What to expect from the World Wrestling Championships? Forecast on Caliber.Az

On September 13, the World Wrestling Championships will kick off in Zagreb. Azerbaijan’s wrestlers, traditionally among the favourites in such competitions, have travelled to the Croatian capital with a 23-athlete squad.

In freestyle wrestling, our country will be represented by Islam Bazarganov (57 kg), Nuraddin Novruzov (61 kg), Ali Rahimzade (65 kg), Kanan Heybatov (70 kg), Turan Bayramov (74 kg), Jabrayil Hajiyev (79 kg), Arsenii Dzhioev (86 kg), Osman Nurmagomedov (92 kg), Magomedkhan Magomedov (97 kg), and Giorgi Meshvildishvili (125 kg).

What can we expect from Khetag Gazyumov’s protégés? Who among them can fight for medals? I wouldn’t be mistaken in saying that, given the current realities in freestyle wrestling, at most four of them can realistically count on medals. As for gold… Despite all optimism, I’m afraid that just as we haven’t seen it for eight years (since Haji Aliyev’s triumph in Paris in 2017), it will once again remain out of reach in this discipline. At present, we simply don’t have a wrestler at that level — nothing can be done about it. Yes, the federation provides all the conditions for training, but, as the saying goes, one cannot jump higher than one’s head. You can’t go far relying solely on naturalised Dagestanis and Georgians, and as for our own, as the saying goes, “some are no longer with us, and others are far away.” And if someone does “jump higher than his head,” it would be a very welcome surprise.

As for potential medal contenders, they are undoubtedly Turan Bayramov, Osman Nurmagomedov, Giorgi Meshvildishvili, and perhaps Ali Rahimzade, who, after winning four European Championship bronze medals, is overdue for a bronze at the World Championships.

Well, 33-year-old Meshvildishvili, who became European champion in April, may well “slam the door” with a loud statement by winning a World Championship medal. For Osman Nurmagomedov, his extreme inconsistency could be an obstacle, while for Turan it may be his psychological instability.

As for the rest of the freestyle squad, if they manage to make it through at least two rounds, that would already be a decent result…

Meanwhile, in women’s wrestling, although only three athletes have travelled to Zagreb under the leadership of Toghrul Asgarov, at least two of them have realistic chances. For instance, Jala Aliyeva (57 kg) is now the clear leader of the team, and alongside her European medals, she can well add silverware from the World Championships. Gunay Gurbanova (59 kg), though making her debut at the Worlds, is the U20 and U23 European champion, so it is realistic to expect her to win a medal even at senior level. As for Birgul Sultanova (62 kg), if she manages to clear the first round, that alone would be a reason to be pleased.

And finally, to our main medal hope – the Greco-Roman wrestlers. They too have travelled to Zagreb with a full squad: Eldaniz Azizli (55 kg), Nihat Mammadli (60 kg), Murad Mammadov (63 kg), Hasrat Jafarov (67 kg), Ulvi Ganizade (72 kg), Sanan Suleymanov (77 kg), Gurban Gurbanov (82 kg), Islam Abbasov (87 kg), Murad Ahmadiyev (97 kg), and Beka Kandelaki (130 kg). Truly a magnificent ten under the guidance of Alexander Tarakanov, where practically EACH of them is capable of fighting for medals!

Of course, the main question here is whether four-time World Champion Eldaniz Azizli can claim his fifth world title. For the 33-year-old athlete, this will be a very difficult task, especially considering that the main favourites in Greco-Roman wrestling — the Russian wrestlers — have once again been allowed to compete. Recall that at this year’s European Championships, Azizli lost in the final to a Russian, Emin Sefershaev, who will also be competing in Zagreb.

As for the rest of the Greco-Roman squad, I repeat: ANY of them could win a medal, and at least three others, besides Azizli, could become World Champions. This includes 2024 Olympic medalist Hasrat Jafarov, two-time European Champion Nihat Mammadli, and European Champion Gurban Gurbanov. For the rest, any outcome without a medal would be considered a failure. 

By Vugar Vugarli, exclusively for Caliber.Az