Bogdanov: Macedonian wrestling is on the right track, the successes of Nurov and Egorov are great

Magomedgadzi Nurov and Vladimir Egorov won medals at the Mediterranean Games in Algeria Oran / Photo: facebook / Fighting Federation of the Republic of Northern Macedonia

It is invested in all age categories, from pioneers to seniors, and plans are also being made for the next Summer Olympic Games in Paris 2024 - says the head of the Macedonian Wrestling Federation.

Macedonian wrestling on Mediterranean Games in Oran (Algeria) in freestyle noted excellent results. Vladimir Egorov in the category up to 65 kg won the bronze medal, a in the category up to 97 kg. Magomedgadzi Nurov was crowned with gold, led by coach Boban Danov.

We had a conversation with the President of the Macedonian Wrestling Federation, Dejan Bogdanov who is also happy and expressed satisfaction with such significant successes and that it is just a motive plus to continue to work hard and hard, and of course an incentive for the younger ones to continue to also shine on the international stage.

photo: IOC

- These are great successes for the Macedonian wrestling that is returning to the right path where it really should be. Previously, Egorov was European champion in Budapest, then Besir Alili won fifth place (Alili U17 European champion two years ago in Florence). So, it is not only the naturalized Russians (Egorov and Nurov) who bring results, but also the other members of our national team who show that they are at a good level. With good organization, good commitment from the coaching staff, with quality preparations, the results will come by themselves - Bogdanov told us.

The federation invests in all age categories, from pioneers to seniors, and plans are also being made for the following Paris 2024 Summer Olympics.

Vladimir Egorov / photo: IOC

- We expect to have good results in all age categories. This success from Oran is an incentive for young people to start training harder, because such results are possible, and I can say that we have wrestlers, from the youngest to the oldest, who are close to bringing similar success to the European, World Cup, Mediterranean games. The goal of our federation is to have at least two participants from the wrestling federation for the next Summer Olympics. Plans are already being made for next year, of course financial support is expected from the Agency for Youth and Sports, as an important institution that should help in sports, and wrestling deserves it.

In the last few years, all possible results have been achieved, I think it is time to react, that we should invest in wrestling. Normally there are sponsors who help as much as they can, and they want to continue to do so, there is an organization, there is a result. We have the support of the Macedonian Olympic Committee, I think that if we all start investing financially, I think we will really have great results and not only would be the number 1 sport in Macedonia, but also in the ranking list would be among the top six or seven countries, I am talking about the senior part, among the best, at European and world championships - says Bogdanov.

The Wrestling Federation has good cooperation with other countries in the region, with Serbia, Croatia, Bulgaria, and some training camps can be used, and many of our athletes are part of them.

Magomedgadzi Nurov with five victories to gold at the Mediterranean Games / Photo: EPA-EFE / SERGEY DOLZHENKO

- For example, the Russians, our naturalized athletes are more in their country, and there we have good cooperation, preparations, and so we maintain ourselves as a federation, so that we can be one of the better federations in Europe and the world. For the smaller age categories, the preparations are made in Macedonia, organized tournaments outside our country in cooperation with other countries, but here should be the help from the Agency for Youth and Sports, the Macedonian Olympic Committee, if we want in the future with a full composition as it looks like a national team, I mean from the easiest to the most difficult category, to have good and quality athletes. Now is the time to invest the maximum, because we have results in all age categories. There is also work in women's wrestling, for example, Marija Spirkovska participates in the European U20 Championship in Rome, who won, she has a chance to fight for a medal through replay. So, we see that women's wrestling in Macedonia is also on the rise. We have good wrestlers in both cadet and pioneer age - said Bogdanov.

Our national team members Besir Alili, Muhammad Ferouki and Recep Heidari, with coach Sufyan Ismaili, today they travel to Rome where they will take part in The U20 European Championship. Well, in less than a month it will be organized The World Championship for Cadets in the Italian capital, where one athlete and one girl will participate, because the maximum was done at the European one. Pioneers, cadets and young people will also perform at the Balkan Championship.

The World Senior Championship will be held from September 10-18, 2022. in Belgrade (Serbia) on which the federation will put special emphasis and on which the European champion Egorov, Nurov, Dejan Mitrov, Fati Vejseli, Besir Alili, the European champion for cadets will perform.

European Cadet Champion, Besir Alili / Photo: Free Press / Arbnora Memeti

- I think we will have successful results again, the World Cup is much stronger than the European Championship, but our athletes are ranked among the best who are winners in the groups and I think they will prove it. Next year is Olympic, we will know in which tournaments we will participate and in which points will be collected for chasing the Olympic norm. We will focus on the World Cup and where we expect the two to secure the Olympic norm. We expect as a martial arts federation to play with three people at the Paris Games, the third one would be from the tournaments, with all our might to help him achieve the goal - says the first man of Macedonian wrestling.

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