Iskhar Kurbayev wins Kazakhstan bronze at World Wrestling Championships

Greco-Roman wrestling action delivered high-stakes drama on Sunday, 25 October 2026, as the World Wrestling Championships continued in Astana, Kazakhstan, according to Qazinform News Agency citing the Sports Development Directorate. Hometown competitor Iskhar Kurbayev secured the bronze medal in the 55 kg category, providing the host nation with its opening podium finish of the tournament.

According to Qazinform, Kurbayev defeated India's Lalit in the third-place playoff. Reporting from Sportaran noted the final score of that bout was 9–0. The two athletes previously faced each other during the summer in a bronze-medal match at the Budapest Ranking Series 2026, where Kurbayev also triumphed with an 18–10 scoreline.

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The Kazakh wrestler carved out a challenging path to the podium. He opened his championship campaign with a victory over Japan's Kagetora Okamoto, advanced past Uzbekistan’s Ikhtiyor Botirov in the round of 16, and delivered a confident win against European champion Artiom Deleanu of Moldova in the quarterfinals. Qazinform noted that Kurbayev previously won the U23 Asian Championships and the U20 World Championships, and claimed silver at the U23 World Championships.

For India's Lalit, the defeat meant missing a rare opportunity to claim a World Championship medal. Syndicated reporting published by The Bridge and Rediff detailed how Kurbayev outplayed the Indian contender by technical superiority, executing an initial four-pointer followed by a decisive lift. Lalit had reached the medal rounds earlier in the morning session by defeating American Max Emiliano Nowry 7–0 in the repechage round. Sandep Tulsi Yadav remains the sole Indian Greco-Roman wrestler to secure a World Championship medal, having won bronze in 2013.

The wider tournament schedule on Sunday, 25 October 2026, featured intense battles across multiple weight divisions. Sportaran reported that Azerbaijan claimed two gold medals through Eldaniz Azizli and Sanan Suleymanov, while Japan and Iran secured golds via Koto Gomi and Gholamreza Farokhisenjani respectively. Azizli defeated Iran's Payam Ahmadi Balootaki 3–1 to become a five-time world champion.

One of the most notable upsets of the session involved Artur Sargsyan, representing Russia, who defeated Iranian Olympic and reigning world champion Mohammadhadi Saravi 5–1 in the 97 kg semifinal. Sportaran noted that Sargsyan successfully avenged previous defeats from the 2021 and 2025 World Championships, securing his third World Championships podium finish.

Several other international delegations experienced difficult outings on the mat. Beyond Lalit's setback, three other Indian wrestlers fell in their opening bouts. Asian Games silver medallist Nitesh Siwach was outclassed in the 97 kg category by Germany's Anton Vieweg via technical superiority, while Karanjit suffered a narrow 2–3 defeat against Japan's Rintaro Sogabe at 72 kg after failing to capitalize on an advantageous 'par terre' position. In the 130 kg category, Joginder Rathee faced Turkish veteran Riza Kayaalp, the reigning European champion who was returning to international competition after a three-year break.

Armenia's Greco-Roman squad likewise finished the day without securing a medal. Ashot Khachatryan, Hayk Khloyan, and Razmik Kurdyan exited the competition before reaching the medal rounds, and Suren Aghajanyan was eliminated following a defeat in the repechage round.

Looking ahead, the World Championships in Astana continue until November 1. Greco-Roman competition concludes on October 27, after which medals will be contested in women's wrestling and men's freestyle wrestling. Sargsyan advances to face Belarusian wrestler Kirill Maskevich in the final.