Eleven athletes will represent Tajikistan in senior wrestling world championships that will take place in the Kazakh capital of Nur-Sultan from September 14 to September 22, according to Tajikistan’s National Olympic Committee (NOC).
Mohammad Ikromov (-57kg), Jamshed Sharipov (-61kg), Abdulqosim Faiziyev (-65kg), Bahodur Qodirov (-86kg), Iskandar Rustam (-97kg) and Farhod Annaqulov (+100kg) will compete in the Freestyle Wrestling World Championships.
Islom Mazitov (-60kg), Mubinjon Ahmadov (-67kg), Habibjon Zuhurov (-72kg), Mohammad Ismoilov (-77kg) and Tohir Okhonov (-87kg) will compete in the Greco-Roman Wrestling World Championships.
The 2019 World Championships will be the first qualification event for the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympic Games and the top six finishers in each Olympic weight category will secure an Olympic qualification for their country. The remaining qualification spots will be decided at continental competitions and a Last Chance Qualifier.
The world championships are also an opportunity for up-and-coming wrestlers to make a name for themselves.
Freestyle wrestling is a style of amateur wrestling that is practiced throughout the world. Along with Greco-Roman, it is one of the two styles of wrestling contested in the Olympic Games. Freestyle wrestling, like collegiate wrestling, has its greatest origins in catch-as-catch-can wrestling. In both styles the ultimate goal is to throw and pin the opponent to the mat, which results in an immediate win. Freestyle and collegiate wrestling allow the use of the wrestler's or the opponent's legs in offense and defense. Freestyle wrestling brings together traditional wrestling, judo, and sambo techniques.
According to wrestling's world governing body, United World Wrestling (UWW), freestyle wrestling is one of the six main forms of amateur competitive wrestling practiced internationally today. The other five forms are Greco-Roman wrestling, grappling/submission wrestling, beach wrestling, pankration athlima, alysh/belt wrestling and traditional/folk wrestling.
Greco-Roman wrestling is a style of wrestling that is practiced worldwide. It was contested at the first modern Olympic Games in 1896 and has been included in every edition of the summer Olympics held since 1908. This style of wrestling forbids holds below the waist; this is the major difference from freestyle wrestling, the other form of wrestling at the Olympics. This restriction results in an emphasis on throws because a wrestler cannot use trips to take an opponent to the ground, or avoid throws by hooking or grabbing the opponent's leg.