Azerbaijan’s Greco-Roman wrestling national team member, Ulvi Ganizade, has shared his thoughts on his performance at the European Championships held in Slovakia.

"At the European Championships, I faced a Hungarian wrestler in my first match and lost. Although I had defeated him 7-0 last year," said the 26-year-old athlete in an interview, as reported by Offsideplus.az.

Ganizade emphasized that the referees' unfair decisions played a major role in his elimination in the round of 16.

“I was winning 4–3 with just five seconds left. Then my opponent struck me hard in the face with his head, which caused the cuts you see on my face. That’s why I lost the match. I was just seconds away from qualifying for the quarterfinals,” he said. “When I checked my Instagram, I saw negative comments like ‘Ulvi didn’t have the endurance.’ But that wasn’t the reason. I lost because of the referees’ poor decisions.”

Competing in the 72 kg weight category, Ganizade expressed his determination to achieve greater success in upcoming competitions:

“In the repechage, I defeated an Armenian wrestler competing under the UWW flag (representing Russia). The bronze medal match against a Belarusian wrestler was intense, but thanks to God, I won 2–1. I came here to become European champion. It wasn’t meant to be this time, but I’m still thankful. I believe I can turn this bronze medal into gold at the upcoming World Championships and make the people of Azerbaijan proud.”

Ulvi Ganizade's career achievements include:

• World Championships: 1 gold, 1 silver

• European Championships: 1 gold, 1 silver, 4 bronze medals