#WrestleSofia

Iran Sends Four to Semifinals at Cadet World Championships

By Taylor Miller

Photo of Rahman Mousa AMOUZADKHALILI (IRI).

SOFIA, Bulgaria – There is a star-studded group today competing in the semifinals of the 2019 Cadet World Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria, including multiple World and Youth Olympic Games champions as well as several continental champions.

Iran put four of its five athletes into the semifinals on the first day of competition.

Highlighting the group is Rahman Mousa AMOUZADKHALILI (IRI), who is a returning Cadet World champion, winning gold at 45 kg in 2018. This year, he is wrestling at 48 kg and will face 2018 Cadet Pan American champion Stevo POULIN (USA) in the semis.

Amouzadkhalili also has a couple of continental championships under his belt, claiming gold medals at the 2018 and 2019 Cadet Asian Championships.

In the other semifinal, we’ll see a rematch of the 2019 Cadet Asian Championships bronze medal match with Kamronbek KADAMOV (UZB) taking on Udit UDIT (IND). The last time they wrestled, Kadamov walked away with the bronze medal after a 10-4 victory.

At 55 kg, two-time Cadet Asian bronze medalist Mahdi Mehrdad VEISI (IRI) will represent Iran in the semis. He finished fifth in the 2018 Cadet World Championships.

Tonight, Veisi will face Robert HOWARD (USA) in another Iran vs. USA matchup.

Howard is a 2018 Youth Olympic Games champion and owns top-10 finishes at the 2017 and 2018 Cadet World Championships.

Photo of Umidjon JALOLOV (UZB).

The other matchup at 55 kg features another 2018 Youth Olympic Games champion, Umidjon JALOLOV (UZB), who won at 45 kg. Jalolov is also a 2017 Cadet World champion at 42 kg.

A two-time Cadet Asian champion, Jalolov will go against 2019 Cadet European silver medalist and 2018 Cadet European bronze medalist Muhammet KARAVUS (TUR).

Others competing for Iran tonight are 2019 Cadet Asian champions Amirhossein Biglar FIROUZPOURBANDPEI at 80 kg and Salar Saeid HABIBIEHSAN at 110 kg.

Firouzpourbandpei will wrestle Denys SAHALIUK of Ukraine, while Habibiehsan will face Arsamag ZASSEEV from Russia.

Photo of  Dzhabrail GADZHIEV (AZE).

Zasseev is one of three Russians seeking a spot in the finals.

Also competing for Russia is 2018 U15 European Championships gold medalist and 2019 European Youth Olympic Festival silver medalist Batyrbek TSKHOVREBOV at 65 kg and 2018 U15 European champion Arslan BAGAEV at 80 kg.

Two other 2019 European Youth Olympic Festival are in the semifinal field at 65 kg as champion Dzhabrail GADZHIEV (AZE) will battle bronze winner Davit PATSINASHVILI (GEO) tonight.

Below are the remaining matchups.

The semifinals begin at 6 p.m. local time (11 a.m. ET). Fans can watch live on unitedworldwrestling.org.  

Semifinals matchups
48 kg   
Stevo Ross POULIN (USA) vs. Rahman Mousa AMOUZADKHALILI (IRI)
Kamronbek KADAMOV (UZB) vs. Udit UDIT (IND)

55 kg
Mahdi Mehrdad VEISI (IRI) vs. Robert Kelly HOWARD (USA)
Muhammet KARAVUS (TUR) vs. Umidjon JALOLOV (UZB)

65 kg
Manish GOSWAMI (IND) vs. Batyrbek TSKHOVREBOV (RUS)
Dzhabrail GADZHIEV (AZE) vs. Davit PATSINASHVILI (GEO)

80 kg
Amirhossein Biglar FIROUZPOURBANDPEI (IRI) vs. Denys SAHALIUK (UKR)
Emre CIFTCI (TUR) vs. Arslan BAGAEV (RUS)

110 kg
Salar Saeid HABIBIEHSANI (IRI) vs. Arsamag ZASSEEV (RUS)
Sergey SARGSYAN (ARM) vs. Giorgi CHIKHRADZE (GEO)

Development

Guatamala plays host to 2024 Educators' Course

By United World Wrestling Press

PETEN, Guatemala (November 20) — Nestled in the depths of the ancient Mayan Empire, Peten, Guatemala, served as the 2024 Educators' Course host city. This event brought together 11 educators, including three referees and eight coaches, all hailing from Latin America. The course was held on November 11–12 to equip participants with tools to enhance their professional education practice.

Throughout the course, participants engaged in various activities designed to deepen their understanding of adult learning principles, using formative assessments, effective feedback strategies, and integrating new technologies as valuable educational tools. Beyond listening to lectures, educators actively participated in practical micro-leadership activities, teaching their peers topics from the UWW education program.

Vincent AKA (CIV) and Zach ERRET (USA) delivered the training, with support from Yuri MAIER (ARG) and the presence of Deqa NIAMKEY, Director of Development at United World Wrestling.

As an added cultural experience, the educators visited the Tikal National Park, immersing themselves in the rich heritage of the ancient Mayan civilization. They also stayed at a hotel nestled in the heart of the Central American jungle, fostering team dynamics and strengthening bonds among the participants. This camaraderie lays a strong foundation for collaboration during future courses they will deliver.

Notably, of the 11 participants, seven had prior experience as educators. The new additions to the program showcased impressive aptitude and readiness to embrace this new challenge, particularly as they prepare for the upcoming Olympic cycle leading to Los Angeles 2028.

Mr. Francisco LEE LOPEZ and his team coordinated the course and ensured its success. Mr. LEE also addressed the participants, extending a warm welcome, expressing gratitude, and commending their dedication to advancing the development of wrestling in the region.

This enriching experience elevated the educators’ professional capacities and underscored their vital role in shaping the future of wrestling education in Latin America.