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Laman Ismayilova

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Three Azerbaijani wrestlers have advanced to the semifinals of the 2026 U20 World Wrestling Championships being held in Bratislava, Slovakia.

In Greco-Roman wrestling, Aykhan Javadov (60 kg) defeated France's Magomed Varayev 9–0 in the round of 16 and Brazil's Pedro Henrique de Souza Rodrigues 6–2 in the quarterfinals. He will face Iran's Amirali Heydari in the semifinals.

Elmin Aliyev (82 kg) defeated Georgia's Luka Pipia and Japan's Rondo Kodama, both by a score of 8–0.

In the quarterfinals, the Azerbaijani wrestler defeated Uzbekistan's Bekmurod Rustamov under the first-point rule after the bout ended 1–1. Aliyev will face Belarusian Kirill Valevsky in the semifinals.

In women's wrestling, Zahra Karimzade (72 kg) reached the semifinals after defeating Turkiye's Ilayda Çin by fall. She will face India's Tanu Sharma for a place in the final.

Wrestling holds a prominent place in Azerbaijan's sporting culture and is overseen by the National Wrestling Federation, which was established in 1993.

The country has built an impressive record in wrestling at major international events. At the Rio Olympics, Azerbaijan was among just two nations to improve its medal haul at five successive Olympic Games.

Azerbaijani freestyle wrestlers also delivered a strong performance at the 2020 Individual World Cup in Serbia, securing one silver and one bronze medal. Their results helped Azerbaijan finish third in the overall medal standings, behind Russia and Turkiye.

At the 2022 World Wrestling Championships in Belgrade, Osman Nurmagomedov captured the 92kg freestyle title after defeating a Russian opponent in the final.

Azerbaijan continued its Olympic success at the Paris 2024 Games, where its wrestlers collected three bronze medals. Hasrat Jafarov took bronze in the 67kg Greco-Roman category, while Giorgi Meshvildishvili and Magomedkhan Magomedov finished third in the 125kg and 97kg freestyle events, respectively.

The country has also established itself as an experienced host of international wrestling competitions. Baku, Ganja and other Azerbaijani cities have staged European and World Championships as well as youth tournaments, offering modern sporting facilities and venues capable of accommodating athletes from around the world.