#development

Wrestling Academy Bern gets new training facility

By United World Wrestling Press

BERN, Switzerland (December 5) -- Wrestling Academy Bern officially opened a new training facility in Bern last month with much celebration. With an aim to bring wrestling out of the shadows in Bern and Switzerland, WAB has been making consistent efforts and celebrated a successful year with the opening of the new club.

The United World Wrestling has also donated equipment to WAB and has overviewed the constant progress of the club.

Around 130 guests attended the opening and among them were companions and supporters of the WAB, who contributed in various ways to the successful year of the young club.

The club was founded in 2018 and set itself a goal of constructing and expanding the training premises which was completed on November 25.

“Sport unites! The guest list is a mixed bag of people who are seeing a wrestling mat for the first time today and others who have been in the sport their whole lives," Robin Pietschmann, Team Manager, said emphasizing how representative the event is of an important cornerstone of the WAB.

The club was sourced via a crowdfunding project, which was carried out in the spring of 2022 on the “I believe in you” platform.

"The occasion is therefore also an opportunity for us today to say a big merci to those who have diligently supported and donated," Nadine Pietschmann added at the opening.

The WAB has successfully achieved promotion to the National League B [Swiss Wrestling Challenge League which the active team achieved a few weeks ago.

The Swiss Wrestling Federation also sent a representative to this special occasion. The head of the league, Gabriel Christen, congratulated the Wrestling Academy Bern on the new club and training facility and also emphasized the exemplary youth work of the young club.

"Nothing is as old as yesterday's success," emphasized Robin Pietschmann at the end, which in no way diminished the joy and pride of what was achieved. He also pointed that the next steps will be much more difficult than the previous ones.

The official part ended with a demonstration by some members of the WAB active team. The interested audience got a spectacular insight into the training operations and also into the basics of wrestling.

#WrestleBudapest

Budapest Ranking Series 2026 Day 2 Results & Highlights

By Vinay Siwach

BUDAPEST, Hungary (July 16) -- The second day of the Budapest Ranking Series will see four Freestyle and two Women's Wrestling weight classes. In Freestyle, it will be 79kg, 92kg, 97kg and 125kg while for Women's it will be 50kg and 55kg.

WATCH LIVE | LIVE MATCH ORDER | DAY 1 RESULTS

WW 55kg semifinals - Nataliia KLIVCHUTSKA (UKR) scored one takedown before the break and then hung on that 2-1 lead to beat Karla GODINEZ (CAN) and enter the final. She will face Hansika LAMBA (IND) for the gold medal after the Indian mounted a comeback to beat Anastasia BLAYVAS (GER), 10-7. Down 7-2, Lamba powered her way to four different takedowns to claim the win and a spot in the final.

WW 50kg semifinals - Samara CHAVEZ (USA) with a fall over Zeinep BAYANOVA (KAZ) to move into the final at 50kg. She scored a takedown and then turn to hold Bayanova in the position and secure the pin. She will face Ziqi FENG (CHN) for the gold after she rolled to a 12-2 victory over Jacqueline MOLLOCANA (ECU).

125kg semifinals - Yedige KASSIMBEK (KAZ) uses the lace to beat BUHEEERDUN (CHN) via technical superiority and set up a clash against Kamil KOSCIOLEK (POL) in the final. Kosciolek used a headlock and three turns to be up 6-0 against Mason PARRIS (USA) and got one point for lost challenge from the United States. He then used a bodythrow to get his 13-0 victory.

97kg semifinals - Rizabek AITMUKHAN (KAZ) forfeits his 97kg semifinal against Batyrbek TSAKULOV (SVK) due to an injury. Tsakulov, the European silver medalist, will face Akhmed TAZHUDINOV (BRN) for the gold medal after the Bahrain wrestler pinned Zbigniew BARANOWSKI (POL). Tazhudinov built a 6-0 lead before a takedown and cradle for the fall.

92kg semifinals - Mukhammed ALIIEV (UKR) has no problem in seeing off Zeteny GANGL (HUN) completing an 11-0 win. But he will have his task cut out in the final against European champion Ali TCOKAEV (AZE) who also posted an 11-0 win over Fatih ALTUNBAS (TUR).

79kg semifinals - Dzhabrail GADZHIEV (AZE) with a late takedown to complete a 5-3 win over Luka CHKHITUNIDZE (GEO) and make the final. He will take on Suldkhuu OLONBAYAR (MGL) who scored a come-from-behind victory over Aykan SEID (BUL), winning 9-7.

13:05: Upset of the day as U17 world champion Yedige KASSIMBEK (KAZ) scores a takedown in final 10 seconds to beat world bronze medalist Shamil SHARIPOV (BRN) 4-3 at 125kg and advance to the semifinals.

12:55: Rizabek AITMUKHAN (KAZ) with a comeback and win over Karadeniz SULEYMAN (TUR) to advance to the 97kg semifinal. Aitmukhan was down 3-1 but scored a takedown to make it 3-3 on criteria before chipping away for a 6-4 win.

12:40: Akhmed TAZHUDINOV (BRN) into the 97kg semifinals with a 12-0 win over Adlan VISKHANOV (FRA). He began with a stepout when Viskhanov was on the activity clock and then scored two points for exposure to lead 4-0. Viskhanov was cautioned for fleeing and the bout restarted in par terre with Tazhudinov leading 6-0. He did not score there but managed four-pointer little later to win

12:30: A stunning result at 50kg as Samara CHAVEZ (USA) beats European champion Oksana LIVACH (UKR), 11-0, in the quarterfinals. She did not let Livach settle down and went for it straight off the whistle. Solid win for Chavez

12:05: Asian bronze medalist Ziqi FENG (CHN) with that strong gut-wrench to beat Katie DUTCHAK (CAN) and advance at 50kg.

12:00: Priyanshi PRAJAPAT (IND) with a fall over Pan-American champion Katie GOMEZ (USA) at 50kg. Gomez was the first to take the lead but Prajapat gets on the legs and finishes the bout with a pin.

11:45: Aykan SEID (BUL) will move into the second round at 79kg after Mahamedkhabib KADZIMAHAMEDAU (BLR) forfeits due to an injury. 

11:40: Shamil SHARIPOV (BRN) left it late but still managed to beat DINESH (IND) in his opening bout at 125kg. Sharipov was called passive and then gave a stepout as Dinesh built a 2-0 lead. But Sharipov with a takedown and turn in the final 30 seconds to claim the victory.

11:30: European champion Ali TCOKAEV (AZE) survives a scare against Dustin PLOTT (USA) at 92kg. After a sequence, Tcokaev was down 6-2 but managed to score a four-point throw when Plott tried to hit a head pinch but Tcokaev blocked him. He then scored a takedown to claim an 8-6 win.

11:25: 2023 world champion at 92kg Rizabek AITMUKHAN (KAZ) with a fall over Andro MARGISHVILI (GEO) at 97kg. Aitmukhan trailed Margishvili but managed to score a takedown and hold the Georgian till the fall was called. 

11:20: Olympic champion Akhmed TAZHUDINOV (BRN) rolls to a 10-0 technical superiority win over Ivan PRYMACHENKO (UKR) in his opening bout.

11:15: Mukhammed ALIIEV (UKR) and Miriani MAISURADZE (GEO) kept scoring on each other and put on 28 points in the 92kg bout. Aliiev comes out as a 16-12 winner against Maisuradze is really bizarre bout

11:05: Giorgi MESHVILDISHVILI (AZE) holds on to his 3-1 lead against Robert BARAN (POL) and start his campaign at 125kg with a win.

11:00: Mahamedkhabib KADZIMAHAMEDAU (BLR) manages to hold on for a 5-3 win over Yerkhan ABIL (KAZ) at 79kg. He led 4-3 and went into the defensive. Kazakhstan challenged at the end for fleeing but lost the challenge to add one more point to his score.

10:50: A close win for European champion Oksana LIVACH (UKR) in her opening bout against former U17 world champion Kaura COLES (CAN) at 50kg. Livach with a double-leg attack for the takedown and two stepouts to claim a 4-0 win.

10:40: Former world silver medalist Deepak PUNIA (IND), who is wrestling to at 97kg, drops his opening bout against Benjamin HONIS (ITA), 6-3. He led 1-0 at the break but Honis clearly had the upper hand in strength and answered with three takedowns in the second period.