#WrestleBudapest

'King Vlad' and Aliyev Highlight Loaded 65kg Euro OG Qualifier Bracket

Thursday, March 11, 2021 - 20:49 By Eric Olanowski

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BUDAPEST, Hungary (March 11) --- Despite owning a combined four world titles and three Olympic medals – including a London Olympic gold -- European superstars Vladimir KHINCHEGASHVILI (GEO) and Haji ALIYEV (AZE) are still looking to book their nation's tickets to the Tokyo Olympic Games.

They'll have to reach the finals at the European Olympic Qualifiers, which kicks off next Thursday, March 18-21 in Budapest, Hungary. But to do so, they'll have to navigate a loaded 65kg bracket that features 17 entries who have claimed a combined 14 world and Olympic medals (11 world / 3 Olympic).

Aliyev won gold at the '15 World Championships and locked up his nations' place at the Rio Olympic Games where he finished with a bronze medal. But, it was a different story after the '19 World Championships. The three-time world champ lost to fellow world champions Gadzhimurad RASHIDOV (RUS) and Takuto OTOGURO (JPN) in Nur-Sultan and finished in 12th place -- putting himself in unfamiliar territory. For the first time in his storied career, Aliyev is on the outside looking in at an Olympic qualifying event.

 

Khinchegashvili, on the other hand, is no stranger to missing out on an Olympic berth through the World Championships. Back in '11, "King Vlad" finished in seventh place at the Istanbul World Championships and failed to earn an Olympic berth for Georgia. Khinchegashvili ultimately qualified Georgia for the London Olympics through the '12 Olympic Qualifier and grabbed Olympic silver.

Now, the Rio Olympic champion is in a similar situation as he was back in '11 after he missed out on punching Georgia's ticket to the Tokyo Olympic Games with a 22nd-place finish in Nur-Sultan. In a UWW LIVE interview, Khinchegashvili said, "I will try to get the license at the European Olympic Qualifier. I think it won't be a problem and I'll compete well at the Tokyo Olympic Games." He continued, saying, "It won't be easy to qualify nor compete at the Olympics, but I am always ready for these situations."

Both Aliyev and Vlad will indeed have to be ready for all situations, as they'll share the bracket with loads of talent – including savvy veterans and rising stars.


Vladimir DUBOV (BUL) takes on Vladimir KHINCHEGASHVILI (GEO) at the '16 Rio Olympic Games. (Photo: Tony Rotundo)

Past Olympians Magomedmurad GADZHIEV (POL), Vladimir DUBOV (BUL) and Vasyl SHUPTAR (UKR) are entered at 65kg while rising star Vazgen TEVANYAN (ARM) received the nod for Armenia at 65kg.

Poland's two-time world medalist Gadzhiev will debut down at 65kg for the first time since the '18 World Championships. He's since competed up at 70kg, where he was a '19 world bronze medalist and a '20 Individual World Cup champion.

Two-time world medalist Dubov will try to qualify Bulgaria for the Olympic Games in just his fifth outing at 65kg. 

Ukraine pegged '15 world bronze medalist Shuptar as their guy to earn an Olympic berth at 65kg through the European Olympic Qualifier.

Despite his 24th-place finish at the '19 World Championships, Tevanyan earned the right to represent Armenia after his surprising breakout performance at the '20 Individual World Cup. He outscored his five opponents 43-3 and capped off his improbable run to World Cup gold with a 9-1 win over Hungary's '19 world bronze medalist Iszmail MUSZUKAJEV.

Wrestling at the European Olympic Qualifiers gets underway next Thursday (March 18-21) in Budapest and can be followed live on www.unitedworldwrestling.org.

65kg OG Qualifier Entries 
Vazgen TEVANYAN (ARM)
Haji ALIYEV (AZE)
Niurgun SKRIABIN (BLR)
Vladimir Vladimirov DUBOV (BUL)
Juan Pablo GONZALEZ CRESPO (ESP)
Ilman MUKHTAROV (FRA)
George Anthony RAMM (GBR)
Vladimer KHINCHEGASHVILI (GEO)
Alexander SEMISOROW (GER)
Georgios PILIDIS (GRE)
Abdellatif MANSOUR (ITA)
Elmedin SEJFULAU (MKD)
Magomedmurad GADZHIEV (POL)
George BUCUR (ROU)
David HABAT (SLO)
Selahattin KILICSALLAYAN (TUR)
Vasyl SHUPTAR (UKR)

#development

UWW and Inspire Institute of Sport host first-ever coaching course

Tuesday, July 8, 2025 - 13:22 By United World Wrestling Press

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VIJAYANAGAR, India (July 9) -- United World Wrestling hosted a international coaching course at Inspire Institute of Sport in India from June 27 to July 1.

This was the first-ever coaching course held in India under the partnership that UWW signed with IIS in 2024 to help develop wrestling in India. The Level 2 coaching course was led by July and was lead by Ahmed KHEDHRI (TUN).

"The group was distinguished by a wide diversity of experiences and backgrounds, which added a special richness to the discussions and allowed for fruitful exchanges of ideas and practices," Khedhri said. "The coaches’ enthusiasm and commitment to enhancing their knowledge and skills to serve wrestling in their respective countries were clearly evident. This positive interaction added a dynamic and engaging spirit to the course, making it a truly rich and effective educational experience."

The Level 2 coaching course focused on the designing and implementing of practice plans and had nine coaches from three countries namely India, Singapore, and Nigeria that participated in the course.

The course covered various topics including seven basic skills of wrestling, introduction to performance analysis designing effective practice sessions, risk management, mental development, Anti-Doping, environmental impact and included technical sessions. During the course, the coaches actively practiced and developed their skills through practical evaluations.

"The course was very successful and impactful. It was truly excellent, characterized by clarity, depth, and practical application that added real value for all participants. I feel deeply grateful and very excited, as this was our first education clinic, through which we have already seen many promising potentials and future opportunities," Rishabh CHAUHAN, Head of Sports Excellence Program at IIS, said.

INDParticipants at the  Level 2 coaching course work through designing and implementing a wrestling practice plan. (Photo: United World Wrestling)

Quotes from some of the participants:

Timothy Loh Yu (SGP)

“Completing the UWW Coaching Course Level 2 was an enriching experience that deepened my technical knowledge and coaching philosophy. The course focused on athlete-centered development, advanced planning, and effective communication. Key takeaways included structuring training cycles, integrating strength and conditioning, and applying sports science for better athlete management. Practical sessions improved my technical instruction and feedback skills. Overall, the course strengthened my confidence and commitment to continuous learning. The venue, facilities, accommodation, and the facilitation by Mr. Ahmed were also excellent and supported the success of the program.”

Gurpreet Kaur (IND)

“I would like to express my gratitude for facilitating the UWW Level 2 Coaches Course. The course was highly informative, engaging, and practical, covering key topics such as basic wrestling skills, training phases and periodization, video analysis, practice planning, nutrition and weight management, and athlete management. It has deepened my perspective as a coach and equipped me with practical tools to use in my training sessions. To further enhance learning, incorporating more case studies, video breakdowns of real matches, and live or recorded athlete demonstrations could strengthen technical and tactical understanding. Overall, the course struck a good balance between theory and real-life application.”

Blessing Oborududu (NGR)

“The UWW Level 2 Coaching Course has been a game-changer for me. I’ve gained practical skills to enhance my coaching, including analyzing and correcting techniques, planning effective training programs, and applying strength & conditioning and nutrition to optimize athlete performance. I’ve also developed leadership and communication skills to foster a supportive training environment. This course has truly elevated my coaching abilities and will help me better support my athletes’ growth and success.”