Azernews.Az

Laman Ismayilova

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Azerbaijan's national wrestling teams have kicked off their first training camps of 2026, Azernews reports.

The team rosters were finalized following the national championship held in January, after which preparations officially got underway. The Greco-Roman national team began its camp on January 14, while the freestyle team joined on January 18 at the Goygol Olympic Sports Complex.

The Greco-Roman wrestlers will continue training in Goygol until January 25, with the freestyle squad remaining there until January 31. This phase of preparation is primarily focused on improving physical conditioning, while tactical and technical drills are also included in the program.

Meanwhile, the women's national wrestling team gathered in Baku today. Their training camp, organized at the Wrestling Federation's women's wrestling training base, will run until February 3.

It is worth noting that participation in international competitions is scheduled to begin next month. The women's team will open their 2026 season at the Zagreb Open, the year's first ranking tournament, taking place from February 4 to 8.

Azerbaijan's men's teams will make their competitive debut at the next ranking event—the Muhamet Malo Memorial Tournament in Tirana, scheduled for February 25 to March 1.

Wrestling remains the most widely followed sport in Azerbaijan and is governed by the National Wrestling Federation, established in 1993.

A major turning point in the nation’s wrestling legacy came at the Rio Olympic Games, where Azerbaijan distinguished itself as one of only two countries to improve its medal haul across five consecutive Olympic Games.

Azerbaijan's success continued in 2020, when its freestyle wrestlers finished third in the overall medal standings at the Individual World Cup in Serbia, capturing two medals, one silver and one bronze, behind leaders Russia and Türkiye.

Further highlighting the country's strength on the world stage, Osman Nurmagomedov claimed the 92 kg world title at the 2022 World Championships in Belgrade, overcoming a Russian rival in the final.

Most recently, Azerbaijan added to its Olympic record at the 2024 Summer Games, securing three bronze medals in wrestling. Hasrat Jafarov reached the podium in the 67 kg Greco-Roman category, while Giorgi Meshvildishvili (125 kg) and Magomedkhan Magomedov (97 kg) delivered bronze medals in freestyle wrestling.