Turkmenistan's Alp Arslan Begendjov is regarded as one of the leading contenders at the U20 World Freestyle Wrestling Championships, set to begin on August 17 in Samokov, Bulgaria, according to the United World Wrestling (UWW) official website.

The 19-year-old from Ashgabat will compete in the 79 kg weight class, aiming to defend his world title. In 2024, Begendjov made history by becoming Turkmenistan’s first-ever junior world champion. At the championship in Pontevedra, Spain, he dominated all five matches with a combined score of 46:0, not conceding a single point.

According to UWW, the 79 kg category remains highly competitive, despite Begendjov’s reigning champion status. Experts point out that his performances since his historic victory have been inconsistent, which opens the door for other challengers.

One of the key rivals is Iran’s Mahdi Yousefi, who lost to Begendjov last year but has since delivered impressive results, including a senior Asian title and a U23 world championship.

Other top medal hopefuls include Brazil’s Leandro Araujo (last year’s bronze medalist), American William Henckel, European junior champion Davit Chechelashvili of Georgia, and Azerbaijan’s Muradhan Omarov, the silver medalist at the continental championships.