Bahrain Targets Final Ranking Push in Budapest

TDT | Manama

Email : hussainm@newsofbahrain.com

Six top wrestlers set to compete in Hungary, led by Olympic champion Akhmed Tazhudinov.

The Budapest Ranking Series kicks off today, marking the final leg of this year’s United World Wrestling (UWW) circuit — the Polyak Imre and Varga Janos Memorial. Nearly 500 athletes are set to compete across freestyle, Greco-Roman, and women’s wrestling, with the event carrying vital implications for global seeding ahead of the Senior World Championships in Zagreb this September.

For wrestlers with Olympic ambitions, this is one of the last opportunities to earn points toward a better draw. In the long-term, it will bring them a step closer to qualifying for Los Angeles 2028.

Bahrain Enters with Momentum

Bahrain’s national team has touched down in Hungary after wrapping up a focused training camp in Russia. The camp was overseen by Bahrain Wrestling Federation (BWF) president Abdulredha Haji, who credited the support of Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa and Shaikh Salman bin Mohammed Al Khalifa as instrumental in elevating the program. Technical director Eldar Eldarov leads the coaching staff, with board member Kamal Jamal Kamal heading the delegation.

The Budapest event follows a strong outing at the Grand Prix of Spain earlier this month, where Bahrain took five medals, including four golds. That momentum will be tested in what is expected to be one of the deepest fields of the year.

Six-Man Squad Ready  

Leading Bahrain’s charge is Olympic and world champion Akhmed Tazhudinov, competing in the 97kg class. Fresh off gold in Madrid, his first competition since recovering from a shoulder injury sustained at Paris 2024, Tazhudinov enters Budapest as one of the division’s favorites.

The team also includes:

• Shamil Sharipov – 125kg (Gold medalist, Grand Prix of Spain)

• Magomed Sharipov – 92kg

• Khidir Saipudinov – 79kg (Gold, Madrid)

• Magomedrasul Asluev – 74kg (Gold, Madrid)

• Ali Bek Alibekov – 65kg (Bronze, Madrid)
  
  

Each brings international experience and recent form into a tournament that doubles as a ranking opportunity and early test on the road to Zagreb and beyond.

The Bigger Picture

While podium finishes matter, the true value of Budapest lies in its ranking weight. Results here will influence world seedings and, more critically, Olympic qualification positioning for LA 2028.