Arseniy Dzhioyev, the world's third in freestyle wrestling, gave an interview to the press service of the Wrestling Federation.

Offsideplus.az presents the interview to you:

– How did you get into wrestling?

– I got into wrestling following in the footsteps of my older brother. My father used to bring him to training. I also played in the hall. At first, I slowly saw that I wanted it, and then I realized that I had to choose wrestling.

– You have been a member of the Azerbaijani national team since 2023. How has choosing Azerbaijan affected your career?

– Yes, I have been representing Azerbaijan for two and a half years now. During this time, a lot has changed in my life, and all of this is only for the better.

– During this time, you have won medals in 8 of the 10 prestigious tournaments you have participated in. Are you satisfied with the results?

– The positive events I encountered during the transition period had a serious impact on me. I am very happy to be part of a strong team. Azerbaijan is my second home and I am grateful for that. With God's help, I was able to show that I was able to maintain my results and bring medals to our country.

– Which medal and match was the most valuable and memorable for you?

– The most valuable award for me is the bronze medal I won at the last world championship and the gold medal at the Islamic Solidarity Games. I prepared very seriously and persistently for both competitions. My most important match was my match with the Iranian world champion Kamran Qasempour.

– By the way, you defeated your title rival in the first round at the Islamic Solidarity Games. Did you believe that you would defeat Kamran? How did you plan the match? Did you not face discouragement when you were behind in the score?

– I prepared for this competition with great effort. Of course, I believed in myself. Even when I was behind in the score, I did not lose hope in my strength and God's help. We developed the tactics together with my coaches, and thanks to this, I managed to win the match with the right tactics. I am very grateful to our coaches.

– Who are your main competitors in the upcoming Azerbaijan championship?

– There are very good athletes in my weight in Azerbaijan. The younger generation is also developing rapidly. I don’t want to single out anyone in particular.

– 86 kg is a weight category in freestyle wrestling where there is strong competition. What personal qualities are you working on to succeed in such competition?

– I am working on every detail to improve my wrestling skills. I want to not only win, but also be significantly superior to my opponents and be completely dominant in matches.

– Who do you think are the leaders in this weight category?

– The last world championship also showed that the current leader in this weight category is the American Zahid Valencia.