Gunay Gurbanova made an impressive start at the European Wrestling Championships in Tirana, advancing to the semi-finals in the 59 kg category and keeping Azerbaijan’s medal hopes alive.
Entering the competition directly from the quarter-final stage, Gurbanova secured a confident victory over Germany’s Elena Brugger to book her place in the last four. The result underlines her growing status within the national team and puts her within one win of a guaranteed medal.
The tournament marks the beginning of the women’s programme for Azerbaijan, with the team looking to build on earlier successes in other disciplines. Prior to the women’s events, Azerbaijan had already claimed bronze medals through Rashad Mammadov (55 kg) and Islam Abbasov (87 kg), reflecting a solid overall performance so far.
Elsewhere, Elnura Mammadova (50 kg) was unable to progress after losing her opening bout to Poland’s Agata Goluchovska. Despite that setback, Gurbanova’s progress provides a major boost for the team’s ambitions at the championships, which run until 26 April.
