Azernews.Az

Laman Ismayilova

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Azerbaijan National Championship in Greco-Roman and Freestyle Wrestling is currently underway, Azernews reports.

On the second day of the competition, the medalists in Greco-Roman wrestling for the weight categories 55 kg, 63 kg, 72 kg, 82 kg, and 97 kg were determined.

In the 55 kg category, the gold medal was claimed by Elmir Aliyev from Neftchi, while Rashad Mammadov from Neftchi, Shamkir, took silver.

The bronze medals were shared by Farid Sadikhli (Neftchi) and Ibrahim Nurullayev (Neftchi).

For the 63 kg category, Ziya Babashov from Neftchi secured first place, followed by Sakit Guliyev (Neftchi) with second place. The third spot was shared by Parviz Dadaşov (MOIK) and Said Khalilov (Sumgayit-Tahsil, Neftchi).

In the 72 kg category, the gold medal went to Faraim Mustafayev (Neftchi), with Khalid Hasanov (Neftchi) claiming second place. The bronze medals were awarded to Rasul Mammadzadə (MOIK) and Seymour Gasimov (Neftchi).

In the 82 kg category, Tunjay Vazirzade from Neftchi took home the gold, while Elmin Aliyev (MOIK, Lankaran) earned the silver. Kanan Abdullazade (MOIK) and Nijat Yeylaqaliyev (Absheron) shared the third-place finish.

Finally, in the 97 kg category, Murad Ahmadiyev (Neftchi) won the gold medal, with Mahammad Ahmadiyev (Neftchi) taking silver. Arif Niftullayev (Neftchi) and Ali Guliyev (Neftchi) finished in third place.

The competition to determine the national champions in both Greco-Roman and Freestyle Wrestling will conclude on January 11. Wrestlers who secure a spot in the top three of each category will be included in the national teams.

Wrestling continues to be the most popular sport in Azerbaijan and is overseen by the National Wrestling Federation, which was founded in 1993.

The Rio Olympic Games marked a significant milestone in Azerbaijan's wrestling history, as the country became one of only two nations to increase its medal count in five consecutive Olympics.

In 2020, Azerbaijani freestyle wrestlers secured third place in the overall medal standings at the Individual World Cup held in Serbia, winning two medals—a silver and a bronze—behind Russia, which led the table, and Turkiye.

In 2022, Osman Nurmagomedov (92 kg) claimed the World Championship title in Belgrade, defeating a Russian opponent in the final match.

At the 2024 Summer Olympics, Azerbaijan earned three bronze medals in wrestling: Hasrat Jafarov (67 kg) in Greco-Roman, and Giorgi Meshvildishvili (125 kg) and Magomedkhan Magomedov (97 kg) in freestyle.