# Azerbaijan Wrestling Federation

Azerbaijan Wrestling Federation (AWF) (Azerbaijani: Azərbaycan Güləş Federasiyası) is an organization which ensures the development and regulation of wrestling as a sport in Azerbaijan. The Federation was established in 1993. On December 8, 2021, an extraordinary meeting of the General Assembly of Azerbaijan Wrestling Federation was held, and Mikayil Jabbarov was elected the president of the Federation.

## Establishment

1993 – The Federation was founded.
1993 – AWF became a member of the International Association of Wrestling Federations (FILA).
The presidents of Azerbaijan Wrestling Federation: Etibar Mammadov (1993–1997), Abbas Abbasov (1997–2007), Fazil Mammadov (2007–2018) and Namig Aliyev (2018–2021).
In 2021, an extraordinary meeting of the General Assembly of Azerbaijan Wrestling Federation was held, and Mikayil Jabbarov was elected the president of the Federation.

## Rights and obligations

AWF is a non-governmental organization that ensures the development of wrestling in Azerbaijan and carries out activities based on the principles of volunteerism and equality of sporting clubs and societies, as well as their members. The activity of the federation envisages the territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan. The rights and obligations of Azerbaijan Wrestling Federation are regulated by the law "On physical education and sports".

## Activities and organized competitions

2002 – The European Men's Freestyle Wrestling Championships was held in Baku.
2004 – The World Cup in freestyle wrestling was held in Azerbaijan.
2007 – The World Wrestling Championships was held in Azerbaijan, where 797 athletes from 92 countries competed for victory.
2010 – The European Wrestling Championships was held in Azerbaijan.
2012 – The World Cup in freestyle wrestling was held in Azerbaijan.
2012 – The World Junior Wrestling Championships was held in Baku.
2022 – For the first time, the Greco-Roman World Cup was organized in Azerbaijan.

## The main achievements of Azerbaijani wrestlers
### Olympic Games

1996–2024 – Azerbaijani wrestlers won 28 of the 49 medals in the last 8 Olympic Games, which the Azerbaijani team had participated in.
| Year | Host country | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Overall |
| 2024 | France | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| 2020 | Japan | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 2016 | Brazil | 0 | 3 | 6 | 9 |
| 2012 | The United Kingdom | 2 | 2 | 3 | 7 |
| 2008 | China | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 2004 | Greece | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2000 | Australia | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1996 | USA | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| | Total | 4 | 8 | 16 | 28 |

### World Championships

In 1993–2022, Azerbaijani wrestlers won 85 medals at the senior world championships.
The highest result was recorded at the 2009 World Championships held in Herning, Denmark, where our wrestlers won 10 (3 gold, 4 silver, 3 bronze) medals.
In 2009, the best result was recorded in freestyle wrestling. The Azerbaijani wrestling team became the second in the world in Denmark.
At the 2023 World Championships, the Azerbaijani Greco-Roman wrestling team became the world champion.
In 2009, the national team of Azerbaijan became the world champion in women's freestyle.
| Year | Host country | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Overall |
| 1994 | Turkey | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| 1994 | Finland | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| 1998 | Iran | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 2002 | Iran | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 2002 | Russia | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 2003 | USA | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2006 | China | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 2007 | Azerbaijan | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 2008 | Japan | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 2009 | Denmark | 3 | 4 | 3 | 10 |
| 2010 | Russia | 2 | 2 | 3 | 7 |
| 2011 | Turkey | 2 | 1 | 5 | 8 |
| 2013 | Hungary | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| 2014 | Uzbekistan | 1 | 3 | 3 | 7 |
| 2015 | USA | 2 | 3 | 3 | 8 |
| 2016 | Hungary | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 2017 | France | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| 2018 | Hungary | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 |
| 2019 | Kazakhstan | 1 | 3 | 2 | 6 |
| 2021 | Norway | 1 | 1 | 4 | 6 |
| 2022 | Serbia | 1 | 1 | 5 | 7 |
| 2023 | Serbia | 2 | 5 | - | 7 |
| 2024 | Albania | 3 | - | - | 3 |
| | Total | 22 | 34 | 39 | 95 |

### European championships

Azerbaijani wrestlers have won 166 medals at senior continental championships, which we have been participating in since 1992.
2009 – Men's freestyle team won the European Championships in the team standing.
2017 – Men's freestyle team claimed the European crown.
2018 – 18 (4 gold, 5 silver, 9 bronze) medals won at the European Championship held in Kaspiysk, Russia. This is the best result of our wrestlers at the continental championships.
2022 – Men's freestyle team became the European champion.
2022 – Men's Greco-Roman team became the European champion.
2011 – Women's freestyle team took the 2nd place.
| Year | Host country | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Overall |
| 1993 | Turkey | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| 1994 | Italy | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1995 | Switzerland | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| 1996 | Hungary | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| 1997 | Poland | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 1998 | Belarus | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 1999 | Bulgaria | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 2002 | Azerbaijan | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 2003 | Latvia | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2004 | Turkey | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 2005 | Bulgaria | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 2006 | Russia | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 2007 | Bulgaria | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 2008 | Finland | 2 | 1 | 4 | 7 |
| 2009 | Lithuania | 5 | 2 | 2 | 9 |
| 2010 | Azerbaijan | 7 | 2 | 1 | 10 |
| 2011 | Germany | 6 | 0 | 8 | 14 |
| 2012 | Serbia | 2 | 0 | 4 | 6 |
| 2013 | Georgia | 0 | 1 | 6 | 7 |
| 2014 | Finland | 3 | 5 | 2 | 10 |
| 2016 | Latvia | 2 | 2 | 4 | 8 |
| 2017 | Serbia | 2 | 3 | 3 | 8 |
| 2018 | Russia | 4 | 5 | 9 | 18 |
| 2019 | Romania | 4 | 2 | 7 | 14 |
| 2020 | Italy | 2 | 2 | 9 | 13 |
| 2021 | Poland | 1 | 2 | 5 | 8 |
| 2022 | Hungary | 3 | 6 | 7 | 16 |
| 2023 | Croatia | 5 | 6 | 3 | 14 |
| 2024 | Romania | 5 | 3 | 8 | 16 |
| | Total | 68 | 51 | 98 | 217 |

### World Cup

2004 – Men's freestyle team won the cup after defeating the Russian team in the finals of the competition held in Baku.
2009 – Men's freestyle team won the cup for the second time after defeating the host team in the finals of the competition held in Iran.
2015 – Men's Greco-Roman team won the World Cup after defeating the Russian team in the finals of the competition held in Tehran.