Azerbaijani wrestlers to compete in Bulgaria

By Laman Ismayilova

Azerbaijan's national wrestling team will compete in the international Dan Kolov-Nikola Petrov tournament to be held in Ruse, Bulgaria on April 8-9.

Azerbaijan pins much hope on fourteen wrestlers, Report.az reported.

Angela Dorogan (53 kg), Irina Netreba, Nataliya Sinishin (both 58 kg) and Elis Manolova (69 kg) led by coaches Semyon Chterev and Rovshan Umudov will compete  in women tournament.

Taleh Mammadov, Karim Jafarov (both 59 kg), Kamran Mammadov (66 kg), Rasul Chunayev and Hasan Aliyev (both 71 kg) have been also included in the team.

Mahir Amirsalanov (57 kg), Mahammad Muslumov, Gitinomagomed Hajiyev (both 65 kg), Ruslan Dibirhajiyev (75 kg) and Nurmahammad Hajiyev (97 kg) will fight in freestyle tournament. The team will be led by coaches Sadruddin Aygubov and Asgarkhan Novruzov.

The national Greco-Roman wrestling team will take part in the tournament under leadership of senior coach Ilgar Abdulov.

Azerbaijani international referee Abdul Niriyev is among referees of the tournament. 

Wrestling remains the most popular sport in the county and is overseen by the National Wrestling Federation, which was established in 1993.

The Rio Games opened a new page in wrestling for Azerbaijan. The country became one of only two nations ever to increase the number of medals achieved in five consecutive Games.