Eldeniz wrote history, Nihat and Ulvü also became the world champion

November 15, 2024

The World Wrestling Championships for seniors have started in Tirana, the capital of Albania.

The competition began with Greco-Roman wrestlers taking to the mats.

Eldaniz Azizli (55 kg) made a confident start to the championships with an 8:0 victory over Albania’s Bayram Sina. In the quarterfinals, the team captain left no chance for China’s Haifeng Zhang, winning 9:0. In the semifinals, Azizli defeated Romania’s Denis Mihai before the end of the match with another 9:0 score. In the final, Eldaniz faced Iran’s Pouya Marz, securing victory based on the “last point” rule (1:1). This win made Azizli the world champion for the third consecutive time and marked his fourth world title overall, setting a new record in Azerbaijan’s wrestling history.

Nihat Mammadli (63 kg) began his campaign with an early win over the USA’s Ildar Hafizov, scoring 10:0. The young wrestler then pinned Bulgaria’s Abu Muslim Amayev in the round of 16. Mammadli showcased his strength against Belarus’ Gleb Makaranka with a 5:0 victory. In the semifinals, he defeated Armenia’s Karen Aslanyan 6:1, earning his spot in the final. In the decisive match, Nihat left no chance for Kazakhstan’s Yerzhet Zharlikassin, winning 6:1 and claiming his first world championship title.

Ulvi Ganizade (72 kg), who joined the competition in the round of 16, overcame Georgia’s Otar Abuladze with a 5:1 victory. In the next round, he defeated Croatia’s Dominik Etlinger before the match ended, with a 9:0 score. Ganizade continued his streak in the semifinals, beating China’s Ji Leng 6:0. In the final, Ulvi secured his first senior world championship title with a narrow 3:2 victory over France’s Ibrahim Ghanem.

Qurban Qurbanov (82 kg) eliminated Albania’s Kevin Kupi in the opening round with a 9:0 victory. In the round of 16, he faced Hungary’s Erik Silvassy but lost 1:2. Since Silvassy advanced to the final, Qurbanov entered the repechage, where he defeated Uzbekistan’s Zhalgasbay Berdimuratov 5:0. However, in the bronze medal match, Qurbanov fell short against Turkey’s Ahmet Yılmaz, losing 1:8.