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Yuksel Saricicek won the silver medal in the Greco-Roman 82-kilogram category at the 2026 World Wrestling Championships in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan in Central Asia.
The Turkish wrestler, competing in the senior category at a world championships for the first time, met Iran’s Gholamreza Javad Farokhisenjani in the final on the second day of the event. Farokhisenjani, the 2025 world champion, won 7-1 and claimed his second consecutive world title.
On the way to the final, Saricicek defeated China’s Halishan Bahejiang 7-5 in the second round. In the quarterfinals, he beat Qatar’s Shahin Eidimohammad Badaghimofrad 10-2 by technical superiority.
In the semifinals, he won 6-0 against Kyrgyzstan’s Akzhol Makhmudov, who holds two world titles at 77 kilograms along with an Olympic silver medal and an Olympic bronze medal.
Speaking after the medal ceremony, Saricicek said the final had gone as planned until its last two minutes. He described his performance as inexperienced and said he conceded points himself while trying to score. “Nothing is over yet,” he said, adding that he will “bring the belt to my country.”
Saricicek noted that qualification for the Olympics begins at the 2027 World Championships. He said he believes he will represent Türkiye in the best possible way at next year’s event.
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