UWW places high-level trust in Azerbaijani referee

July 30, 2026

The Hasan Gemici and Gazanfer Bilge Memorial Tournament in wrestling will get underway tomorrow in Kocaeli, Türkiye.

The competition, which will run through August 2, will feature 23 members of Azerbaijan’s Greco-Roman and freestyle national teams.

Under the guidance of coaches Rovshan Bayramov, Rasul Jazini and Sabah Shariat, Nihad Guluza­da and Rashad Mammadov (both 60 kg), Nihat Mammadli and Ziya Babashov (both 63 kg), Khalid Hasanov (72 kg), Ruslan Nurullayev and Davud Mammadov (both 77 kg), Lachin Valiyev and Tunjay Vazirzade (both 87 kg), Mahammad Ahmadyev (97 kg), as well as Beka Kandelaki and Sarkhan Mammadov (both 130 kg) will compete in the Greco-Roman wrestling tournament.

Our freestyle wrestlers will seek success under the guidance of coaches Arif Abdullayev and Taimuraz Kokoyev. The lineup includes Jeyhun Allahverdiyev (61 kg), Musa Aghayev and Ruslan Abdullayev (65 kg), Ramik Heybatov (70 kg), Aganazar Novruzov (74 kg), Sabuh­i Amiraslanov (86 kg), Anar Jafarli and Tabriz Bayramov (both 92 kg), Zafar Aliyev (97 kg), as well as Mukhamad Gantemirov and Ketag Karsanov (both 125 kg).

United World Wrestling (UWW) has entrusted the overall management of the tournament to Asif Shiraliyev, Chairman of the Technical and Refereeing Committee of the Azerbaijan Wrestling Federation and a Category I-S referee. Having earned the confidence of the sport’s governing body, Shiraliyev will serve as the Head of Competition as a UWW representative.

Category III referees Elshan Hamidzade, Samir Hajiyev and Gadim Gurbanov will also officiate at the tournament.