HISTORIC! Islam Dudaev Wins Albania’s First Gold Medal at Taranto 2026

Albania has won its first gold medal at the Taranto 2026 Mediterranean Games. Islam Dudaev delivered the historic success by becoming the men’s freestyle wrestling champion in the 74 kg category.

In the final at the Karol Wojtyła Sports Hall in Martina Franca, Dudaev dominated Fati Vejseli, the ethnic Albanian wrestler representing North Macedonia, and secured a convincing 4–0 victory.

A Dominant Journey to the Gold Medal

Islam Dudaev returned strongly at the Mediterranean Games, producing an almost perfect tournament. Before reaching the final, the Team Albania athlete delivered three outstanding performances:

🇽🇰 Egzon Xhoni — 11–2 victory 🇬🇷 Georgios Ioakeimidis — 10–0 victory 🇪🇸 Mohammad Mottaghinia — semifinal victory

Dudaev began his campaign with an emphatic 11–2 win over Kosovo’s Egzon Xhoni. He was even more dominant in his next bout, defeating Greece’s Georgios Ioakeimidis 10–0.

In the semifinal, the Albanian wrestler overcame Spain’s Mohammad Mottaghinia, securing his place in the gold-medal match and guaranteeing himself at least a silver medal.

But Dudaev was not satisfied merely with reaching the podium.

The Champion Controls the Final

In the decisive battle for gold, Dudaev delivered a disciplined and tactically mature performance. He controlled the contest against Fati Vejseli and never allowed his opponent to change the course of the match.

The 4–0 victory completed an excellent tournament for the Albanian wrestler and lifted him to the top step of the podium. Dudaev therefore secured Albania’s first gold medal at this edition of the Mediterranean Games.

Vejseli’s silver medal was also a significant achievement. Before reaching the final, he had defeated Egypt’s Amin Mahmoud and Tunisia’s Mehmet Usinov by identical 4–1 scores.

Another Golden Chapter in Dudaev’s Career

The triumph in Taranto adds another major achievement to the career of Islam Dudaev, one of the most decorated athletes ever to represent Albania on the international stage.

Dudaev won European bronze in Budapest in 2022 before becoming European champion in the 65 kg category in Bucharest in 2024. The greatest moment of his career came at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, where he claimed bronze and became one of the first two athletes to win an Olympic medal for Albania.

He was already familiar with the Mediterranean podium, having won bronze in the 74 kg category at the 2022 Games in Oran. Four years later, Dudaev returned in the same weight class and transformed that bronze into gold.

Wrestling Becomes Team Albania’s Pride

Wrestling has emerged as Albania’s leading sport at Taranto 2026. Before Dudaev’s triumph, Ardit Zeneli won bronze in Greco-Roman wrestling, while Zelimkhan Abakarov earned silver in the men’s freestyle 65 kg category.

Islam Dudaev’s gold medal represents much more than an outstanding sporting result. It is further evidence of the rise of Albanian wrestling and a moment of immense pride for Albanians everywhere.

Islam Dudaev — Mediterranean champion! Congratulations, Islam! Congratulations, Team Albania! 🇦🇱🥇