Islam Abbasov and Beka Kandelaki have progressed to the semi-finals of the European Wrestling Championships in Tirana, keeping Azerbaijan’s medal ambitions firmly on track.
According to Idman.Biz, both Greco-Roman wrestlers delivered strong performances throughout the day to secure their places among the final four in their respective weight categories. Abbasov (87 kg) advanced after edging past Norway’s Exos Mukubu 4:3 in a tightly contested bout, having earlier defeated Poland’s Arkadiusz Kulinicz.
Kandelaki (130 kg) also impressed, first dominating Albania’s Kriseldi Kodra with a technical superiority victory before overcoming Germany’s Jello Krahmer 3:2 in the quarter-finals to book his semi-final spot.
Elsewhere, Azerbaijan experienced mixed fortunes. Rashad Mammadov (55 kg), Ziya Babashov (63 kg) and Sanan Suleymanov (77 kg) were all eliminated at the quarter-final stage after facing strong opposition, despite promising starts earlier in the competition.
The European Championships, which run until April 26, represent one of the key events in the international wrestling calendar, with top athletes from across the continent competing for continental titles and ranking points.
