NEW RECORD

From October 28 to November 4, the World Wrestling Championship took place in the capital of Albania, Tirana. This tournament was notable for featuring wrestlers competing in non-Olympic weight categories. 

Azerbaijani wrestlers, who fell short of expectations at the Paris Summer Olympic Games, nonetheless achieved commendable results at the championship.

Greco-Roman Team

The Greco-Roman wrestlers were the only ones to bring joy to fans, as neither the women's national team nor the freestyle wrestlers managed to reach the podium. The Greco-Roman team secured three gold medals, becoming world champions in the team classification with an impressive score of 85 points. They successfully defended their title, surpassing their closest competitor, Iran, by a significant margin of 34 points.

This achievement broke two records in the history of Azerbaijani wrestling. First, the World Championship was won for the second time, a feat unmatched in any other wrestling discipline among adults. Second, the team captured three gold medals in a single tournament.

The gold medalists were Eldaniz Azizli (55kg), Nihad Mammadli (63kg), and Ulvi Ganizade (72kg), each earning 25 points for the team. Additionally, debutant Gurban Gurbanov (82kg) secured fifth place, contributing 10 points to the overall score.

Three Champions

Notably, the Greco-Roman wrestlers, who topped the team classification in Tirana, have consistently delivered strong performances in past championships.

Eldaniz Azizli, competing in the 55kg category, was considered the tournament's top contender. The 32-year-old athlete dominated his opponents, setting a personal record with his championship performances. His final bout against Iranian wrestler was challenging, but Eldaniz emerged victorious, celebrating his fourth World Championship title.

Nihad Mammadli, a rising talent from the Azerbaijani wrestling school, had previously claimed the European title in the 60kg category. After failing to qualify for the Paris Olympics in this weight class, he competed in the 63kg category in Tirana. At just 22 years old, Mammadli triumphed over all his opponents, earning the gold medal and positioning himself as a strong contender for the Olympic season.

Ulvi Ganizade, the third gold medalist, showed no mercy to his rivals in the 72kg category. On his path to victory, he defeated Iranian Olympic champion Mohammad Reza Heraei and, in the final, overcame France's Ibrahim Ghanem. With this win, Ulvi added a World Championship gold medal to his growing collection.

While the World Championship does not hold the same prestige as the Olympics, the three gold medals won in non-Olympic weight categories stand as a remarkable accomplishment. It is especially noteworthy that all three champions are products of the Azerbaijani wrestling school. 

Aiming for a Fifth Title

Head coach of the Azerbaijani Greco-Roman wrestling team, Alexander Tarakanov, shared his thoughts with R+: "This success is a testament not only to the wrestlers and coaches but to the entire federation. We are proud of this achievement. The federation's leadership supports our athletes and coaches, monitors every performance, and addresses training and competition needs. Our focus is now on preparing the team in Olympic weight categories to ensure the highest level of competition."

Four-time world champion Eldaniz Azizli revealed he has decided to continue his career: "I am delighted not only with my own victory but also with the team's historic success. We surpassed the second-place team by a wide margin and won three gold medals for the first time in the history of the World Championships. Becoming a champion for the fourth time and setting a new record in Azerbaijani wrestling fills me with pride. My gratitude goes out to our coaches and the head of state for their unwavering support for wrestling and sports in general. My next goal is to win a fifth World Championship title.

"Wrestlers are only the tip of the iceberg. Beneath are personal coaches and coaches of the national team. Of course, the attention and care they give us play a huge role in achieving success. Therefore, first of all, I express my gratitude to the head of state for supporting not only wrestling, but also sport in the country as a whole."

Outsiders

Meanwhile, it is unfortunate that Azerbaijani freestyle wrestlers left the competition empty-handed. Nuraddin Novruzov, 21, came closest to a medal but lost the bronze in a decisive match against a Mongolian athlete. 

The coaching staff must analyse and address the shortcomings of the freestyle team. Following their two bronze medals at the Paris Olympics, head coach Khetag Gazumov, who has remained unavailable for press interviews, must now provide explanations to the federation. The national freestyle team, having struggled in two major competitions, requires urgent resolution of its challenges. 

The women's wrestling team also delivered a lackluster performance. Alyona Kolesnik and Alisa Manolova finished outside the podium, mirroring the results of their freestyle counterparts. Both teams appear to need substantial reform, possibly including changes in coaching staff. One can only hope these disappointing results will be thoroughly assessed and lead to timely corrective actions.