Oyan Nazariani: “We are one of the leading countries in beach wrestling”

September 30, 2026

The Azerbaijani national beach wrestling team has returned home after a successful performance at the World Series Final held in Katerini, Greece, last week.

A welcoming ceremony was held at Heydar Aliyev International Airport for the national team, which became world champions in the team standings for the first time.

Head coach Oyan Nazariani, world champions Vusal Aliyev and Ashraf Ashirov, as well as world bronze medallists Jamal Feyziyev, Sahib Dadashov and Rubail Ibrahimli, shared their thoughts on the competition.

Oyan Nazariani, head coach:

“It was a very strong competition with a large number of participants. After last year’s World Series Final, where we won two gold medals, we returned home and made a promise that the following year we would compete in four weight categories and work as a team to establish ourselves as serious contenders. Thankfully, that is exactly what happened. We won medals in all four weight categories, including two gold and two bronze medals, and we also became world champions in the team standings.

We are one of the leading countries in beach wrestling. The support we have received from the Azerbaijan Wrestling Federation has been invaluable. The high-level training camps organised regularly, as well as the invitation of various national teams to our country, have been very beneficial for us. Hosting the U17 World Championships in beach wrestling and the fourth stage of the World Series for seniors in Azerbaijan for the first time also helped us increase our points tally. We would like to express our gratitude to the Azerbaijan Wrestling Federation, the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the National Olympic Committee for always standing by us.

The final day of our competition, September 27, coincided with Remembrance Day. We placed our national flag in front of us and, on the day the competition began, told the team that the sons and daughters of this nation had sacrificed their lives for their country, and that we also had a debt to our nation. I tried to motivate our athletes by quoting a sentence from Ismail bey Gasprinski: ‘If you want to be useful to your nation, start with what you know. What you know is sport. Let us fight until the very end today and make our nation proud.’ Thankfully, that is exactly what happened.

Being named the world’s best coach is a great source of joy. When I received the award, I also said that, beyond being an individual honour, it is a team award for me as well. No individual can achieve great success alone. Therefore, I would once again like to thank the athletes who competed, those who are members of the national team but did not compete, those who assisted us during the training process, the national team coaches, the athletes’ personal coaches and the Wrestling Federation.”

Vusal Aliyev, world champion:

“We had prepared very well for this competition. Under the guidance of our coaches, we held five training camps. As you know, I was also world champion last year. I managed to retain my title, and I am very happy about that. I dedicate my victory to our martyrs.”

Ashraf Ashirov, world champion:

“When I started beach wrestling, I had no idea what awaited me. However, after seeing the national team coaches’ work plan, system and approach, I believed in them and in my ability to achieve success. I won gold medals at four of the five World Series stages. I do not know what next year’s plans will be yet. For now, we are focused on the upcoming Azerbaijan Championships. Time will tell what comes next.”

Jamal Feyziyev, world bronze medallist:

“As you know, I joined the World Series from the fourth stage and won gold medals both in Baku and Katerini. In the end, I managed to finish third in the world. I promise that next year I will turn this bronze medal into gold. God willing, next year we will become world champions in all weight categories.”

Sahib Dadashov, world bronze medallist:

“I joined these competitions at the final stage of the World Series last year. Naturally, every athlete wants to become world champion. Injuries over the past two or three months caused difficulties during both training and competitions. Thankfully, I was able to finish the season with a medal. Now I will prepare for the Azerbaijan Championships. I dedicate this victory to my students who take inspiration from me.”

Rubail Ibrahimli, world bronze medallist:

“I finished third in the world this year. I will do everything I can to become champion next year. I dedicate the medal I won to the memory of our esteemed coach Hasrat Mammadov, who passed away recently.”