Astana, 25 October. Iskhar Kurbayev (up to 55 kg) and Aidos Sultangali (up to 60 kg) won bronze medals at the World Greco-Roman Wrestling Championships in Astana, the Kazakh team's first medals at the home tournament, the press office of the National Olympic Committee said.
Both wrestlers had lost their semi-finals the day before and went into the bouts for third place on the second day of competition. Sultangali, the reigning world champion, faced China's Cao Liguo, silver medallist at the 2024 Paris Olympics and bronze medallist at the 2023 World Championships, and won 5:1. A year ago he became world champion in Zagreb; a semi-final defeat by Japan's Koto Gomi stopped him defending the title at home.
In his bronze bout Kurbayev beat the Indian wrestler Lalit, and did so before time, the 24KZ channel specified. On the way to the semi-final the 23-year-old beat Japan's Kagetora Okamoto, Uzbekistan's Ikhtiyor Botirov and the European champion Artiom Deleanu of Moldova. Kurbayev has previously been Asian under-23 champion, under-23 world silver medallist and under-20 world champion.
The world titles in these weights went to others. At 55 kg Azerbaijan's Eldaniz Azizli won gold, beating Iran's Payam Ahmadi 3-1 in the final; the other bronze went to Georgia's Vakhtang Lolua, last year's world champion. At 60 kg Japan's Koto Gomi became champion, the same wrestler who beat Sultangali in the semi-final; trailing Iran's Ali Ahmadi Vafa 1-7 in the final, he won by fall. The other bronze in that weight went to Uzbekistan's Alisher Ganiev, whom Sultangali beat in last year's world final in Zagreb. Besides its two silvers, Iran won gold at 82 kg that day through Gholamreza Farrokhi.
The other Kazakhs competing on 25 October did not reach the medals. Almatbek Amanbek (up to 72 kg) and Islam Yevloyev (up to 97 kg) lost in the quarter-finals, and Olzhas Syrlybay (up to 130 kg) went out after his first bout.
Organisers pay 25,000 dollars for a World Championship bronze, 50,000 for silver and 100,000 for gold, with prize money for coaches as well, the Kazakhstan Wrestling Federation said.
What it means: The hosts opened their medal count on the second day of the tournament, but both medals are bronze, and the reigning world champion Sultangali did not keep his title. Seven days of competition remain, including freestyle and women's wrestling.
Who benefits: The Kazakh team and the two wrestlers gain world medals and prize money. The organisers, led by the Kazakhstan Wrestling Federation, get home medals as early as the second day.
Background: The World Championships are being held at Barys Arena from 24 October to 1 November, with medals in 30 weight categories in freestyle, Greco-Roman and women's wrestling. According to the organisers, entries came from 135 countries. The tournament was moved to Astana from Bahrain because of the situation in the Middle East; Kazakhstan won the vote by a single vote.
We have also reported that Sultangali and Kurbayev reached the bronze-medal bouts.
