Alisher Ganiev Makes History as Uzbekistan's First U23 World Champion in Greco-Roman Wrestling

Posted : 23 October 2024

Alisher Ganiev of Uzbekistan experienced a challenging moment earlier this year when he referred to his loss at the U20 Asian Championships as a "painful defeat." However, that setback served as a catalyst for his subsequent success. Just three months later, the 19-year-old made history by becoming Uzbekistan’s first-ever U23 world champion across all wrestling styles, marking a significant milestone for the nation. Until Ganiev's achievement, Uzbekistan had not seen a medalist in Greco-Roman wrestling at the U23 World Championships.

Reflecting on his journey, Ganiev noted that his previous experiences significantly motivated him to succeed. After finishing third at the U20 World Championships last year, he used those losses to fuel his preparation for this competition. Ganiev's performance at the U23 World Championships was impressive; he won all his matches on the first day by technical superiority.

On Tuesday, he secured the gold medal in the 60kg final by defeating Dinislam Bammatov from Azerbaijan with a score of 8-4. "The final was the most difficult one," Ganiev admitted, emphasizing that the right strategy and technique were crucial to his victory.

During the final match, Ganiev started strong, initially establishing a commanding 9-0 lead after a four-point toss and a foul called on Bammatov. However, after a successful challenge by Bammatov, the score was adjusted to 7-0, giving the latter a glimmer of hope.

Despite Bammatov's attempts to close the gap by scoring four points in the second period, he ultimately could not overcome the significant lead Ganiev had built. Ganiev acknowledged that while it might have appeared straightforward, the match was challenging due to the meticulous tactics his team had devised for each opponent.

Kyrgyzstan also celebrated a historical moment as Razzak Beishekeev became the country's first U23 world champion in Greco-Roman wrestling. Competing in the 67kg category, Beishekeev defeated European bronze medalist Diego Chkhikvadze from Georgia with a decisive 6-1 score. This win added to Kyrgyzstan's recent successes in the sport, as they have now achieved multiple world titles across various age categories in recent years.

In other finals, Iranian wrestler Mohammad Naghousi narrowly defeated Beka Melelashvili from the United States in the 82kg class with a close score of 4-3, denying Melelashvili the chance to become the first U23 champion from the U.S.

In the 97kg final, Hayk Khloyan of Armenia, who had never medaled before, clinched gold by defeating Paris Olympian Abubakar Khaslakhanau with an 11-6 score. Additionally, Giorgi Chkhikvadze from Georgia won the championship at 72kg by overcoming Shant Khachatryan of Armenia 3-1, marking Chkhikvadze's first world title following a previous silver finish at the U20 level.

Alisher Ganiev Makes History as Uzbekistan's First U23 World Champion in Greco-Roman Wrestling

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