Beach wrestling is steadily growing in popularity in Azerbaijan, according to national team head coach Oyan Nazariani, who believes recent international successes are attracting more athletes to the discipline.
Speaking to İdman.Biz, Nazariani highlighted Azerbaijan's strong performances at recent competitions, including the U-17 European Championships, where the team won the overall standings and collected two gold and two silver medals. Azerbaijani wrestlers also secured a silver and a bronze medal at the second stage of the Beach Wrestling World Series.
"The results are encouraging. Becoming European team champions is a major achievement and gives our wrestlers additional motivation ahead of the U-17 World Championships and the Youth Olympic Games," Nazariani said.
The coach noted that many athletes who compete in freestyle wrestling are now also testing themselves in beach wrestling, viewing it as an increasingly prestigious discipline on the international stage. He pointed to Nihad Suleymanli, who became both European and world beach wrestling champion last year before winning the European freestyle wrestling title this season.
Nazariani also praised the development of women's beach wrestling in Azerbaijan. He recalled that Ulviyya Musayeva became the first Azerbaijani female world champion in the sport last year, while the country has also secured a Youth Olympic Games quota place in the women's competition.
Looking to the future, Nazariani expressed confidence that beach wrestling could eventually become an Olympic sport. He noted that United World Wrestling continues to actively promote the discipline and pointed to its inclusion in the Youth Olympic Games programme as an important step towards possible Olympic recognition.
