LUCKY SEVEN

The wrestling world cup held in Uzbekistan was significant for this sport due to a number of crucial decisions. One of them was made at a meeting of the bureau of the International Federation of Associated Wrestling Styles (FILA). From now on, the organization will be called the United World Wrestling (UWW). As expected, the head of FILA, Nenad Lalovic, was elected president of the new association for the next term. The European Games to be held next year in Baku were presented at the meeting. The participants were informed about preparations for the major event.

As for the world cup, Azerbaijani athletes displayed improved results compared with the previous cup. A year ago the Azerbaijani team won two silver and two bronze medals. In Uzbekistan they won one gold, three silver and three bronze medals. Having improved the team result, the Azerbaijani team in freestyle, Greco-Roman and women's wrestling ultimately won a ticket to the World Cup.

Haci Aliyev had the best result among the Azerbaijani wrestlers. In the category of 61 kg the freestyle athlete in the beginning of the year won the gold medal of the European Cup. Coaches were of high opinion about his talent and predicted that in the future Haci will score even greater victories. The current world cup proved them true. In the final Aliyev defeated Masud Ismailpurchibari from Iran with the score 12:7.

In the weight category of 97 kg three times European champion and world champion of 2010 Xetaq Qazyumov scored five victories in a row and gained the right to compete in the final. In the decisive match his rival was a Russian athlete, Amdulsalam Gadisov. The fans of the sport are well aware that Gadisov is the main rival of Qazyumov. Hence, an uncompromising struggle in the final was expected. As in the final of Euro-2014, Gadisov once more tasted victory. Qazyumov lost 2:1 and had to do with a silver medal.

Similar to the freestyle wrestlers, the Azerbaijani female wrestlers also won two medals. In the weight category of 69 kg Yuliya Radkevic received the silver medal. Following three victories on the trot the world and European champion lost to a Mongolian athlete in the final match with the score of 3:12. World champion and four times European champion, Mariya Stadnik, only made it to the semifinal. Although the coaches expected that Mariya will easily win the gold medal, in the semifinal she "tripped" and lost to a Polish athlete. In the last match Stadnik left no chances for a Romanian athlete - 11:0. No doubt that a bronze medal cannot be considered a good achievement for an experienced and decorated athlete like Mariya Stadnik. She has to work in earnest on the mistakes she made. 

The Greco-Roman wrestlers added three more medals to the tally. Saman Tahmasib (85 kg) won a silver medal, while Rasul Cunayev (71 kg) and Elvin Mursaliyev (75 kg) won bronze medals. The stable performance of the naturalized athlete Saman Tahmasib at the world cup is praiseworthy. Elvin Mursaliyev won a bronze medal at the first world cup in his career, which shows that he is on the rise. The next two years are extremely important for Mursaliyev, who also won a bronze medal at the European Cup. After established himself at the European Games in 2015, the wrestler will gain the opportunity to compete in the Summer Olympic Games 2016. As for Rasul Cunayev in the weight category of 71 kg, his bronze medal carries a special weight for the fans. After a defeat on the path to the final in the match for the bronze medal Cunayev defeated Armenian athlete Boranyan. And in just 23 seconds! Cunayev was called up to the military ahead of the world cup and he marked his victory by marching as a soldier and saluting, which caused a storm of applause in the hall.

There were defeats along with victories. Ruslan Dibirhaciyev (70 kg) was not himself. Hasan Aliyev, former world and European champion, did not live up to expectations. The coaches were also unhappy that Shalva Gadabadze, the bronze winner of the 2013 World Cup who can already be described as a veteran, did not receive a medal. The reason is insufficient preparation. 

The lack of competition in the female team is a serious problem. Mariya Stadnik and Yuliya Radkevic are the only notable female athletes. Everyone knows that we have no hopes for medals in other weight categories, although the choice in the Greco-Roman wrestling is quite big.

The Azerbaijani athletes now look forward to the European Games 2015 in Baku and the World Cup in Las Vegas. Both competitions are extremely important both in terms of results and for winning licences for the Olympic Games. The team still has enough time for reforms and correcting mistakes.

AT FIRST HAND

"I am happy to win the gold medal. I have already become the European and world champion. Now I have to do this at the Olympic Games. The main goal is to win the gold medal at the Olympics in Brazil".  

Haci ALIYEV, world champion

"This was not our first meeting (with Boranyan). Prior to this we wrestled at the World Cup in Tehran, where I won 9:0. I was not in the army back then. Now, as a soldier, I had to defeat my Armenian rival. I could begin training only a week before the cup. After the second match I could not completely recover because I was called ahead of time for the match with the Turkish wrestler. Hence I lost. At the European Cup I lost in the final, but here I lost in the semifinal. Now I have to make more efforts to become the world champion next year". 

Rasul CUNAYEV, bronze medal

"I successfully made it to the semifinal, scored several victories. In the semifinal meeting there was certain tiredness and some self-assurance. I met my rival rather recently and I completely dominated that match. I have already noticed that I lose once a year. I will try to avoid complacency in the future" . 

Мariya STADNIK, bronze winner