Head coaches assess preparations for the Islamic Games

November 14, 2025

Our wrestling national teams will depart tomorrow for Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, to participate in the Islamic Solidarity Games.

On the eve of the trip, the head coaches of the teams evaluated preparations for the year’s final major tournament.

Khetag Gazyumov, head coach of the freestyle team:
“Preparations are going according to plan. After the World Championship, we held two training camps. Following physical and strength-focused sessions, we prioritized tactical and technical work. We also held test matches to assess the readiness of our athletes. Thank God, none of our wrestlers are injured. We hope to meet the expectations of our fans. Naturally, an athlete cannot be at peak performance year-round. However, the Islamic Games are a major competition, so special motivation is not required. Our athletes have rested and undergone recovery. From what I hear, it is very hot there, so we will also have to cope with the weather. Of course, our main rivals are the Iranian wrestlers. We also consider the Bahrain and Albania teams, composed of foreign athletes, as well as the Turkish team, to be strong competitors. We analyze each opponent individually and hope everything goes well.”

Aleksandr Tarakanov, head coach of the Greco-Roman team:
“After the World Championship, the team was given a rest period. During this time, injured athletes underwent rehabilitation. Afterwards, general physical preparation took place. On November 1, we began two weeks of tactical and technical training. Our national team members have participated in training camps throughout the year, so there is no problem regarding their readiness. Of course, there is some fatigue at the end of the year, so we have switched to lighter and shorter sessions to avoid overload. Our main rival in this tournament will be Iran, who will participate with their main squad. We can also add wrestlers from Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Turkey to this list. I believe strong competition awaits us at the Islamic Games. Naturally, we analyze all opponents by watching footage of their past matches. We are working on correcting mistakes. Of course, opponents also study us and prepare specifically against our team, so we must be fully ready.”

Togrul Asgarov, acting head coach of the women’s team:
“We are concluding preparations for the Islamic Games. We began with physical training, followed by tactical and technical sessions. The training camp was held in Goygol. Our goal is to win at least one set of medals. I hope all our wrestlers can achieve a podium finish. Sport is full of surprises – anything can happen. A non-favorite athlete can become a champion, and a strong contender may leave without a medal. The main competitors are the teams from Turkey, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan. Nigeria also has strong wrestlers in several weight categories. As a coaching staff, we have done everything possible to bring our athletes to their maximum level of readiness.”

It should be noted that wrestling competitions at the Islamic Games will be held from November 18 to 21. First-Class referee Bashir Isazade will officiate at the Games.