One of the most decorated wrestlers in the world, Abdulrashid Sadulaev, will not be able to participate in the 2025 European Freestyle Wrestling Championship, which will take place in Bratislava, Slovakia. This was reported by the President of the Russian Wrestling Federation, Mikhail Mamiashvili, in a comment to Match TV.
According to Mamiashvili, the 28-year-old two-time Olympic champion, six-time world champion, and five-time European champion was denied a Schengen visa for political reasons.
“He was indeed denied a visa. It's hard for me to explain this decision. We did everything we could — from support from the Foreign Ministry to assistance from our partners in Bratislava. Until yesterday, we were assured that Sadulaev would receive the visa and everything would be fine. Unfortunately, things turned out differently,” said the head of the RWF.
The Russian freestyle wrestling team will fly to Slovakia on the night of April 6, but without its captain. Instead of Sadulaev, Magomed Kurbanov will compete in the 97 kg weight category at the European Championship.
Mikhail Mamiashvili also emphasized that the visa denial affected not only the Russian team but the championship itself:
“Refusing Sadulaev a visa undermines the status of the European Championship. It's a loss for world wrestling. A big thank you to our colleagues in Bratislava, the Ministry of Sport, and the Foreign Ministry — they all worked closely on this matter and did everything they could. But, sadly, Sadulaev is banned from entering the Schengen zone.”