EUROPEAN CHAMPIONS

From April 7 to 13, the European Wrestling Championship took place in the Slovakian capital, Bratislava. The Azerbaijani team, fully prepared for this prestigious event, once again proved to be among the strongest on the continent.

Freestyle wrestlers lead the way

The competition opened with freestyle wrestlers. After intense battles, the team finished the European Championship with six medals. The athletes met the expectations of their coaching staff by winning 1 gold (Georgiy Meshvildishvili, 125kg), 1 silver (Osman Nurmagomedov, 92kg), and 4 bronze medals (Islam Bazarganov, 57kg; Ali Rahimzade, 65kg; Kanan Heybatov, 70kg; Aghanazar Novruzov, 75kg).

As a result, Azerbaijan’s freestyle wrestling team became the European champions. With 119 points, they secured first place in the team standings, finishing ahead of Georgia (114 points) and Türkiye (73 points). This marks the fifth time in history that Azerbaijani freestyle wrestlers have won the European title, with previous victories in 2009, 2017, 2022, and 2023.

Great performance from Greco-Romans

Following the freestyle competition, Greco-Roman wrestlers entered the arena and also experienced success. Winning 3 gold, 1 silver, and 2 bronze medals, they topped the team rankings with 151 points.

Champions across different weight categories included Hasrat Jafarov (winning for the third consecutive time), Nihad Mammadli (second time), and Gurban Gurbanov (first time). Four-time world champion Eldaniz Azizli (55kg) settled for second place after losing in the final. Ulvi Ganizade and Islam Abbasov won bronze medals. This marked only the second time in history that Azerbaijan’s Greco-Roman wrestling team has become European champions.

The women’s wrestling team performed poorly in Bratislava, returning home with only one bronze medal won by Jala Aliyeva (up to 57kg). Thanks to her achievement, Azerbaijan secured a position among the top ten teams.

World gold remains the goal

Hasrat Jafarov, a three-time European champion, expressed gratitude to the coaching staff and wrestling fans for their support and stated that his main goal is to win the world championship title in 2025:

"Thank you to everyone who supported us during the European Championship. I will do my utmost to make 2025 a special year in my career. The World Championship will be held in Zagreb this year. My primary aim is to win the gold medal there. I believe I will end the year as world champion."

Greco-Roman wrestler Islam Abbasov (87kg, bronze) dedicated his victory to Azerbaijani servicemen:

"The competition for medals was tough. I dreamed of becoming champion, but after earlier difficult matches, I did not fully recover. Nevertheless, I dedicate my success in winning third place to the Azerbaijani military."

Four-time world champion and two-time European champion Eldaniz Azizli (55kg) explained his defeat in the final as a tactical error:

"I thought I would become champion. But things do not always go as planned. I lost the final due to a tactical mistake. Wrestling can change at any moment. But there is no room for despair. The World Championship is ahead. I will try to avoid the error I made."

No accident — a deserved result

Head coach of Azerbaijan’s freestyle wrestling team, Khetag Gazyumov, expressed satisfaction with the championship results:

"We prepared seriously for this competition. Our wrestlers showed great form during training camps. We expected to become champions; this result is not accidental. Honestly, we hoped for more gold medals. I expected a championship from Osman Nurmagomedov but unfortunately it did not happen this time. We will work on our mistakes and correct them to bring back more gold medals from upcoming tournaments."

The participation of Azerbaijani wrestlers at the European Championship can be assessed positively. Both freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestlers proudly defended Azerbaijan’s sporting honour. Special mention goes to the Greco-Roman wrestlers: Gurban Gurbanov, Hasrat Jafarov, and Nihad Mammadli—all born in 2002—won gold medals in Slovakia. The championship victories of these 23-year-old athletes inspire confidence in the national team’s future.

If they remain injury-free and prepare thoroughly, they have a chance to compete in at least two Olympic Games. The Bratislava results show they can maintain their status among the world’s strongest wrestlers.

Meanwhile, the women’s team’s weak performance was expected. The problems that arose after Maria Stadnik retired cannot be resolved overnight. Therefore, unfortunately, serious success for the women’s team in the near future seems unrealistic.

The European Championship in Slovakia was the first continental competition held after the Summer Olympics. As is common knowledge, after the Olympics most countries do not send their leading athletes to World or European Championships. That is why it is very important not to become complacent.