Azerbaijan, Baku / Тrend corr Z. Safarov / The opening of the world championship of Greco-Roman, free-style and women's wrestling took place in the Heydar Aliyev Sports and Concert Complex.
During the opening ceremony the president of the FILA, the International Federation of Associated Wrestling Styles (FILA), Raphael Martinetti, expressed his confidence about Baku's being prepared for the championship, although it has just started. "I am glad such a large-scale competition is taking place in Baku. The competition is expected to be a record one regarding the number of countries and its participants. Moreover, the licenses to Beijing will be contested and that attaches additional interest to the competition," he stressed.
His Azerbaijani counterpart, Fazil Mammadov, said the competition was a real privilege for genuine wrestling connoisseurs, including those in Azerbaijan. He expressed his confidence the competition would be held in a friendly atmosphere and the strongest wrestler would gain victory.
