From April 8 to 14 Romanian capital Bucharest will host the European Wrestling Championships.

The first to perform will be the freestyle wrestlers. Armenia will be represented at the European Championship by Vaghinak Matevosyan (57 kg), Arsen Harutyunyan (61 kg), Vazgen Tevanyan (65 kg), David Safaryan (70 kg), Varuzhan Kajoyan (74 kg), Grigor Grigoryan (79 kg), Hovhannes Mkhitaryan (86 kg), Sargis Hovsepyan (97 kg), Andranik Galstyan (125 kg). The 5 of these 9 wrestlers are participating in the European championship for the first time.

Armenia’s current champion Vaghinak Matevosyan will fight for European champion title at 57 kg. 17 wrestlers will perform in this weight category. A tough competition is prepared for Vaghinak Matevosyan. 2018 world champion, 2017 European bronze medalist Turk Suleyman Atli, 2019 Ivan Yarygin Memorial Tournament winner Russia’s Muslim Sadulaev and Georgian Otari Gogova with fight for European champion title along with him.

The Armenian wrestler will start the struggle from the 1/8 finals where his opponent will be 2017 European silver medalist Andrei Dukov who suffered defeated 0:10 from Mihran Zaburyan at the 2018 European Championship.

At 61 kg 15 wrestlers will perform. Here Armenia will be represented by 2018 world bronze medalist and European youth champion Arsen Harutyunyan. Arsen has left for Bucharest as Armenia’s reining champion. He will face a difficult competition there. Among his rivals are 2016 world, 2015 European Games and 2017 European silver medalist Georgian Beka Lomtadze, Turk Recep Topal and 2018 U23 world champion, Russia’s champion Magomedrasul Idrisov.

At 63 kg there are 23 wrestlers. U23 European current champion Vazgen Tevanyan will try to compete against Olympic, world and three-time European champion Georgian Vladimir Khinchegashvili, Olympic bronze medalist, three-time world and two-time European champion Azerbaijani Haji Aliev and U23 world champion Russia’s Nachin Kuular. Vazgen will start the struggle from the qualification round where his opponent will be British Georgi Ram.

The 70kg weight class will have 14 participants. World and European champion David Safarayan has left for the competition as Armenia’s current champion in this weight class. In Bucharest he will face 2017 world silver medalist, 2016 European champion Poland’s Magomedmurad Gadzhiev, world champion Georgian Zurabi Iakobishvili, two-time world champion, European Games winner Russia’s Magomedrasul Gazimagomedov.

David Safaryan will start the championship from the qualification round where his opponents will be Moldova’s Mihail Sava.

At 74 kg the struggle will be started by 22 wrestlers. Armenia’s champion Varuzhan Kajoyan is expected to have tough rivals such as world current silver medalist Georgian Avtandil Kenchadz, Olympic bronze medalist, world and two-time European champion Italy’s Frank Chamizo, 2014 world silver medalist Turk Yakup Giori and U23 world medalist Russia’s Timur Bizhoev.

At 79 kg there are 11 wrestlers and Armenia will be represented by 2014 European silver, 2017 European bronze medalist Grigor Grigoryan. Olympic bronze winner, world current silver medalist and two-time European champion Azerbaijani Jabrayil Hasanov, European reigning champion Russia’s Ahmed Gajimagomedov will struggle for champion title along with him.

Grigor Grigoryan will start the struggle from the qualification round fighting against Romania’s Omaraskhab Najmudinov.

At 86kg Armenia’s champion Hovhannes Mkhitaryan will compete with 25 wrestlers. For Hovhannes 2018 world bronze medalist Spain’s Taymuraz Friev and Russia’s Vladislav Valiev are tough opponents.

At 97 kg 17 more wrestlers will perform with Sargis Hovsepyan among which are Olympic, three-time world and two-time European champion Russia’s Abdulrashid Sadulaev and 2018 world bronze winner Georgia’s Elizbar Odikadze.

At 125 kg Andranik Galstyan along with 16 wrestlers will try to win European champion title. Among them are Olympic, two-time world, five-time European chamion Turk Taha Akgyul, Olympic bronze medalist, world current champion Georgian Geno Petriashvili and 2019 Ivan Yarygin Memorial Tournament winner Russia’s Anzor Khizriev.