Azerbaijani Wrestler Claims ‘Sweet Revenge’ and Gold

Jerusalem, 23 October, 2025 (TPS-IL) -- We had prepared for the World Cup at a high level, and this was reflected in the results, Azerbaijani Greco-Roman wrestler Elmir Aliyev — who won a gold medal at the U-23 World Championship — told AZERTAC.

The athlete, who competed in the 55-kilogram weight category at the tournament in Novi Sad, Serbia, said that this was his first time participating in the Under-23 World Championship: “Thankfully, I was awarded the championship. This is the first in my career. I would like to express my gratitude to everyone who supported us. Before that, I won a bronze medal at the U-23 European Championship. I came third due to a sudden mistake. However, we prepared more seriously for the World Cup. Our training was at a high level.”

He said that he faced strong opponents: “It is a well-known fact that there are no weak opponents in the world championship. I also wrestled with strong athletes. In the final, I faced Russian Alibek Amirov. I had lost to that wrestler in the semifinals of the European championship. It was a good revenge for me. I hope that in the future I will become the world and European champion among adults.”

Ziya Babashov (63 kilograms) also climbed to the highest step of the podium at the U-23 World Championship. The Azerbaijani national Greco-Roman wrestling team, which currently has two gold medals to its credit, set a new record with this result.