IMPRESSIVE PERFORMANCE

The year 2025 has begun successfully for Azerbaijani wrestlers. At the first major competition of the year – the European U23 Championships held in Albania's capital from March 12-18 – the national teams matched their historic record with 16 medals.

This represents Azerbaijan's best performance in the decade-old tournament. While the medal count equalled 2022 and 2024 results, the quality of awards in freestyle and women's wrestling categories showed marked improvement this time.

Mixed Outcomes

In men's freestyle wrestling, Arseniy Jioev (86 kg) claimed gold, while Jeyhun Allahverdiyev (61 kg), Kanan Geybatov (70 kg), Aghanazar Novruzov (74 kg), and Farid Jabbarov (79 kg) took silver. Bronze medals went to Rahman Imanov (57 kg), Murad Hagverdiyev (65 kg), Sadig Mustafazade (92 kg), and Yusif Dursunov (125 kg).

Greco-Roman wrestling saw Ruslan Nurullayev (72 kg) secure gold, Ziya Babashov (63 kg) earn silver, with Elmir Aliyev (55 kg) and Hasay Hasanli (77 kg) claiming bronze.

The women's team delivered standout performances: Elnura Mammadova (53 kg) and Gunay Gurbanova (59 kg) won gold, while Asmar Cankurtaran (50 kg) took bronze. Azerbaijan topped the overall rankings, as Russian and Belarusian athletes competed under neutral status.

While freestyle wrestlers medalled in nine of ten weight categories, losing four of five finals raised concerns about psychological and tactical preparation at crucial moments.

Jioev's gold medal run was particularly dominant – the Ossetian wrestler defeated Armenia's Razmik Yepremyan 10-0, Moldova's Eugen Mihalcean 6-4, Bulgaria's Radomir Stoyanov, and finally France's Rahim Magamadov 9-2 in the final.

Silver medallists Geybatov (70 kg) and Novruzov (74 kg) showed psychological vulnerability against Russian opponents, with Geybatov's underperformance as reigning junior world and European champion prompting coaching staff reflection. Bronze medallists Imanov, Hagverdiyev, Mustafazade, and Dursunov will need future competitions to prove their potential.

Women's Wrestling Triumphs, Greco-Roman Struggles

Under Olympic champion Toghrul Asgarov's guidance, Azerbaijan's female wrestlers set a new benchmark with two golds. Notably, 59 kg champion Gunay Gurbanova had previously won Zagreb's ranking tournament. Despite her youth, Gurbanova defeated formidable opponents, surprising experts who now predict her successful transition to the senior team.

Elnura Mammadova finally converted her two previous continental silver medals into gold at 53 kg, displaying remarkable determination in Tirana. Naturalised athlete Asmar Cankurtaran also celebrated her first European podium finish with bronze.

For the Greco-Roman team, head coach Alexander Tarakanov's results proved disappointing despite one gold, one silver, and two bronzes. After last year's team title, their fourth-place finish highlighted regression. Only Ruslan Nurullayev's gold medal performance earned plaudits, while former champion Ziya Babashov lost his final and two-time U23 European winner Hasay Hasanli settled for bronze.

Belief in Victory

Gold medallist Elnura Mammadova described her emotional final: "The decisive match was incredibly tough – one step from the title. My opponent attacked in the final seconds, but I executed the winning move. That moment will stay with me forever. I dedicate this victory to my family, especially my father."

Gunay Gurbanova credited her coaching staff: "I came to Albania to win. Toghrul Asgarov's belief in me made the difference – when others doubted, he supported me unconditionally. This gold belongs to him as much as to me."

The championships revealed both the rising strength of Azerbaijan's women wrestlers and areas requiring urgent attention in men's disciplines ahead of upcoming international competitions.