Samokov, Bulgaria – August 17, 2025. The U20 World Freestyle Wrestling Championships opened today in the Bulgarian town of Samokov, where Azerbaijan’s young athletes are chasing medals on the global stage.
According to the Azerbaijan Wrestling Federation, finalists in the 70 kg, 74 kg, 97 kg, and 125 kg weight categories were determined on the opening day. Two Azerbaijani wrestlers advanced to the bronze medal bouts.
In the 70 kg division, Nurlan Agazade secured three convincing victories — defeating Cade Brown of Canada (9:2), Zalkarbek Tabaldiev of Kyrgyzstan (5:2), and Tao Wei of China (12:2). In the semifinals, he fell to Moldova’s Alexandru Gaydarli (4:7) and will now wrestle for bronze.
Meanwhile, in the 125 kg category, Yusif Dursunov scored a pin against China’s Julcze Li and beat Georgia’s Aleksandre Abramishvili (5:0). His semifinal match against Iran’s Abolfazl Nezhad ended 1:1, with the Iranian advancing on last-point criteria. Dursunov will also contest a bronze medal.
Other Azerbaijani competitors exited earlier:
Aganazar Novruzov (74 kg) beat Bulgaria’s Stilian Dzhurov (10:0), but lost to U20 European champion Manuel Wagen of Germany (2:7).
Revan Musayev (97 kg) dominated Hungary’s Peter Zivnovszki (10:0) before falling to France’s Ashab Dadaev (2:12).
The championship runs throughout the week, with Azerbaijan seeking to add to its medal tally and continue building on its proud traditions in Azerbaijani wrestling, a sport that has long been central to the nation’s sporting identity.
For broader coverage of Azerbaijani athletes on the world stage and updates on youth competitions, follow our network sites in multiple languages.
