#Grappling

World Combat Games Qualifiers: 16 earn quotas

By Vinay Siwach

TASHKENT, Uzbekistan (April 30) -- The World Combat Games Qualifiers offering 40 quotas got underway in Tashkent, Uzbekistan on Sunday in Grappling and Grappling Gi.

The first phase of the qualification was held in 2022 in Pontevedra, Spain which also offered 40 quotas. The four highest-placed grapplers in each of the Combat Games approved senior weight categories qualified for the World Combat Games in Saudi Arabia in October 2023.

In Tashkent, the process will be the same and the first four highest-placed athletes in each of the weight categories will each qualify for one quota place for their national federation.

If in a weight category, more than one athlete from the same country is ranked in the first four highest places, only one quota will be allocated to the country. The remaining quota(s) will be reallocated in the same weight category to the national federation of the next best-ranked athlete, not yet qualified, in the qualification event where the quota place was obtained.

Men's Grappling

66kg
Mayis NERSESYAN (ARM)
Renzo MARTINEZ (VEN)
Avzal AKHMETOV (UZB)
Syimyk MAKHMEDOV (KGZ)

84kg
Nadir IMAMALIYEV (AZE)
Ulugbek RAKHMONOV (UZB)
Nurbek TALBUDIN (KAZ)
Amirhossein JINOUR (IRI)

92kg
Hajimurad PURTIYEV (AZE)
Eldar RAFIGAEV (MDA)
Mantas DAUBLYS (LTU)
Ramazan KUSSAINOV (KAZ)

Women's Grappling

58kg
Viktoriia SYNIAVINA (UKR)
Zhenishgul ABDYRAKHMAN KYZY (KGZ)
Zilolakhon MUHAMMADOVA (UZB)

90kg
Madinabonu SALOKHIDDINOVA (UZB)
 

#WrestleZagreb

Two world champs highlight World Championships presser in Zagreb

By United World Wrestling Press

ZAGREB, Croatia (September 11) -- The opening press conference of the 2025 World Championships will be highlighted by two world champions, including two Olympic champions, on September 12.

Akhmed TAZHUDINOV (BRN), Amir Hossein ZARE (IRI), Wyatt HENDRICKSON (USA) and Ivan HUKLEK (CRO), Croatia's Tokyo Olympian attend the press conference, scheduled to be held at 15:00 hours local time in Zagreb on Friday.

United World Wrestling President Nenad LALOVIC and Croatian Wrestling Federation President Vladimir BREGOVIC will also be present at the press conference which will be held a day before the start of the World Championships.

Tazhudinov won the world gold in 2023 at 97kg. He followed that up by winning the gold medal at the Paris Olympics, becoming Bahrain's first-ever Olympic champion in wrestling.

Zare is a two-time world champion, winning gold medal in 2021 and 2023. He also has two medals at the Olympics -- bronze in Tokyo and silver in Paris.

The press conference will be held:

Date: September 12, 2025

Venue: Westin Hotel, Zagreb

All media members must collect their accreditation following the opening press conference. Your presence is highly appreciated and we look forward to welcoming you.

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