Astana, 26 October. Kazakh wrestler Bagdat Sabaz reached the quarter-finals at 67 kg at the Greco-Roman World Championships in Astana, where he lost 2-7 to Iran's Saeid Esmaeili, the National Olympic Committee press service said.
Esmaeili is the 2024 Olympic champion, the 2025 world champion and a two-time Asian champion. Before facing him, the 22-year-old Sabaz, the 2025 Asian under-23 champion, won two bouts: he opened by beating reigning Asian champion Razzak Beishekeev of Kyrgyzstan 8-4, and in the last 16 against Bulgaria's Abu-Muslim Amaev he came back from 0-5 to win 7-5. Nursultan Tursynov (87 kg) lost 1-4 in the last 16 to Armenia's Gevorg Tadevosyan; he can fight for bronze through the repechage only if Tadevosyan reaches the final.
The Greco-Roman team standings are going Iran's way. After just two days the Iranians had 130 points: silver for Payam Ahmadi (55 kg) and Ali Ahmadi Vafa (60 kg), bronze for Ali Oskou (77 kg) and gold for Gholamreza Farrokhi at 82 kg. On 26 October Iran's IRNA news agency reported that Iran had clinched first place in the team standings early.
Kazakhstan has two Greco-Roman bronzes so far, for Iskhar Kurbayev and Aidos Sultangali.
What it means: The hosts are fighting for individual medals, while the Greco-Roman team title is going to Iran, as it did last year.
Who benefits: Iran gains a second straight world team title in Greco-Roman wrestling. Kazakhstan still has medal bouts in the remaining weights and the freestyle competition.
Background: At the 2025 World Championships in Zagreb, Iran won both the Greco-Roman (180 points) and freestyle team titles. The Astana championships run from 24 October to 1 November at Barys Arena; this is the second wrestling world championship held in Kazakhstan, after 2019.
We have also reported that Kurbayev and Sultangali won Kazakhstan's first medals at the home World Championships.
