#WorldClubsCup

Iran's Bimeh Razi Wins FS World Clubs Cup Title for the Third Time

By Ali Feizasa

Iran’s team Bimeh Razi Babol captured the Freestyle Clubs World Championships for the third time in the last five years.

Bimeh Razi Babol defeated Turkey, 10-0, in the final match to win the title. The five-time world and Olympic medal winner Hassan RAHIMI (61kg), 2016 world champion Magomed KURBANALIEV (70kg), 2018 world bronze medal winner Akhmed GADZHIMAGOMEDOV (79kg) and two-time world bronze medal winner Alireza KARIMI (86kg) were titled wrestlers of the Iranian side who won the team title. 

“I had knee surgery after the Rio Olympic Games and I missed the events for about two years. I am very happy to be competing again. I love wrestling and it is like blood in my vessel.” Hassan Rahimi said after defeating Saban KIZILTAS (TUR) by technical fall.

“I cannot imagine my life without wrestling and I don’t know how I should retire in future. Surely that day will be the worst day of my life.”

“It was my first appearance at 61kg and I am satisfied with my performance. I had a successful surgery but it’s difficult to compete like the past times. The wrestlers who had knee surgery understand what I say,” Rahimi added.

“I have aimed to compete at 61kg in next World Championships but I should think for Olympic Games. I should choose between 57kg and 65kg and it depends on the future situation.”

For third place, Iran’s Setaregan Sari beat Georgia’s Raindi, 9-1, In the fifth-place match, Ukraine beat Kyrgyzstan, 7-3, while India finished in seventh after winning their match against Hungary by a final score of 7-3.

Final: Bimeh Razi Iran df. Turkey, 10-0
57kg- Reza ATRI (Bimeh) df. Ali KARABOGA (TUR) by forfeit

61kg- Hassan RAHIMI (Bimeh) df. Saban KIZILTAS (TUR)  by Tech Fall, 10-0|
Competing after about two years absence, five-time Olympic and world medal winner Hassan Rahimi collected four points in first 30 seconds by a single leg takedown and gut wrench. Rahimi added another takedown to win first period 6-0.

In the second period, Rahimi scored four additional points from a takedown and gut wrench to win by 10-0 technical fall victory.

65kg-Meysam NASIRI (Bimeh) df. Sedat OZDEMIR (TUR) by Tech Fall, 13-2
With a four-point throw, 2016 Asian champion Nasiri finished first period 6-2. Nasiri added seven points by several takedowns to win the match by 13-2. 

70kg- Magomed KURBANALIEV (Bimeh) df. Mustafa ZOPALI (TUR), 12-2
Just ten seconds after starting the match, 2016 World Champion Kurbanaliev collected eight points by a four-point throw and two gut wrench. The Russian wrestler added four more points to earn 12-2 technical fall victory and gave his team the 4-0 lead. 

74kg- Mostafa HOSSEINKHANI df. Nazim KARA (TUR) by forfeit

79kg- Akhmet GADZHIMAGOMEDOV (Bimeh) df. Muhammet NURI KOTANOGLU (TUR) by Tech Fall, 10-0
Two and a half minutes was enough for 2018 World bronze medal winner Gadzhimagomedov to beat KOTANOGLU 10-0. Gadzhimagomedov took four points by two headlocks.

86kg- Alireza KARIMI (Bimeh) df. Ahmet BILICI (TUR), 5-0
Two-time world bronze medal winner Alireza Karimi didn't find himself in any trouble and defeated BILICI, 5-0.

92kg-Mohammad Javad EBRAHIMI (Bimeh) df. Semih YAZICI (TUR), 12-1
Asian champion Ebrahimi finished the first period 7-1 by consecutive gut wrenches. Ebrahimi added five points to finish the match, 12-1.

97kg- Hamed TALEBI ZARRINKAMAR (Bimeh) df. Fatih YASARLI (TUR) by forfeit

125kg- Amin TAHERI (Bimeh) df. Bekir ERYUCEL (TUR) by Tech Fall, 11-0
In the first minute of the match,  Taheri gathered six points with a takedown and two gut wrenches. The two-time U23 world bronze medalist added three more points, finishing the first period with the 9-0 advantage. Taheri earned two points by takedown and won the match, 11-0. 

Third place match: Setaregan Sari Iran df. Raindi Georgia, 9-1
57kg-Amir PARASTEH (Setaregan)df.  Lasha TALAKHADZE (GEO), 5-4
61kg- Younes SARMASTI (Setaregan) df. Otari GOGAVA (GEO) by forfeit 
65kg- Abolfazl HAJIPOUR (Setaregan) df. Giorgi REVAZISHVILI (GEO) by  forfeit 
70kg- Mehdi YEGANEH JAFARI (Setaregan) df. Levani KELEKHSASHVILI (GEO),6-3
74kg- Hossein ELYASI (Setaregan) df. Daviti TLASHADZE (GEO), 12-9
79kg- Hamidreza ZARRINPEYKAR (Setaregan) df. Aleksandre SATHVADZE (GEO) 
86kg- Masoud MADADI (Setaregan) df. Giorgi KVATADZE (GEO) by forfeit 
92kg- Arashk MOHEBI (Setaregan) df. Mukhran NARSAVIDZE (GEO) by Tech Fall, 10-0
97kg- Amir MOHAMMADI (Setaregan)df. Mamuka KORDZAIA (GEO), 6-3
125kg- Rolandi ANDRIADZE (GEO) df. Yadollah MOHEBI (Setaregan) by forfeit 

Fifth place match: Ukraine df. Kyrgyzstan, 7-3
Seventh place match: India df. Hungary, 7-3

Obituary

Georgia's Nugzari Tsurtsumia, 2019 world champion, dies at 27

By United World Wrestling Press

CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (July 3) -- Nugzari TSURTSUMIA (GEO), a 2019 world champion, passed away Wednesday at the age of 27 years in his hometown Khobi, Georgia. The young star's death has left United World Wrestling and the entire wrestling community saddened.

The 27-year-old recently competed at the Budapest Ranking Series in June and won a bronze medal in the Greco-Roman 55kg weight class, the same weight he has won two silver and two bronze medals at the World Championships. Apart from the five medals at the World Championships, Tsurtsumia also won four at the European Championships -- a silver and three bronzes.

At the age group level, Tsurtsumia accomplished much. He completed the set of medals at the European Championships, winning bronze at the U17 level, gold and two bronzes at the U20 and two golds at the U23 level.

In the age-group World Championships, Tsurtsumia was the U23 world champion in 2018 and a silver and bronze medalist at the U20 level.

His remarkable achievement came in Nursultan at the 2019 World Championships when he rocked the field to become the world champion. He outscored his opponents 34-3 in four bouts to win the gold, Georgia's first at the World Championships in 12 years.

United World Wrestling, Georgian Wrestling Federation and the wrestling community mourns the death of an incredible talent. Their thoughts are with the Tsurtsumia family in their time of grief.