#WrestleOslo

#WrestleOslo: Sadulaev, Snyder Stay on Course for Final; Tynybekova Closer to 2nd Title

Monday, October 4, 2021 - 12:41 By Vinay Siwach

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OSLO, Norway (October 4) -- The crowd at the Jordan Amfi arena could well witness a rematch of the Olympic final for the second time in three days. After Hassan YAZDANI (IRI) avenged his loss to David TAYLOR (USA) Sunday at 86kg, it looks like Abdulrashid SADULAEV (RWF) and Kyle SNYDER (USA) will also meet in the final of the World Championships. The two had met in the 97kg final two months ago at the Tokyo Olympics.

Sadulaev and Snyder reached the semifinals at 97kg in Oslo in controlled wins in the quarterfinals. The two can only meet in the final Tuesday as they are on the either side of the bracket being the top two seeds.

Sadulaev survived a small scare in the quarters when Aliaksandr HUSHTYN (BLR) threw him for big four after Sadulaev had taken a 6-0 lead with two takedowns and two gut wrenches. But like a calm champion he continued his work and secured a 9-4 win scoring three stepouts in the second period.

Wrestling simultaneously on Mat D, Snyder humbled fellow 2019 World Championships bronze medalist Magomedgadji NUROV (MKD) 11-0. The American continued his workman like style and ended with a comfortable win. He will now face Mojtaba GOLEIJ (IRI) who defeated Alisher YERGALI (KAZ) 6-1 in the other quarterfinal.

Iran's good record in Oslo was only spoiled at 70kg when junior world champion Erfan ELAHI (IRI) suffered a heartbreaking 8-8 loss to Ernazar AKMATALIEV (KGZ). In a seesaw battle which Elahi thought he had won, Akmataliev was called the winner only after they challenged the final call which had the Iran wrestler winning 9-8.

On replays, the jury decided that Akmataliev began the action and scored two points before giving up two. But since Elahi got the last point, the extra point for reversal which was awarded initially was taken away, making the score 8-8 with the Kyrgyzstan wrestler leading on criteria. The two traded takedowns throughout the bout. He will now face Evgenii ZHERBAEV (RWF) who had a comfortable win over Batmagnai BATCHULUUN (MGL) via fall. 

In the other semifinal, Magomedmurad GADZHIEV (POL) will face Azerbaijan's young sensation Turan BAYRAMOV (AZE) who defeated two-time world medalist James GREEN (USA) 6-5. Bayramov led 4-1 after a takedown and gut but it was his defence that Green could not penetrate in the first period. He once almost got it but Bayramov scored a go behind to lead 6-1. The only time Green hit a double, he scored four points with 12 seconds remaining. But he could not score one more which would have given him the win.

Gadzhiev and Zurabi IAKOBISHVILI (GEO) were tied 1-1 with Georgian wrestler leading on criteria but the Poland wrestler used all his experience to score a takedown and a stepout to finish the bout 4-1.

Two women's wrestling weight classes were also in action Monday with Olympic silver medalist Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ) barely making it to the semifinals. First up for her was two-time cadet world champion and 18-year-old OZAKI (JPN) who led 4-0 early in the bout. But she was not able to finish the third takedown and Tynybekova scored two of her own and then one at the end to win 6-4.

In the quarterfinals, Veranika IVANOVA (BLR) led 6-4 against her and then went for a headlock, looking for four but failed to execute the move and Tynybekova controlled her in that grip and got the fall. Ilona PROKOPEVNIUK (UKR) will be her next opponent as she defeated Ana GODINEZ GONZALEZ (CAN) via fall.

Kayla MIRACLE (USA) will face Lais NUNES DE OLIVEIRA (BRA) in the other semifinal after she scored a victory by technical superiority 13-2 against Alina KASABIEVA (RWF). Nunes de Oliveira managed to scrape past Aleksandra WOLCZYNSKA (POL) 3-2.

At 55kg, 2019 World bronze medalist Olga KHOROSHAVTSEVA (RWF) defeated Esther KOLAWOLE (NGR) 12-2 to set up a semifinal against Tsugumi SAKURAI (JPN). The Japanese wrestler defeated Poland veteran Roksana ZASINA (POL) 4-0.

India's PINKI (IND) will wrestle Nina HEMMER (GER) in the semifinal after a victory via fall over Aisha UALISHAN (KAZ). Hemmer was trailing 2-2 on criteria against Andreea ANA (ROU) and tried a takedown. Ana, in defence, grabbed hold of Hemmer's neck which was called a four on review and that gave Hemmer a 3-2 win.

Quarterfinals Results:

FS 97kg
Mahamed ZAKARIIEV (UKR) df Suleyman KARADENIZ (TUR), 6-3
Abdulrashid SADULAEV (RWF) df Aliaksandr HUSHTYN (BLR), 9-4
Mojtaba GOLEIJ (IRI) df Alisher YERGALI (KAZ), 6-1
Kyle SNYDER (USA) df Magomedgadji NUROV (MKD), 11-0

FS 70kg
Evgenii ZHERBAEV (RWF) df Batmagnai BATCHULUUN (MGL), via fall
Ernazar AKMATALIEV (KGZ) df Erfan ELAHI (IRI), 8-8
Magomedmurad GADZHIEV (POL) df Zurabi IAKOBISHVILI (GEO), 4-1
Turan BAYRAMOV (AZE) df James GREEN (USA), 6-5

WW 62kg
Ilona PROKOPEVNIUK (UKR) df Ana GODINEZ GONZALEZ (CAN), via fall
Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ) df Veranika IVANOVA (BLR), via fall
Lais NUNES DE OLIVEIRA (BRA) df Aleksandra WOLCZYNSKA (POL), 3-2
Kayla MIRACLE (USA) df Alina KASABIEVA (RWF), 13-2

WW 55kg
Olga KHOROSHAVTSEVA (RWF) df Esther KOLAWOLE (NGR), 12-2
Tsugumi SAKURAI (JPN) df Roksana ZASINA (POL), 4-0
PINKI (IND) df Aisha UALISHAN (KAZ), via fall 
Nina HEMMER (GER) df Andreea ANA (ROU), 3-2

#wrestlemanama

Bahrain to host 2026 World Championships

Tuesday, September 16, 2025 - 12:02 By United World Wrestling Press

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ZAGREB, Croatia (September 16) -- For the first time in history, the World Championships are headed to Bahrain.

The 2026 World Championships will be held in Manama, Bahrain from October 24 November 1, United World Wrestling announced on Tuesday, during the ongoing World Championships in Zagreb.

No Arab country has ever hosted a World Championships but Bahrain will etch its name in history with the 2026 edition.

Secretary General of the Bahrain Olympic Committee Faris AL-KOOHEJI attended the press conference at the Arena Zagreb for the historic announcement. UWW President Nenad LALOVIC and Al-Kooheji announced the host together and signed the agreement.

"Bahrain has a superstar in wrestling," UWW President Lalovic said. "They probably want to use this opportunity to promote the sport through this superstar [Akhmed] TAZHUDINOV (BRN). But he's not the only one.

"They also want to develop the local Bahrain born athletes to compete because they have the role model of the top achievement in wrestling. This is something that we considered and that is why we made this decision.

Bahrain won its first-ever gold medal in Olympics in Paris when Tahzudinov ran-through the 97kg weight class and captured the gold medal. A year before that, he won the world title in the same weight class.

Tazhudinov is also an Asian champion, Asian Games champion and winner of other Ranking Series events.

Lalovic on the fact that wrestling wants to change the host continent of the World Championships more regularly.

 "We also want to change the continent regularly," he said. "A state that can organize the Asian [Youth] Games like they will do now in October, they will not face any problem with the championships, especially that we give all the assistance possible for the execution"

Manama, Bahrain will host the Asian Youth Games in which wrestling will be held from October 28 to 30.

Expressing its gratitude to UWW and readiness to host the mega event, Al-Kooheji said that the tournament will help Bahrain take wrestling to the grassroot levels in the country.

"For us, wrestling is a long term project," Al-Kooheji said. "Wrestling is a growing sport. It's a strategic sport for us. We got a gold medal in Paris, and we're looking to getting more medals. That gold medal started to inspire a lot of people, locally, to pursue wrestling, which is why part of the discussions with United World Wrestling is to even help us add wrestling in schools."

The Bahrain Olympic Committee expects that the World Championships will have a positive impact in growing the sport in the country.

"Strong economic impact [from the event]," he said. "We're going to get lots of travel spectators from Iran, the United States, and other countries as well. It's going to encourage the local community. They will understand more wrestling."