Kyrgyz star of freestyle wrestling, Zalkarbek Tabaldiev, climbed to the podium, winning a bronze medal at the international ranking tournament MUHAMET MALO-2026, which is taking place in Tirana, Albania, in the weight category up to 70 kg.
According to the State Agency for Physical Culture and Sports, his path to the medal began in the 1/8 finals, where he achieved a convincing victory over his compatriot Rustam Kakharo with a score of 12:1.
Next, in the quarter-finals, Tabaldiev continued to demonstrate excellent form, defeating Bulgarian wrestler Kaloyan Atanasov with a score of 14:3, which allowed him to advance to the semi-finals.
However, in the semi-finals, the Kyrgyzstani faced a strong opponent — American Alec William Pantaleo, losing with a score of 0:10.
In the bronze medal match, Mexican wrestler Austin Kli Gomez was unable to take the mat due to injury, and thus, the medal was awarded to Zalkarbek Tabaldiev.
Thus, he became the owner of the third medal for the Kyrgyzstan team at this tournament.
