Kazakhstan emerged victorious in the unprecedented gold medal win at the World Championships for Greek-Roman wrestling.
In a historic victory, 29-year-old Sultanali Kasanov has brought home the first gold medal for Kazakhstan in the World Greco-Roman Wrestling Championship in 26 years. The championship, held in an unspecified year and location, saw Sultanali defeat Alisher Ganiev of Uzbekistan in the final match.
Sultanali's journey to the top was not an easy one. In the semifinals, he defeated Amiran Chavdze from Georgia. In the current tournament in Croatia, Sultanali also defeated Maxwell Hopkins Black (USA) and Melkamu Fetene (Israel) in the qualifications. An impressive feat was his victory over Seun Lee, the bronze medalist of the Paris Olympics and Asian Games, in the quarterfinals.
This marks a significant milestone for Kazakhstan, as the last Kazakhstani champion in this championship was Mkhitar Manukyan in the year 1999, in the weight category up to 60 kg. Since then, several Kazakhstani wrestlers have reached the final but failed to win gold, including Almat Kebispayev, Meirambek Ainagulov, Demeu Zhadraev, Korlan Zhakanov, and Yerjet Jarilkassyn.
Sultanali, a tenacious wrestler, has previously won two bronze medals at previous World Championships in the 60 kg category. With this gold medal, he becomes the tenth Kazakhstani wrestler to reach the final of the World Championship in "classical" wrestling since Kazakhstan gained independence.
While the world of sports journalism buzzes with the possibility of a future fight between Terence Crawford and Kazakhstani boxer Zhankibek Alimkhanuly, Sultanali's victory is undoubtedly a source of national pride for Kazakhstan. His hard-earned gold medal serves as a testament to his dedication, skill, and the resilience of Kazakhstani wrestling.
