Turkmen wrestler Alp Arslan Begenjov is among the main favorites of the World Youth Championship in Freestyle Wrestling among athletes under 20 years old, which starts on August 17 in the Bulgarian city of Samokov. This was reported on the official website of the United Wrestling Organization (UWW).

The 19-year-old athlete from Ashgabat will defend his title in the 79 kg weight category. Last year, Begenjov made history in Turkmen sports by becoming the first-ever world champion among juniors under 20 from Turkmenistan. At the championship in Pontevedra, Spain, he won five victories with a total score of 46:0, without losing a single point to his opponents.

According to UWW, the 79kg category remains “completely open” despite Begenjov being the reigning champion. Experts note that the Turkmen wrestler has had “mixed results” since his historic triumph, opening up opportunities for other contenders for gold.

Among Begenjov's main rivals is Iranian Mahdi Yousefi, who lost to the Turkmen wrestler in his first fight last year, but has since shown "phenomenal results", winning gold among adults in Asia and the title of world champion among juniors under 23.

Also among the contenders for medals are Brazilian Leandro Araujo (last year’s bronze medalist), American William Henkel, European junior champion Davit Chechelashvili (Georgia) and continental championship silver medalist Muradkhan Omarov (Azerbaijan).