The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has put an end to the issue of Russian wrestler Alik Khadarsev’s change of sporting citizenship. According to the court ruling, the wrestler will not be able to participate in international competitions under the Uzbekistan flag.
According to reports, at the beginning of 2025, Khadarsev accepted an Uzbekistan passport, and through this, the local wrestling association submitted an application to officially include him in the team. However, United World Wrestling (UWW) rejected this request. As a reason, it was indicated that the special quotas that could be provided by the Russian Wrestling Federation (FSBR) had run out. According to the rule, such quotas apply to only three athletes per year.
Khadarsev appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport to resolve the situation, but CAS did not satisfy his complaint. Thus, the Russian wrestler’s opportunity to compete in international tournaments as part of the Uzbekistan national team has temporarily disappeared.
During his career, Alik Khadarsev has won prizes several times in Russian championships. Also, his success in winning the Uzbekistan championship generated significant interest among athletes and fans.
Notably, the participation of Russian athletes under the Uzbekistan flag has been observed before. For example, at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Dagestani wrestler Razambek Jamalov competed in the 74 kg weight category and won a gold medal.
The current situation once again demonstrated how complex and controversial the issue of changing sporting citizenship is on the international stage. Fans and experts hope Khadarsev may find another opportunity regarding this matter in the future.
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