#WrestleSamokov

Russia Wins Cadet Euro WW Team Title

Saturday, June 19, 2021 - 14:04 By United World Wrestling Press

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SAMOKOV, Bulgaria (June 18) --- Russia came into the final day of women’s wrestling at the Cadet European Championships with a four-point lead over Ukraine. After winning four of five medal matches on Friday night, they claimed the team title with 179 points. In the end, Russia finished 24 points ahead of Ukraine and picked up medals in nine weight classes – including a trio of titles.

Natalia KHRAMENKOVA (RUS) won Russia’s lone gold of the day, but they also earned three bronzes and a silver.

Ukraine and Belarus closed out the competition with a pair of Day Five champions and finished with 155 points. But when it was all said and done, Ukraine held criteria after winning three golds compared to Belarus’ pair of champions.

Ukraine’s pair of champions were Anastasiia POLSKA (40kg) and Iryna BONDAR (61kg). Polska pinned Alexandra VOICULESCU (ROU) and won her third European gold medal. She also won U15 European gold in ’19 and ’21. Ukrainian’s second Friday champion Bondar also scored a fall in the gold-medal match. She stuck Kseniya TSIARENIA (BLR) and improved on her runner-up finish from the ’19 U15 European Championships.

Sviatlana KATENKA (46kg) and Viktoryia RADZKOVA (69kg) were Belarus’ pair of champs. Katenka defeated Sofia FEDORCHENKO (RUS), 7-4, while Radzkova shutout Karolina Janina JAWORSKA (POL), 6-0.

RESULTS

40kg
GOLD - Anastasiia POLSKA (UKR) df. Alexandra VOICULESCU (ROU), via fall
BRONZE - Tana TIULIUSH (RUS) df. Veranika PRYLOUSKAYA (BLR)

46kg
GOLD - Sviatlana KATENKA (BLR) df. Sofia FEDORCHENKO (RUS), 7-4
BRONZE - Kornelia Nikolett LASZLO (HUN) df. Diana LATS (UKR), 2-0
BRONZE - Zenfira HASHIMOVA (AZE) df. Marina SATKOEVI (GEO), 5-0

53kg
GOLD - Natalia KHRAMENKOVA (RUS) df. Tuba DEMIR (TUR), 4-0
BRONZE - Volha HARDZEI (BLR) df. Oliwia MAKUCH (GER), via fall
BRONZE - Immacolata DANISE (ITA) df. Carla JAUME SOLER (ESP), 12-2

61kg
GOLD - Iryna BONDAR (UKR) df. Kseniya TSIARENIA (BLR), via fall
BRONZE - Busra EFE (TUR) df. Viktoria BORSOS (HUN), 5-2
BRONZE - Viktoriia KHUSAINOVA (RUS) df. Masa PEROVIC (SRB), 10-0

69kg
GOLD - Viktoryia RADZKOVA (BLR) df. Karolina Janina JAWORSKA (POL), 6-0
BRONZE - Alina RYBKINA (RUS) df. Iryna ZABLOTSKA (UKR), 3-2
BRONZE - Noemi OSVATH NAGY (HUN) df. Cassidy RICHTER (GER), 4-0

Esmaeili survives Jafarov shock to win ISG 2025 gold

Tuesday, November 18, 2025 - 18:51 By Vinay Siwach

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RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (November 18) -- He needed some strong defense to win the world title and on Tuesday, Saeid ESMAEILI (IRI) needed some clutch offense to beat Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE) for the second time in two one month.

Esmaeili and Jafarov clashed in the final of the 67kg weight class at the Islamic Solidarity Games 2025 in Riyad, Saudi Arabi and it seemed that the latter was on his way to upset the Olympic champion and avenge his loss from the World Championships final.

Down 3-3 on criteria, all seemed to be over for Esmaeili as the clock ticked down. In the last 10 seconds, Esmaeili worked on a double-arm lock and then managed to throw Jafarov in danger from standing for four points which changed the result and gave him the win.

Azerbaijan challenged the call but there was no change in the result and Esmaeili defeated Jafarov 8-3, to capture yet another gold medal this year after Asian and World Championships.

Saeid ESMAEILI (IRI)Saeid ESMAEILI (IRI) throws Aytjan KHALMAKHANOV (UZB) during their 67kg bout. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

In Zagreb, Esmaeili was put in par terre for third passivity call. Jafarov, down 2-1, needed a point to turn the result but he failed to score any points as Esmaeili defended the par terre position and captured his first world title.

Jafarov blamed a lapse in concentration in the final seconds that costed him the gold medal in Riyadh.

Gholamreza FAROKHI (IRI)Gholamreza FAROKHI (IRI) won his fourth gold medal this year. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

Iran's other world champion from Zagreb, Gholamreza FAROKHI (IRI) made it seem a little easier as he defeated former world U20 champion Islam YEVLOYEV (KAZ), 6-0, winning his third gold in one month.

Farokhi, who won gold at 82kg at the World Championships, moved to 87kg for U23 World Championships and won gold without giving up a point in Novi Sad. Just two weeks later, he now gold at 87kg on Tuesday.

Against Yevloyev in the final, Farokhi was awarded both par terre position which gave him a 2-0 lead. From the second par terre, he managed to score a point as he threw Yevloyev for a stepout. The Kazakhstan wrestler was docked two points for defensive foul making it 5-0.

Kazakhstan challenged the foul call but Yevloyev had clearly blocked Farokhi using his elbow on the Iranian's face. The lost challenged made it 6-0 for Farokhi, giving him the win.

Farokhi had a tough match in semifinals against world bronze medalist Asan ZHANYSHOV (KGZ) and needed a takedown in the final minute to win 7-6, first time he has shown some difficulty winning bouts.

Akzhol MAKHMUDOV (KGZ)Akzhol MAKHMUDOV (KGZ) won the 77kg gold medal at the Islamic Solidarity Games. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

Two other gold medals were awarded on Tuesday with former U23 world champion Alisher GANIEV (UZB) winning the 60kg one and two-time Olympic medalist Akzhol MAKHMUDOV (KGZ) marking his comeback with gold medal at 77kg.

Makhmudov, who has not wrestled in a full tournament since winning bronze in Paris, was in some form as he made no mistake in his run to the gold medal. In the final, he wrestled Amir ABDI (IRI) and performed a reverse lift throw for five points before securing the fall in the second period.

Abdi got the par terre position in the first period but Makhmudov defended the position, giving only a 1-0 lead to the Iranian. When he got the par terre position, he jumped to the front before performing the lift and holding Abdi on the mat for fall.

Ganiev, who defeated European champion Nihad MAMMADLI (AZE) in the quarterfinal, defeated Ali AHMADI VAFA (IRI) in the semifinal and humbled Ekrem OZTURK (TUR), 8-0, in the final.

RESULTS

60kg
GOLD: Alisher GANIEV (UZB) df. Ekrem OZTURK (TUR), 8-0

BRONZE: Ali AHMADI VAFA (IRI) df. Nihat MAMMADLI (AZE), 3-2
BRONZE: Sajjad ALBIDHAN (IRQ) df. Fergat ABDELKRIM (ALG), 5-1

67kg
GOLD: Saeid ESMAEILI LEIVESI (IRI) df. Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE), 8-3

BRONZE: Aytjan KHALMAKHANOV (UZB) df. Aref MOHAMMADI (QAT), 5-2
BRONZE: Razzak BEISHEKEEV (KGZ) df. Hassan ABDELREHIM (EGY), via fall (9-0)

77kg
GOLD: Akzhol MAKHMUDOV (KGZ) df. Amir ABDI (IRI), via fall (6-1)

BRONZE: Abdullo ALIEV (UZB) df. Ulvu GANIZADE (AZE), 2-2
BRONZE: Shahin BADAGHIMOFRAD (QAT) df. Sami SLAMA (TUN), via fall (8-1)

87kg
GOLD: Gholamreza FAROKHI (IRI) df. Islam YEVLOYEV (KAZ), 6-0

BRONZE: Sid BACHIR (ALG) df. Sukhrob ABDULKHAEV (TJK), 9-0
BRONZE: Asan ZHANYSHOV (KGZ) df. Islam ABBASOV (AZE), 5-1