#WrestleSofia

Russia Strikes Gold to Defeat Iran in Freestyle Team Race at #WrestleSofia

Wednesday, July 31, 2019 - 20:22 By Taylor Miller

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Photo of Erfan Mohammad ELAHI (IRI) and Arip ABDULAEV (RUS).

SOFIA, Bulgaria – Russia produced three World champions on the final night of men’s freestyle action to edge out Iran by two points in the team race on Wednesday at the 2019 Cadet World Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria.

Winning gold medals at 51 kg, 60 kg and 71 kg, Russia collected 168 team points, while Iran went 1-2 in its gold-medal matches to finish with 166 points.

The first champion of the night for Russia was two-time U15 European champion Mukhamed KHANIEV (RUS). Wrestling at 51 kg, Khaniev defeated Zhakhongir AKHMAJANOV (KAZ), 10-5.

Following up Khaniev’s performance was Arip ABDULAEV (RUS), who is also a two-time U15 European champion.

Abdulaev won a crucial head-to-head over Iran’s Erfan Mohammad ELAHI (IRI), 9-6, in the 60 kg finals. The win was critical in helping push Russia past Iran in the team race.

Photo of Marc-Anthony MCGOWAN (USA).       

At the very next weight, 71 kg, Soslan TIGIEV (RUS) wrapped up his first World tournament with a Cadet World championship, defeating 2017 U15 Balkan champion Krisztian BIRO (ROU) in a 13-11 shootout.

Iran did win a gold medal at 92 kg as 2019 Cadet Asian champion Soheyl YOUSEFI SANGANI (IRI) outlasted Zagid KARIMOV (RUS), 3-1.

In the 43 kg gold-medal bout, 2018 Cadet Pan American freestyle and Greco-Roman champion Marc-Anthony MCGOWAN (USA) won the first medal of the tournament for the United States with a late takedown over 2019 Cadet Asian champion Ali Mehran ARAB FIROUZJAEI (IRI) for a 3-1 win.

Rounding out the top-five in the team race was India with 106 points, Japan with 83 points and USA with 78 points.

Finals results
45 kg
GOLD - Marc-Anthony MCGOWAN (USA) dec. Ali Mehran ARAB FIROUZJAEI (IRI), 3-1
BRONZE - Tolga OZBEK (TUR) dec. Suraj Sanju ANNIKERI (IND), 8-6
BRONZE - Murad HAGVERDIYEV (AZE) dec. Vladislav NIKANDROV (KGZ), 10-8

51 kg
GOLD - Mukhamed KHANIEV (RUS) dec. Zhakhongir AKHMAJANOV (KAZ), 10-5
BRONZE - Ato MARUYAMA (JPN) dec. Sunil SUNIL (IND), 3-2
BRONZE - Mykyta ABRAMOV (UKR) dec. Ali Abolfazl GHOLI ZADEGAN KOLOUKHI (IRI), 5-3

60 kg
GOLD - Arip ABDULAEV (RUS) dec. Erfan Mohammad ELAHI (IRI), 9-6
BRONZE - Yoshinosuke AOYAGI (JPN) df. Farhad KARIMLI (AZE), injury default
BRONZE - Viktor TASHOHLO (UKR) dec. Daviti ABDALADZE (GEO), 5-2

71 kg
GOLD - Soslan TIGIEV (RUS) dec. Krisztian BIRO (ROU), 13-11
BRONZE - Abolfazl VALIPOURKHATIR (IRI) dec. Kevin MAKOTA STROEM (SWE), 7-2
BRONZE - Alexander Joseph FACUNDO (USA) dec. Davit KUTCHUASHVILI (GEO), 5-2

92 kg
GOLD - Soheyl YOUSEFI SANGANI (IRI) dec. Zagid KARIMOV (RUS), 3-1
BRONZE - Bekzat TAZHI (KAZ) df. Gkivi BLIATZE (GRE), fall
BRONZE - Lyova GEVORGYAN (ARM) dec. Monu DAHIYA (IND), 7-4

Team standings
1. Russia – 168
2. Iran – 166
3. India – 106
4. Japan – 83
5. USA – 78
6. Uzbekistan – 68
7. Azerbaijan – 66
8. Ukraine – 59
9. Turkey – 58
10. Georgia – 54

 

#development

UWW Women in Wrestling Global Forum concludes in Paris

Thursday, December 7, 2023 - 14:26 By United World Wrestling Press

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PARIS, France (December 7) --- The UWW Women in Wrestling Global Forum 2023, held in Paris from December 2nd to 4th, concluded on its third day with a sense of achievement and empowerment among all participants. This transformative event united leaders and experts in a collective effort to advance women in the world of wrestling.

 

Day 1: Opening Ceremony and Empowering Training

The first day commenced with a morning opening ceremony featuring welcome messages from key figures in the wrestling community. Mr. Nenad Lalovic, President of UWW, Mr. Fabien CANU, INSEP Director General, Mr. Lionel Lacaze, President of the French Wrestling Federation, Ms. Rodica Yaksi – UWW Bureau Member and Ms. Deqa Niamkey, UWW Development Director expressed their commitment to fostering an inclusive and supportive environment in wrestling on a global scale.

Three priorities for advancing women in wrestling for UWW:

  1. Sustain Elite-Level Participation Growth:

Ensure continuous growth in elite-level participation across all domains (athletes, coaches, and referees).

  1. Promote Gender Equality through National Federation Policies:

Implement gender equality policies, focusing on increased inclusion of women in leadership roles.

Initiate the first steps of experience and practice at a national level through commissions, continental councils, NOC, Continental Confederations, etc.

  1. Foster Education Opportunities:

Maintain a commitment to education by providing opportunities through programs such as the WW Forum, WISH, Refereeing Courses, Athlete Scholarships, etc.

Following the opening ceremony, the day was dedicated to Women Empowerment Training led by Gabriela Mueller, focusing on goal-setting, self-leadership, and a leader's unique value proposition.

Day 2: Skill-Building and In-Depth Discussions

The second day continued with Women Empowerment Training in the morning, and in the afternoon, the event shifted to an engaging panel discussion on leadership challenges in wrestling. This insightful session, featuring distinguished speakers like Rodica Yaksi (TUR) - UWW Bureau Member, Csilla Ali (HUN) - General Secretary of the UWW European Council, and Buyana Pelje (MGL) - General Secretary of the UWW Asian Council, explored 21st-century leadership skills and group presentations on contemporary challenges. Skill-building sessions covered influence and persuasion skills, adopting a growth mindset, and mastering leadership fundamentals.

Day 3: Crossing the Finishing Line of Empowerment

On this final day, all participants collectively "crossed the finishing line" as they completed their empowering journey at the UWW Women in Wrestling Global Forum.

The day began with discussions on women leading in wrestling part II, with panelists such as Lise Le Grand (FRA) - Vice-Président of FRA NF; Board Member of the French National Olympic and Sports Committee (CNOSF), Jaimie McNabb (USA) - Sr. Manager of Women’s Freestyle, Emerging Programs and National Teams Services, and Deqa Niamkey (SUI) - UWW Development Director; Chair of ASOIF Sports Development and Education Group; Member of ASOIF Gender Equality and Diversity sharing valuable insights and providing a toolkit for success.

The Leadership Training segment continued with a focus on the power of online presence in the social media era. Panelists, including Dragana Saveva (MKD) - Secretary General of Wrestling Federation of the Republic of North Macedonia, Tin Bregovic (CRO) - Secretary General of the Croatian Wrestling Federation, and Yuri Maier (ARG) - 13x Pan-American Medalist, UWW Sport & Development Officer, IOC Athlete365 Career+ Lead Educator, ACODEPA Sports Manager, emphasized the importance of establishing a strong online presence and improving communication through social media. AI expert Gabriela Muller provided insights into the intersection of leadership and AI in the digital space.

The forum concluded with a closing ceremony, expressing gratitude to participants, panelists, and experts. All participants were acknowledged for their active engagement and insightful contributions, leaving them empowered and ready to tackle the challenges that lie ahead.

The UWW Women in Wrestling Global Forum 2023 has undoubtedly served as a significant milestone in promoting gender equality, skill development, and leadership empowerment within the wrestling community. As the event wrapped up, the sense of accomplishment and readiness to face challenges marked the beginning of a new era for women making their mark in the world of wrestling.