Seyedmehdi Seyedabasli Hashemijouybari defeated Turkey’s Salim Ercan in the men’s under-125kg final ©Konya 2021

Iran claimed a hat-trick of freestyle wrestling gold medals, dashing home hopes in the process at the Islamic Solidarity Games here.

Ahmad Yousef Bazrighaleh, Seyedmehdi Seyedabasli Hashemijouybari and Ali Bakhtiar Savadkouhi all defeated Turkish opponents in the final to win golds at the Konya Technical University Sports Hall.

The first of those came from Ali Bakhtiar Savadkouhi who saw off Turkey’s Muhammet Akdeniz to win the men’s under-79kg title.

Bekzod Abdurakhmonov of Uzbekistan and Omarovic Omarov Gadzhimurad of Azerbaijan were the bronze medallists in the category.

Another Iranian fighter Bazrighaleh overcame home favourite Erhan Yaylaci to capture the men’s under-92kg crown, while the bronze medals went to Bobur Islomov of Uzbekistan and Osman Nurmagomedov of Azerbaijan.

Seyedmehdi Seyedabasli Hashemijouybari then completed the hat-trick for Iran, beating Turkey’s Salim Ercan in the men’s under-125kg final.

Buse Cavusoglu ensured there was a wrestling gold for Turkey with victory in the women’s under-72kg division ©Konya 2021
Buse Cavusoglu ensured there was a wrestling gold for Turkey with victory in the women’s under-72kg division ©Konya 2021

Khasanboy Rakhimov of Uzbekistan and Zyyamuhammet Saparov of Turkmenistan claimed the bronze medals.

Turkey did come away with one gold medal courtesy of Buse Cavusoglu who was crowned women’s under-72kg champion after beating Azerbaijan’s Gozal Zutova.

Tunisia’s Nour Jeljeli and Kazakhstan’s Zhamila Bakbergenova of Kazakhstan won their respective bronze medal bouts.

Azerbaijan captured three golds yesterday and added to their tally when Leyla Gurbanova came out on top in the women’s under-53kg division.

Gurbanova overcame Uzbekistan’s Aktenge Keunimjaeva in the final to strike gold, while Turkey’s Rahime Ari and Kazakhstan’s Ellada Makhyaddinova claimed the bronze medals.

Gurbanova’s victory saw Uzbekistan gain revenge after Turobov Jahongirmirza lost to Azerbaijan’s Islam Bazarganov in a closely-fought men’s under-61kg final.

Recep Tolap of Turkey and Iran’s Dastan Majid completed the podium when they won their bronze medal matches.

There was also double delight for Kyrgyzstan as Aisuluu Tynybekova and Ernazar Akmataliev won the respective women’s under-62kg and men’s under-70kg titles.

Adem Asil of Turkey continued his fine form in the individual appartus finals ©Konya 2021
Adem Asil of Turkey continued his fine form in the individual appartus finals ©Konya 2021

Tynybekova won gold after victory over Fatoumata Yarie Camara of Guinea as Tetiana Omelchenko of Azerbaijan and Irina Kuznetsova of Kazakhstan bagged bronzes.

Ernazar proved too strong for Iran’s Hossein Nouri as he clinched the men’s under-70kg crown.

Azerbaijan’s Asgar Mammadaliyev and Bacar Ndum of Guinea-Bissau earned bronze medals.

At the Olympic Velodrome, Turkey continued their dominance in the men’s artistic gymnastics competitions, winning four gold medals across the individual apparatus.

After capturing individual all-around and team golds yesterday, Adem Asil topped the standings again, winning the rings.

Ahmed Onder helped himself to five medals, winning floor exercise and high bar golds as well as parallel bars silver and bronze in vault and rings.

Olympic parallel bars bronze medallist Ferhat Arican came out on top in his favoured event and won a bronze in the pommel horse which was won by Ahmad Abu Al-soud of Jordan.

Azerbaijan’s Ivan Tikhonov captured vault gold.