#WrestleNoviSad

U23 European C'ship Entries

By Eric Olanowski

NOVI SAD, Serbia (February 28) - United World Wrestling has released the rosters for the 2019 U23 European Championships, which take place March 4-10 at Novi Sad, Serbia's SPENS Sports Hall. 

Greco-Roman wrestling kicks off the seven-day tournament and will be followed by women's wrestling and freestyle. 

Freestyle 
57kg

Vaghinak MATEVOSYAN (ARM)
Islam BAZARGANOV (AZE)
Mikyay Salim NAIM (BUL)
Roberti DINGASHVILI (GEO)
Nico MEGERLE (GER) 
Gamzatgadzhi KHALIDOV (HUN)
Mihail LAPP (MDA) 
Haljit OSMAN (MKD)
Gary GIORDMAINA (MLT) 
Vasyl ILNYTSKYI (POL) 
Razvan Marian KOVACS (ROU) 
Amirkhan GUVAZHOKOV (RUS)
Martin GATIA L(SVK) 
Saban KIZILTAS (TUR)
Andrii YATSENKO (UKR)


Russia's 2018 junior world champion Abasgadzhi MAGOMEDOV (RUS) will at 61kg. (Photo: Sachiko Hotaka) 

61kg
Hrachya MARGARYAN (ARM)
Asgar MAMMADALIYEV (AZE)
Uladzislau KOIKA (BLR)
Carlos ALVAREZ IGLESIAS (ESP)
Teimuraz VANISHVILI (GEO)
Georgios PILIDIS (GRE)
Karoly KISS (HUN)
Natanel SAIDOV (ISR) 
Vitalie BUNICI (MDA) 
Elmedin SEJFULAU (MKD)
Costel TARCOCI (ROU) 
Abasgadzhi MAGOMEDOV (RUS)
Selehattin SERT (TUR)
Valentyn BLIASETSKYI (UKR)

65kg
Vazgen TEVANYAN (ARM)
Gabriel JANATSCH (AUT) 
Turan BAYRAMOV (AZE)
Dzianis MAKSIMAU (BLR)
Ilman MUKHTAROV (FRA)
George Anthony RAMM (GBR)
Edemi BOLKVADZE (GEO)
Justin MUELLER (GER) 
Roman ASHARIN (HUN)
Maxim SACULTAN (MDA) 
Fati VEJSELI (MKD)
Stefan Ionut COMAN (ROU) 
Saiyn KAZYRYK (RUS)
Elbrus CHERTKOEV (SVK) 
Selim KOZAN (TUR)
Ihor NYKYFORUK (UKR)

70kg
Gevorg MKHEYAN (ARM)
Ashraf ASHIROV (AZE)
Aliaksandr KURYSHTA (BLR)
Mihail Iliev GEORGIEV (BUL)
Iveriko JULAKIDZE (GEO)
Csaba VIDA (HUN)
Artem AUGA (LTU) 
Vasile DIACON (MDA) 
Andrew AZZOPARDI (MLT) 
Patryk Krzysztof OLENCZYN (POL) 
Razambek ZHAMALOV (RUS)
Taimuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK) 
Omer Faruk CAYIR (TUR)
Oleksii BORUTA (UKR)

74kg
Khachatur PAPIKYAN (ARM)
Dzhemal Rushen ALI (BUL)
Aimar ANDRUSE (EST)
Giorgi SULAVA (GEO)
Eduard TATARINOV (GER) 
Daniel ANTAL (HUN)
Andrius MAZEIKA (LTU) 
Gheorghi PASCALOV (MDA) 
Mateusz Dariusz KAMPIK (POL) 
Nikita SUCHKOV (RUS)
Akhsarbek GULAEV (SVK) 
Fazli ERYILMAZ (TUR)
Denys PAVLOV (UKR)



Radik VALIEV (RUS) will try to defend his U23 Euro title from a year ago. He'll wrestle at 79kg. (Photo: Gabor Martin) 

79kg
Simon Christian HARTMANN (AUT) 
Rashad YUSIFLI (AZE)
Uladzislau YELISEYEU (BLR)
Tariel GAPHRINDASHVILI (GEO)
Kevin LUCHT (GER) 
Botond LUKACS (HUN)
Dan Or TSESARSKY (ISR) 
Ivan ICHIZLI( MDA) 
Krzysztof Grzegorz SADOWIK (POL) 
Radik VALIEV (RUS)
Jakub SYKORA (SVK) 
Ramazan Ishak SARI (TUR)
Adlan BATAIEV (UKR)

86kg
Hovhannes MKHITARYAN (ARM)
Gadzhimurad MAGOMEDSAIDOV (AZE)
Arkadzi PAHASIAN (BLR)
Marchelo Ivanov KYUCHUKOV (BUL)
Daniel HERRERO AVERCHENCO (ESP)
Syerus ESLAMI (GBR)
Zaur BERADZE (GEO)
Johannes Martin DEML (GER) 
Patrik SZUROVSZKI (HUN)
Uri KALASHNIKOV (ISR) 
Gabriele DORO (ITA)
Andrian GROSUL (MDA) 
Bujamin NUISHI (MKD)
Michal Jan BIELAWSKI (POL) 
Arsen-Ali MUSALALIEV (RUS)
Arif OZEN (TUR)
Demid KARACHENKO (UKR)

92kg
Sargis HOVSEPYAN (ARM)
Shamil ZUBAIROV (AZE)
Aliaksei RUDZIANOK (BLR)
Alejandro CANADA PANCORBO (ESP)
Demur MEGENEISHVILI (GEO)
Ilja MATUHIN (GER) 
Bendeguz TOTH (HUN)
David LABKOVSKY (ISR) 
William RAFFI (ITA)
Gheorghe ERHAN (MDA) 
Batyrbek TCAKULOV (RUS)
Erhan YAYLACI (TUR)
Vasyl SOVA (UKR)


Georgia's reigning 97kg U23 world champion Givi MATCHARASHVILI will compete at 97kg. (Photo: Gabor Martin) 

97kg
Alimagomed ALIKHMAEV (AZE)
Dzianis KHRAMIANKOU (BLR)
Givi MATCHARASHVILI (GEO)
Erik Sven THIELE (GER) 
Kristof WITTMANN (HUN)
Simone IANNATTONI (ITA)
Lukas KRASAUSKAS (LTU) 
Shamil Alievitch MUSAEV (RUS)
Aleksandar PANTELIC (SRB)
Ibrahim CIFTCI (TUR)
Magamed ZAKARIIEV (UKR)

125kg
Islam Aslangereyvic ABUEV (AZE)
Vitali PIASNIAK (BLR)
Zuriko URTASHVILI (GEO)
Dominik KLANN (GER) 
Mihaly NAGY (HUN)
Samhan JABRAILOV (MDA) 
Kamil Tomasz KOSCIOLEK (POL) 
Vitalii GOLOEV (RUS)
Georgii NOGAEV (SVK) 
Huseyin Mehmet CIVELEK (TUR)
Yurii IDZINSKYI (UKR)


Six-time age-group world champion Zviadi PATARIDZE (GEO) has entered his named into the U23 European Championships. He'll try to defend his title from last season. (Photo: Max Rose-Fyne) 

Greco-Roman 
Norayr HAKHOYAN (ARM)
Ziyad ZEYNALOV (AZE)
Dzmitry RADZEVICH (BLR)
Enrick Jean Flavien BATAILLE (FRA)
Nugzari TSURTSUMIA (GEO)
Bence KOVACS (HUN)
Maksym VYSOTSKYI (ISR) 
Giovanni FRENI (ITA)
Artium DELEANU (MDA) 
Florin TITA (ROU) 
Viktor VEDERNIKOV (RUS)
Sebastian KOLOMPAR (SRB)
Ekrem OZTURK (TUR)
Vladyslav KOROSTELOV (UKR)

60kg
Armen MELIKYAN (ARM)
Ihar DROZD (BLR)
Ivo Krasimirov ILIEV (BUL)
Mikkel LASSEN (DEN)
Irakli DZIMISTARISHVILI (GEO)
Antonio MARTINS CABRAL (POR)
Razvan ARNAUT (ROU) 
Sadyk LALAEV (RUS)
Dejan PETROVIC (SRB)
Ardit FAZLJIJA (SWE)
Kerem KAMAL (TUR)
Zhora ABOVIAN (UKR)

63kg
Slavik GALSTYAN (ARM)
Mikayil RAHMANOV (AZE)
Aliaksandr PECHURENKA (BLR)
Nikalas Petrov SULEV (BUL)
Ott SAAR (EST)
Levani KAVJARADZE (GEO)
Andrej GINC (GER) 
Erik TORBA (HUN)
Cezary Bartosz NOWAK (POL) 
Julinho Benjamim CORREIA DJU (POR)
Mihai Irinel BOTEZ (ROU) 
Roman Aleksandrovich IVANOV (RUS)
Miljan DUKANOVIC (SRB)
Virgil Alexander BICA (SWE)
Abdullah TOPRAK (TUR)
Oleksandr HRUSHYN (UKR)

67kg
Aliaksandr LIAVONCHYK (BLR)
Nestar Nedkov NESTAROV (BUL)
Alejandro Ruslan CONCEPCION CASTILLO (ESP)
Giorgi KURTANIDZE (GEO)
Witalis LAZOVSKI (GER) 
Bence BALATONI (HUN)
Kristupas SLEIVA (LTU) 
Valentin PETIC (MDA) 
Morten THORESEN (NOR)
Mateusz Radoslaw SZEWCZUK (POL) 
Pedro Miguel DE MATOS OLIVEIRA DE MORAIS CA (POR)
Alexandru SOLOMON (ROU) 
Alen MIRZOIAN (RUS)
Sebastian NAD (SRB)
Flavio FREULER (SUI)
Haci KARAKUS (TUR)
Artur POLITAIEV (UKR)

72kg
Hrant KALACHYAN (ARM)
Christoph BURGER (AUT) 
Islambek DADOV (AZE)
Andrei DZIAMBITSKI (BLR)
Stoyan Stoychev KUBATOV (BUL)
Pavel PUKLAVEC (CRO)
Ramaz ZOIDZE (GEO)
Oliver KAJTAN (HUN)
Titas KERSEVICIUS (LTU) 
Valeriu TODEREAN (MDA) 
Juan Sebastian AAK (NOR)
Bartlomiej Daniel KLIMEK (POL) 
Magomed YARBILOV (RUS)
Aleksa ERSKI (SRB)
Denis HORVATH (SVK) 
Cengiz ARSLAN (TUR)
Ihor BYCHKOV (UKR)


Russia's 2018 junior world champion Islam OPIEV (RUS) will make his U23 debut at the U23 European Championships. (Photo: Max Rose-Fyne) 

77kg
Nasir HASANOV (AZE)
Anton SAKHNO (BLR)
Zahari Rosenov ZASHEV (BUL)
Antonio KAMENJASEVIC (CRO)
Daniel VARGA (CZE)
Matias Olavi Iisakki LIPASTI (FIN)
Beka MAMUKASHVILI (GEO)
Karan MOSEBACH (GER) 
Tamas LEVAI (HUN)
Luca DARIOZZI (ITA)
Paulius GALKINAS (LTU) 
Per Anders KURE (NOR)
Maksym ZAKHARCHUK (POL) 
George Vlad MARIEA (ROU) 
Islam OPIEV (RUS)
Andrija Luka MALETIN (SRB)
Norbert SIPKA (SVK) 
Khalid KERCHIYEV (SWE)
Serkan AKKOYUN (TUR)
Elmar NURALIIEV (UKR)

82kg
David HALBEISEN (AUT) 
Eltun VAZIRZADE (AZE)
Stanislau SHAFARENKA (BLR)
Svetoslav Nikolaev NIKOLOV (BUL)
Karlo KODRIC (CRO)
Vili Tapio ROPPONEN (FIN)
Aivengo RIKADZE (GEO)
Zotlan LEVAI (HUN)
Victor BUZU (MDA) 
Filip Piotr CHRZASZCZ (POL) 
Vaag MARGARIAN (RUS)
Branko KOVACEVIC (SRB)
Fabio DIETSCHE (SUI)
Hasan Basri YILDIRIM (TUR)
Vitalii ANDRIIOVYCH (UKR)

87kg
Nazarshah FATULLAYEV (AZE)
Anton KURS (BLR)
Yoan Danielov DIMITROV (BUL)
Ivan HUKLEK (CRO)
Toni Heikki Herman METSOMAEKI (FIN)
Gurami KHETSURIANI (GEO)
Dariusz Attila VITEK (HUN)
Mirco MINGUZZI (ITA)
Martynas NEMSEVICIUS (LTU) 
Gazi KHALILOV (RUS)
Zarko DICKOV (SRB)
Aleksandar Georgije STJEPANETIC (SWE)
Ali CENGIZ (TUR)
Semen NOVIKOV (UKR)

97kg
Arif NIFTULLAYEV (AZE)
Dzmitry KAMINSKI (BLR)
Ondrej DADAK (CZE)
Arvi Martin SAVOLAINEN (FIN)
Giorgi MELIA (GEO)
Jan ZIRN (GER) 
Michail IOSIFIDIS (GRE)
Robert ERSEK (HUN)
Marcel Adam KASPEREK (POL) 
Ruslan BEKUZAROV (RUS)
Boris PETRUSIC (SRB)
Damian VON EUW (SUI)
Ibrahim TIGCI (TUR)
Vladen KOZLIUK (UKR)

130kg
David OVASAPYAN (ARM)
Sarkhan MAMMADOV (AZE)
Bopembe Arsen SYCHEV (BLR)
Ante MILKOVIC (CRO)
Artur VITITIN (EST)
Konsta Johannes MAEENPAEAE (FIN)
Zviadi PATARIDZE (GEO)
Franz RICHTER (GER) 
Rafal Andrzej KRAJEWSKI (POL) 
Lenard Istvan BEREI (ROU) 
Oleg Kahaberovitch AGAKHANOV (RUS)
Boban ZIVANOVIC (SRB)
Osman YILDIRIM (TUR)
Vladyslav KOVALENKO (UKR)


Budapest bronze medalist Oksana LIVACH (UKR) is set to compete at 50kg the U23 Euro championships. (Photo: Max Rose-Fyne) 

Women's Wrestling 
50kg
Turkan NASIROVA (AZE)
Kseniya STANKEVICH (BLR)
Miglena Georgieva SELISHKA (BUL)
Bianka RECZI (HUN)
Ramona ERIKSEN (NOR)
Katarzyna KAMINSKA (POL) 
Maria Alexandra CIOCLEA (ROU) 
Nadezhda SOKOLOVA (RUS)
Aynur ERGE (TUR)
Oksana LIVACH (UKR)

53kg
Tatyana VARANSOVA (AZE)
Katsiaryna PICHKOUSKAYA (BLR)
Kremena Krasimirova PETROVA (BUL)
Annika WENDLE (GER) 
Agata Marta WALERZAK (POL) 
Suzanna Georgiana SEICARIU (ROU) 
Mariia TIUMEREKOVA (RUS)
Zeynep YETGIL (TUR)
Khrystyna BEREZA (UKR)

55kg
Jeannie Agnes KESSLER (AUT) 
Darya SINKAVETS (BLR)
Sezen Behchetova BELBEROVA (BUL)
Ellen RIESTERER (GER) 
Szimonetta Timea SZEKER (HUN)
Alicja CZYZOWICZ (POL) 
Andreea Beatrice ANA (ROU) 
Viktoriia VAULINA (RUS)
Pia KOCBEK (SLO)
Eda TEKIN (TUR)
Anastasiya KRAVCHENKO (UKR)

57kg
Valeryia YARMOLA (BLR)
Elena Heike BRUGGER (GER) 
Ramona GALAMBOS (HUN)
Dominika Ewa KULWICKA (POL) 
Aleksandra NITSENKO (RUS)
Elif YANIK (TUR)
Alina AKOBIIA (UKR)


Reinging junior world champion Anastasia NICHITA (MDA) will try to improve on her U23 Euro runner-up finishes from the past two season. She'll wrestle at 59kg.  (Photo: Max Rose-Fyne) 

59kg
Yuliya PISARENKA (BLR)
Erika BOGNAR (HUN)
Anastasia NICHITA (MDA) 
Zelfira SADRADDINOVA (RUS)
Anna FABIAN (SRB)
Emma Margareta Charlotte JOHANSSON (SWE)
Hatice Ece TEKIN (TUR)
Anhelina LYSAK (UKR)

62kg
Veranika IVANOVA (BLR)
Lydia PEREZ TOURINO (ESP)
Ameline DOUARRE (FRA)
Luzie MANZKE (GER) 
Daria BOBRULKO (RUS)
Maria JUHASZOVA (SVK) 
Derya BAYHAN (TUR)
Ilona PROKOPEVNIUK (UKR)

65kg
Kathrin MATHIS (AUT) 
Elis MANOLOVA (AZE)
Veranika EISMANT (BLR)
Yuliana Vasileva YANEVA (BUL)
Pauline Denise LECARPENTIER (FRA)
Noémi SZABADOS (HUN)
Hedda Haug STRAND (NOR)
Kriszta Tunde INCZE (ROU) 
Mariia KUZNETSOVA (RUS)
Elin Elisabeth FORSBERG (SWE)
Asli TUGCU (TUR)
Anastasiia LAVRENCHUK (UKR)


Russia's four-time age-group world champion Khanum VELIEVA (RUS) will try to imporve on her U23 Euro runner-up finish from a year ago. She's entered at 68kg.  (Photo: Max Rose-Fyne)

68kg
Jeyla NAGHIZADE (AZE)
Yauheniya ANDREICHYKAVA (BLR)
Natalia Iwona STRZALKA (POL) 
Khanum VELIEVA (RUS)
Kadriye AKSOY (TUR)
Alina RUDNYTSKA LEVYTSKA (UKR)

72kg
Anastasiya ZIMIANKOVA (BLR)
Alexandra Nicoleta ANGHEL (ROU) 
Evgeniia ZAKHARCHENKO (RUS)
Beste ALTUG (TUR)
Yelyzaveta TISKAROVA SAIDAKOVA (UKR)

76kg
Kseniya DZIBUK (BLR)
Georgina Olwen NELTHORPE (GBR)
Francy RAEDELT (GER) 
Enrica RINALDI (ITA)
Diana Elena VLASCEANU (ROU) 
Daria SHISTEROVA (RUS)
Aysegul OZBEGE (TUR)
Romana VOVCHAK (UKR)

SCHEDULE
Sunday (March 3)
 
17:00 - Draw GR – 55-63-77-87-130kg

Monday (March 4)
9:30 - Medical examination & Weigh-in GR – 55-63-77-87-130kg
11:30 - Qualification rounds GR – 55-63-77-87-130kg
14:30 - Draw GR – 60-67-72-82-97kg
18:00 - Semi Final GR – 55-63-77-87-130kg

Tuesday (March 5) 
9:30 - Weigh-in GR – 55-63-77-87-130kg
9:45 - Medical Examination & Weigh-in GR – 60-67-72-82-97kg
11:30 - Qualification rounds GR – 60-67-72-82-97kg
11:30 - Repechage GR – 55-63-77-87-130kg
14:30 - Draw WW – 50-55-59-68-76kg
16:45 - Opening Ceremony
17:15 - Semi Final GR – 60-67-72-82-97kg
18: 00 - Finals GR – 55-63-77-87-130kg

Wednesday (March 6) 
9:30 - Weigh-in GR – 60-67-72-82-97kg
9:45 -  Medical examination & Weigh-in WW – 50-55-59-68-76kg
11:30 - Qualification rounds WW – 50-55-59-68-76kg
11:30 - Repechage GR – 60-67-72-82-97kg
14:00 - Draw WW – 53-57-62-65-72kg 
17:15 - Semi Final WW – 50-55-59-68-76kg
18: 00 - Finals GR – 60-67-72-82-97kg

Thursday (March 7)
9:30 - Weigh-in WW – 50-55-59-68-76kg
9:45 - Medical examination & Weigh-in WW – 53-57-62-65-72kg
11:30 - Qualification rounds WW – 53-57-62-65-72kg
11:30 - Repechage WW – 50-55-59-68-76kg
14:00 - Draw FS – 57-65-70-79-97kg
17:15 - Semi Final WW – 53-57-62-65-72kg
18: 00 - Finals WW – 50-55-59-68-76kg

Friday (March 8) 
9:30 - Weigh-in WW – 53-57-62-65-72kg
9:45 - Medical examination & Weigh-in FS – 57-65-70-79-97kg
11:30 - Qualification rounds FS – 57-65-70-79-97kg
11:30 - Repechage WW – 53-57-62-65-72kg
14:00 - Draw FS – 61-74-86-92-125kg
17:15 - Semi Final FS – 57-65-70-79-97kg
18: 00 -  Finals WW – 53-57-62-65-72kg

Saturday (March 9) 
9:30 - Weigh-in FS – 57-65-70-79-97kg
9:45 - Medical examination & Weigh-in FS – 61-74-86-92-125kg
11:30 - Qualification rounds FS – 61-74-86-92-125kg
11:30 - Repechage FS – 57-65-70-79-97kg
17:15 - Semi Final FS – 61-74-86-92-125kg
18: 00 -  Finals FS – 57-65-70-79-97kg

Sunday (March 10) 
9:30 - Weigh-in FS – 61-74-86-92-125kg
16:00 - Repechage FS – 61-74-86-92-125kg
18:00 - Finals FS – 61-74-86-92-125kg

#WrestleAthens

Iran survives Uzbekistan scare to win Greco title at U17 Worlds

By Vinay Siwach

ATHENS, Greece (July 30) -- Four gold medals were not enough for Uzbekistan as they fell short in what could have been a generational team title in Greco-Roman at the World U17 Championships.

Iran, which won one gold medal out of 10, was crowned team champions as it performed well in placing their wrestlers in the weight classes. It finished with 125 points while Uzbekistan finished seven short at 118 points. Kazakhstan finished third with 113 points.

Kyrgyzstan and Azerbaijan were not far behind and finished fourth and fifth respectively, tied on 100 points. Both countries had one gold medal each but Kyrgyzstan had two silver medals to Azerbaijan's one to finish ahead of them.

Read More: Uzbekistan closer to Women's Wrestling history in Athens

Iran had eight wrestlers in the medal-bouts and six of them returned with one. Iran finished with one gold, one silver and four bronze medals. Uzbekistan, on the other side, had only those four golds to show. Four of its wrestlers did not contribute points to the team race.

In one head-to-head bout on Wednesday, Abolfazl ZARE (IRI) secured a 7-5 win over Humoyun ERKINOV (UZB) in 60kg bronze-medal bout which proved crucial. A win for Erkinov would have seen Uzbekistan win the title.

Then it was the gold medal of Amirsam MOHAMMADI (IRI) at 92kg which helped Iran jump from fourth place to first. He wrestled Kanstantsin KASYAN (UWW) for the gold medal and began with three stepouts. Kasyan was called passive and put in par terre. Mohammadi turned him twice and won the final 8-0 in 1 minute and 12 seconds.

Uzbekistan's two gold medals came at 51kg and 71kg.

Otabek TURSUNOV (UZB)Otabek TURSUNOV (UZB) won the gold medal at 51kg in Athens. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

Asian U17 bronze medalist Otabek TURSUNOV (UZB) added a third Greco gold of the World U17 Championships for Uzbekistan after he defeated Hikmat HAGVERDIYEV (AZE), 4-1, in the 51kg.

Hagverdiyev was about to be called passive and put in par terre but he scored a stepout to avoid that call and lead 1-0. Tursunov answered with a stepout of his own and made 1-1. However, the criteria remained with Hagverdiyev as United World Wrestling is testing a new rule, where in Greco-Roman, if the score is 1-1, the criteria will be with the wrestler who got the first point.

Tursunov, however, got the par terre position in the second period and a 2-1 lead over Hagverdiyev. He defended his lead for the final minute and as the Azerbaijan wrestler tried a throw, he blocked him and landed on top, earning two more points.

Behruzbek VALIEV (UZB)Behruzbek VALIEV (UZB) upgraded his bronze from 2024 to gold in 2025. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

At 71kg, Asian U17 champion Behruzbek VALIEV (UZB) denied the hosts a gold after he defeated Dimitrios SOULIS (GRE), 3-1, in the final.

Valiev seemed to have taken the burnt from a few tough bouts from Tuesday as he struggled with his attacks against Soulis, who was egged on by vocal home fans.

However, he found enough inside him to turn from par terre and defend from that position in the second period to win the fourth gold medal of the tournament for Uzbekistan.

Ali NAZAROV (AZE)Ali NAZAROV (AZE) scored a 6-1 victory over Amangeldi YSAKBAEV (KGZ) in the 60kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

Ali NAZAROV (AZE) showed why gut-wrench is still one of the best techniques to score points in wrestling as he rolled Amangeldi YSAKBAEV (KGZ) two times from par terre using gut wrench and win the world title at 60kg.

He later defended his par terre position, winning the final 6-1 and handing Azerbaijan the first gold medal for the World U17 Championships in Athens.

An action-packed match kicked off the medal bouts with Kuanyshbek ZHANGAZHOL (KAZ) and Nurkerim KUMARBEKOV (KGZ) did not hold back their attacks as soon as the final began.

Zhangazhol did not waste much time to get going in the final against Kumarbekov as he used an arm throw to score the first four points but it was removed after he was warned for using his leg.

But he scored a takedown for a 2-0 and then hit a front headlock throw to make it 6-0. Kumarbekov answered with a four-pointer as well and both wrestlers used arm-rolls in the same sequence to score points. When they broke off at the break, Zhangazhol led 8-6.

After the blazing first half, both wrestlers had a subdued second and no more points were scored despite desperate attempts from Kumarbekov. Zhangazhol celebrated his win a split-second early but there was no harm done.

Kyrgyzstan challenged for fleeing in the final five seconds and on review, Zhangazhol was it with a caution for defensive foul, it only got Kumarbekov a point, making Zhangazhol's winning score 8-7.

RESULTS

45kg
GOLD: Kuanyshbek ZHANGAZHOL (KAZ) df. Nurkerim KUMARBEKOV (KGZ), 9-6

BRONZE: Abdurrahman HUSEYNLI (AZE) df. Tymur MAHARRAMOV (UKR), 9-0
BRONZE: Vadim TARELUNGA (MDA) vs. Benyamin KHEZLI (IRI), 8-3

51kg
GOLD: Otabek TURSUNOV (UZB) df. Hikmat HAGVERDIYEV (AZE), 4-1

BRONZE: Marat ATSHEMYAN (ARM) df. Polat KARADENIZ (TUR), 11-0
BRONZE: Abu Bakar SAGA (NOR) df. Islam KURBANOV (KGZ), 5-3

60kg
GOLD: Ali NAZAROV (AZE) df. Amangeldi YSAKBAEV (KGZ), 6-1

BRONZE: Abolfazl ZARE (IRI) df. Humoyun ERKINOV (UZB), 7-5
BRONZE: Zaven MEZHLUMYAN (ARM) df. Denys SEREDIN (UKR), 5-2

71kg
GOLD: Behruzbek VALIEV (UZB) df. Dimitrios SOULIS (GRE), 3-1

BRONZE: Hossein KAZEMI (IRI) df. Yusif AHMADLI (AZE), 4-3
BRONZE: Marlen MEIRBEKULY (KAZ) df. Imre KOLOMPAR (HUN), 7-1

92kg
GOLD: Amirsam MOHAMMADI (IRI) df. Kanstantsin KASYAN (UWW), 8-0

BRONZE: Ahmet UZUN (TUR) df. Said PASHAYEV (AZE), 5-0
BRONZE: David CALKINS (USA) df. Ionut PATRU (ROU), 4-0