Arif Abdullayev: “Our young wrestlers show great potential”

August 22, 2025

The Azerbaijani freestyle wrestling team has returned home from the U20 World Championships in Samokov, Bulgaria, with three bronze medals.

A welcoming ceremony for the team took place at Heydar Aliyev International Airport.

Arif Abdullayev, head coach:
“We won three bronze medals at the World Championships, and one of our wrestlers finished fifth. With 71 points, we placed fourth in the team standings. Among European nations, this was the best result. We could have achieved even more. Yusif Dursunov lost to the Iranian wrestler due to the last-point rule. One of our main hopes was Ağanazər Novruzov, a European medalist at the senior level, but he fell short of expectations. Some of our wrestlers lost because of individual mistakes. Overall, the result is satisfactory. Our young wrestlers show great potential. If they correct their mistakes, they are capable of reaching much greater success.”

Vasif Baghirov, World bronze medalist:
“The tournament went very well. I came to win gold, but it was destined to be bronze. In the semifinal, I lost to my Indian opponent because I failed to set the right tactics. I hope to perform successfully in the upcoming competitions and represent my country with honor. The next target is the national championships among seniors, where I will do my best to win the title.”

Yusif Dursunov, World bronze medalist:
“I went to Bulgaria aiming for the gold medal. Unfortunately, in the semifinal I lost to the Iranian wrestler on the last-point rule. He had studied my style very well. Still, a bronze medal at the World Championships is a good result. I will keep working on my mistakes and I believe I can achieve even higher results in the future.”

Nurlan Aghazade, World bronze medalist:
“This was my first time competing at such a prestigious event, but my goal was the gold medal. In the semifinal, I lost to the Moldovan wrestler purely due to inexperience. I was also a bit nervous and lacked some endurance. But I didn’t give up and managed to defeat the Georgian wrestler to win the bronze medal. I dedicate this victory to the person who has supported me the most – my father. I also want to thank my personal coach Eshraf Aliyev, our head coach Arif Abdullayev, as well as Rovshan Hajiyev, Nazim Alicanov, and coaches Niyazi and Vusal.”