#Grappling

Uzbekistan shines at Andijan Open Grappling

By United World Wrestling Press

ANDIJAN, Uzbekistan (June 11) -- The Grappling season is back. Andijan Open was organized in Andijan, Uzbekistan on June 1 and 2 in U17, U20 and Senior age-groups.

Host country Uzbekistan had the most grapplers entered in the competition which also serves as the test event for the World Grappling Championships to be held in Novi Sad, Serbia in October.

Out of the six weight classes competed in senior men's grappling, Uzbekistan won four gold medals. Avzal AKHMETOV (UZB) won the gold medal at 66kg, Janobiddin SATTAROV (UZB) won at 84kg and Azizbek SHARIPOV (UZB) defeated Alisher NEMATJONOV (UZB), 18-0, at 92kg, a weight class in which only two entries were received.

Asrorbek ANVARJONOV (UZB) won the gold medal at 100kg after he was the only grappler entered in the weight class.

At 62kg, Kiryl AHEIKA (UWW) won the gold medal after winning all his round-robin bouts. Zojiakbar KAMOLOV (UZB) was silver medalist while Avrangzebmirzosulton TORAQULOV (UZB) won bronze medal.

Nico PULBERMUELLER (GER) won the gold medal at 71kg after he won three bouts in round-robin. Makhmudjon ODILOV (UZB) won silver while Muhammad MAHSUDXOJAYEV (UZB) was bronze medalist.

In women's competition, only 64kg weight class was competed and Zebiniso OTAQULOVA (UZB) submitted Khilola SOBIROVA (UZB) to win the gold medal.

At the U20 level, Uzbekistan won four of the five gold medals on offer in men's grappling and Heorhi HLAZKO (UWW) won the gold medal at 77kg to break the cycle.

For detailed results of the U17, U20 and Senior Grappling Andijan Open, click here.

RESULTS

Senior Men's Grappling

62kg
GOLD: Kiryl AHEIKA (UWW)
SILVER: Xojiakbar KAMOLOV (UZB)
BRONZE: Avrangzebmirzosulton TORAQULOV (UZB)

66kg
GOLD: Avzal AKHMETOV (UZB)
SILVER: Umidjon ABDURAXIMOV (UZB)
BRONZE: Muhammad MAHSUDXOJAYEV (UZB)

71kg
GOLD: Nico PULVERMUELLER (GER)
SILVER: Makhmudjon ODILOV (UZB)
BRONZE: Khusniddin JURABOEV (UZB)

84kg
GOLD: Janobiddin SATTAROV (UZB)
SIVER: Azizbek MIRZAEV (UZB)
BRONZE: Ahmadullo NUMONOV (UZB)

92kg
GOLD: Azizbek SHARIPOV (UZB) df. Alisher NEMATJONOV (UZB), 18-0

100kg
GOLD: Asrorbek ANVARJONOV (UZB)

Senior Women's Grappling

64kg
GOLD: Zebiniso OTAQULOVA (UZB) df. Khilola SOBIROVA (UZB), via submission (9-0)

Men's U20 Grappling

58kg
GOLD: Farrux ERGASHEV (UZB) df. Abror SAIDGANIYEV (UZB), via submission (6-4)

62kg
GOLD: Egamberdi SOLIYEV (UZB)
SILVER: Temur UMARALIYEV (UZB)
BRONZE: Shuxratbek YUNUSJONOV (UZB)

66kg
GOLD: Abduraxmon XAYITOXUNOV (UZB)
SILVER: Muhammad MAHSUDXOJAYEV (UZB)
BRONZE: PRINCE (IND)

77kg
GOLD: Heorhi HLAZKO (UWW)
SILVER: Dostonjon MAMASHARIPOV (UZB)
BRONZE: Muhakammadali HAMIDJONOV (UZB)

84kg
GOLD: Firdavsbek GOFURJONOV (UZB) df. Ruslan PLOTNIKOV (UZB), 10-1

Men's U17 Grappling

50kg
GOLD: Shoxboz ABDUXARIMOV (UZB)
SILVER: Ibrokhimjon BOTIROV (UZB)
BRONZE: Ozodbek ABDUSAMADOV (UZB)

54kg
GOLD: Gofur ISMOILOV (UZB) df. Raxmatillo RUSTAMJONOV (UZB), via submission (8-3)

58kg
GOLD: Mikita KAPYCHKA (UWW)
SILVER: Holid ARABBOYEV (UZB)
BRONZE: Abdulaziz MAMATIMINOV (UZB)

69kg
GOLD: Elbek ERKINOV (UZB)
SILVER: Dzianis FEDARTSOU (UWW)
BRONZE: Asilbek MAHAMMADAMINOV (UZB)

Women's U17 Grappling

49kg
GOLD: Rayhona ISLOMBOYEVA (UZB)

Akgul elected President of Turkish Wrestling Federation

By Eric Olanowski

ANKARA, Turkiye (December 18) --- Taha AKGUL (TUR) today was elected the President of the Turkish Wrestling Federation at the 6th Regular and Financial General Assembly of the Turkish Wrestling Federation held at the Anadolu Hotels Esenboğa Thermal in Ankara.

Akgul retired from his wrestling career four short months ago at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games after successfully winning his third Olympic medal. The 34-year-old native of Sivas, Turkiye, won Olympic gold in Rio 2016 and then back-to-back bronze medals at the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Olympics. Akgul is also a three-time world gold medalist and 11-time European champion.

"I am very happy to have been elected president by the representatives. Together, with my team, I will do my best for the sport of wrestling with passion and hard work,” Akgul stated to United World Wrestling shortly after the elections.

According to the Turkish Wrestling Federation’s Instagram page, Akgul received 189 out of 288 votes. Former three-time world champion Celcuk CEBI (TUR) received 92 of the remaining 99 votes, while the remaining seven were nullified.

“The full members of the new board of directors of the federation under the presidency of Akgul are as follows: Mesut Ozarslan, Abdullah Şanli, Arslan Narin, Murat Şahin, Huseyin Kaya, Şems Sezal, İsmail Yagbat, İhsan Gurol Guey, İbrahim Demirturkoğgu and Ahmet Yildirim,” stated the TWF.

For more information regarding Akgul's election and other news from Turkiye, see the Turkish Wrestling Federation's Instagram page.