df. Ravil SAMAT UULU (KGZ), 10-1
70kg- Adelit MAMATAEV (KGZ) df. RAJNEESH (IND), 6-3 
74kg- No Wrestler - Elaman DOGTURBEK UULU (KGZ)
79kg- JITENDER (IND) df. Bekten ABDIMUSA (KGZ), 11-2
86kg- PARVEEN (IND) df. Dinislambek TAALAIBEK UULU (KGZ) by FALL
92kg- No Wrestler - Symbat SULAIMANOV (KGZ)
97kg- No Wrestler - Kunai NURDAVLETOV (KGZ)
125kg- DEEPAK (IND) df. Ayan ALYMOV (KGZ), 9-5

Round 3
Pool A

Ukraine df. Hungary, 8-2
57kg- No wrestler - Taras MARKOVYCH (UKR)
61kg- Volodymyr BURUKOV (UKR) df. Karoly KISS (HUN) by Tech Fall, 10-0
65kg- Pavlo VYZIR (UKR) - No wrestler
70kg-Semen RADULOV (UKR) df. Csaba VIDA (HUN) by Tech Fall, 10-0 
74kg-Mukhammed ALIEV (UKR) df. Botond IUKACS (HUN), 5-4
79kg- Alfes DOLIDZE (UKR) df. Milan MESTER (HUN), 2-1
86kg- Patrik SZUROVSZKI (HUN) df. Andril GYKA (UKR), 4-2
92kg-Bohdan HRYTSAI (UKR) df. Pejman FAZLOLLAHTABAR (HUN) by Tech Fall, 11-0
97kg- Hossein RAMEZANIAN (HUN) df. Andriy VLASOV (UKR), 13-11
125kg- Danylo KARTAVY (UKR) df. Mihaly NAGY (HUN) by Tech Fall, 11-0

Bimeh Razi Iran df. Setaregan Sari Iran, 9-1
57kg- Reza ATRI (Bimeh) df. Amir PARASTEH (Setaregan), by Tech Fall, 11-0 
61kg- Behnam EHSANPOOR (Bimeh) df. Mehran SHEIKHI (Setaregan), 7-2
65kg- Meysam NASIRI (Bimeh) df. Farzad AMOUZAD KHALILI(Setaregan), 3-2
70kg- Magomed KURBANALIEV (Bimeh) df. Farhad NOURI (Setaregan) by Tech Fall, 12-1
74kg- Mostafa HOSSEINKHANI (Bimeh) df. Hossein ELYASI (Setaregan), 5-3
79kg- Akhmed GADZHIMAGOMEDOV (Bimeh) df. Bahman TEYMOURI (Setaregan), 3-3
86kg- Alireza KARIMI(Bimeh) df. Ali MOJERLOO by Tech Fall, 12-2
92kg- Mohammad Javad EBRAHIMI (Bimeh) df. Arashk MOHEBI (Setaregan), 8-2
97kg- Hamed TALEBI ZARRINKAMAR (Bimeh) df.Amir MOHAMMADI (Setaregan), 7-1
125kg- Yadollah MOHEBI (Setaregan) df. Abbas FOROUTAN (Bimeh) by Forfeit

Pool B

Georgia df. India, 5-5 (24-22)
57kg- Ravi KUMAR (IND) df. Lasha TALAKHADZE (GEO) by Tech Fall, 11-1 
61kg- MANDEEP (IND) df. Otari GOGAVA (GEO) by forfeit 
65kg- Giorgi REVAZISHVILI (GEO) df.HARPHOOL (IND), 3-3  
70kg- Levani KELEKHSASHVILI (GEO) df. RAJNEESH (IND), 4-2
74kg- Daviti TLASHADZE (GEO) – No wrestler 
79kg- JITENDER (IND) df. Aleksandre SATHVADZE (GEO), 6-2 
86kg- PARVEEN (IND) df. Giorgi KVATADZE (GEO) by FALL 
92kg- Mukhran NARSAVIDZE (GEO) – No wrestler
97kg- Mamuka KORDZAIA (GEO) – No wrestler 
125kg- SATENDER (IND) df. Rolandi ANDRIADZE (GEO), 6-2

Turkey df. Kyrgyzstan, 6-4
57kg- Ali KARABOGA (TUR) df. Khurshid PARPIEV (KGZ) by Tech Fall, 10-0 
61kg- Ikromzhon KHADZHIMURODOV (KGZ) df. Saban KIZILTAS (TUR) by Tech Fall, 19-8 
65kg- Ravil SAMAT UULU (KGZ) df. Sedat OZDEMIR (TUR), 9-4
70kg- Adelit MAMATAEV (KGZ) df. Mustafa ZOPALI (TUR), 6-4
74kg- Elaman DOGTURBEK UULU (KGZ) df. Nazim KARA (TUR), 4-3
79kg- Muhammet NURI KOTANOGLU (TUR) df. Bekten ABDIMUSA (KGZ) by Tech Fall, 10-0
86kg- Ahmet BILICI (TUR) df. Dinislambek TAALAIBEK UULU (KGZ) by Tech Fall, 10-0
92kg- Semih YAZICI (TUR) df. Symbat SULAIMANOV (KGZ)by FALL
97kg- Fatih YASARLI (TUR) df. Kunai NURDAVLETOV (KGZ) by Tech Fall, 11-0
125kg- Bekir ERYUCEL (TUR) df. Ayan ALYMOV (KGZ) by forfeit

Development

Strengthening the Skills of Coaches, Referees, and Administrators for the Development of Wrestling in Africa

By United World Wrestling Press

El Jadida, UWW Africa Center – (April 4) --- United World Wrestling Africa, under the leadership of its President, Fouad Meskout, Vice President of United World Wrestling, is firmly committed to the development of wrestling on the continent. In collaboration with the Royal Moroccan Wrestling Federation, a certification training was organized from March 23-29, 2025.

As a prelude to the 2025 African Championships, which will be held in Morocco in early May 2025, the UWW Africa Center in El Jadida hosted an extensive training program designed for coaches, referees, and administrators across Africa. This seven-day intensive program aimed to enhance the technical and administrative skills of key stakeholders in the development of wrestling on the continent.

A Pan-African Participation
Representatives from several African nations participated in this training session, demonstrating the growing commitment to developing wrestling across the continent. The participating countries included Angola, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Cameroon, Tunisia, South Africa, Guinea, and Morocco.

List of Participants:

  • Angola: Nseke Tiago Ndonga
  • Burkina Faso: Zinzere Wendpoulougo Augustae Daniel, Debe Blaise, Kabre Ousseni (President of the Federation)
  • Côte d'Ivoire: Coulibaly Yire Mariam Solange, Assalé Adje Jean-Claude Pamphille
  • Cameroon: Tsam Megom Gervais, Ngono Eyia Epse Ngoumou Edwige
  • Tunisia: Aymen Lamloumi
  • South Africa: Davel Donawan
  • Morocco: Kabil Driss, Najih Abdelhak, Ouled Ben Taliaa Redouane, Hatimi Youssef
  • Guinea: Sow Mamadou Bodo (Secretary General of the Federation)

UWWAParticipants walk through a training session with UWW Development Officier, Vincent AKA. (Photo: United World Wrestling)

A Well-Structured and Comprehensive Program

During this training, participants followed an intensive curriculum focused on the three key domains of wrestling development:

Coaches: Technical and methodological skill development, training plan design, performance management, and athlete safety.
Referees: Advanced rule analysis, positioning on the mat, competition management, and communication.
Administrators: Official communication management, utilization of UWW digital tools (Athena Platform, UWW Academy, Development Programs).

Under the supervision of renowned experts, including Vincent AKA (Coach Trainer and UWW Development Officer), Kamel Bouaziz (Referee Trainer), and Youssef Bouaziz (Administrator Trainer), participants received high-level training, equipping them with new skills to effectively contribute to the growth of wrestling in their respective countries.

Testimonials from Participants
📌 Kabil Driss (Coach, Morocco):
"I am proud and very happy to have participated in this training. We have built an extraordinary friendship with my fellow referees, coaches, and administrators. Thank you for your competence and warm participation in this seminar in Morocco. A big thank you to Mr. AKA, an exceptional leader in the development of wrestling in Africa. Your training and collaboration, as well as your educational system, have allowed us to learn and improve our understanding of our respective roles."

📌 Donovan Davel (South Africa):
"First of all, I would like to thank the Moroccan Wrestling Federation for organizing this wonderful training week. I also want to express my gratitude to the entire center’s team for their kindness and warm welcome. To the trainers Mr. Vincent, Kamel, and Youssef, your teaching was exceptional. It was a great privilege to be part of this program. I am convinced that we will all share this experience and the valuable knowledge gained in our respective countries to continue developing our beloved sport."

📌 Assalé Adje Jean-Claude Pamphille (Côte d’Ivoire):
"We return to our homeland with a great impression and a mind full of valuable knowledge. I cannot continue without reiterating my gratitude to our three trainers: our compatriot Vincent Aka (Coach Training Module), Bouaziz Med Kamel (Referee Training Module), and Youssef Bouaziz from the IT department (Administrator Training Module). Their expertise was undeniable. We return home with the necessary skills to improve our federation’s operations, especially for the benefit of our athletes."

UWWA1
Participants learn about the extensive training program designed for coaches, referees, and administrators at the UWW Africa Center in El Jadida.


Closing and Future Prospects
The training concluded on March 29, 2025, with an assessment of the knowledge acquired and a certificate award ceremony hosted by members of the Royal Moroccan Wrestling Federation. This initiative aligns with United World Wrestling Africa’s mission to professionalize and structure wrestling across the continent.

Present at the closing ceremony, Kabre Ousseni, the newly elected President of the Burkinabé Wrestling Federation, expressed his gratitude:

"I would like to thank the members of the Royal Moroccan Wrestling Federation for their presence, which added prestige to this ceremony. I also take this opportunity to commend President Fouad Meskout for his continuous efforts in developing wrestling on the continent."

With these newly acquired skills, the trained coaches, referees, and administrators are now better equipped to train and develop wrestling in their respective countries, contributing to the growth of this sport across Africa.

President Fouad Meskout emphasized:
"We are on the right track to overcome challenges together, and we will continue to organize development activities ahead of the African Championships."