Taleh Israfilov: “We Ranked Among the Top Performing Nations”

June 13, 2025

The U17 Greco-Roman wrestling team, which secured five medals at the European Championship, has returned home.

A welcoming ceremony was held for the team, which ranked third in the team standings, at the Heydar Aliyev International Airport.

Taleh Israfilov, Senior Coach:
“The competition went very well. There were certain challenges, but thank God, we overcame them. In terms of medal quality, we ranked among the top-performing nations. Half of the team secured medals. After consulting with the federation’s leadership, we will plan preparations for the World Championship.”

Rihad Ibrahimli, European Champion:
“Thank God, I became a champion. I defeated wrestlers from Belarus and Poland to advance to the semifinals. My toughest match was in the semifinals, where I overcame my Ukrainian opponent with a 4:1 score. In the final, I defeated the Bulgarian wrestler by fall. My goal now is to win gold at the World Championship. Hopefully, with good training, we’ll achieve this.”

Abdurrahman Huseynli, European Champion:
“It was a very competitive tournament. I won decisive victories against all my opponents and raised our flag high. Although I was younger than my opponents, I believed I could become a champion because we had prepared at a very high level. My next goals are to achieve strong results at the upcoming U15 European and U17 World Championships.”

Ali Nazarov, European Silver Medalist:
“Everything went well until the final. Honestly, I could have won in the final too. However, I made mistakes that cost me the victory. Hopefully, I won’t repeat these mistakes at the World Championship.”

Gurban Majnunov, European Bronze Medalist:
“I faced strong opponents, and my matches were very close. I performed well but didn’t wrestle to my potential in the semifinal. God willing, I’ll achieve better results at the World Championship. Before that, I plan to compete in the U15 European Championship in the 52 kg category.”

Nijat Yeylagaliyev, European Bronze Medalist:
“It was a good tournament. Honestly, I could have made it to the final or even become the champion. God willing, I’ll realize this ambition at the World Championship.”