Champions for Compassion in Baku
Baku, Azerbaijan
This July in Baku, Azerbaijan, the U17 World Wrestling Championships will bring together the most promising young athletes from around the world. Yet beyond the intensity of competition and the pursuit of medals, something deeper is unfolding, an effort to redefine what it means to compete, to represent, and to belong to a global sporting community.
With collaboration between USA Wrestling, the US Embassy in Baku and the Azerbaijan Wrestling Federation, the Wrestling for Peace (W4P) Global Campaign returns to the international stage, engaging both USA and local Azerbaijani U17 Greco-Roman athletes. The newly appointed US delegation includes:
45 kg - Rylen Wax, 48 kg - Arav Pandey, 51 kg - Wyatt Dannegger, 55 kg - Corey Brown, 60 kg - Cooper Mathews, 65 kg - Arseni Kikiniou, 71 kg - Gregory Torosian, 80 kg - Ivan Ivanov, 92 kg - William Etu, and 110 kg - Bruno Pallone
At the heart of this year’s effort is a commitment to serve a local orphanage in Azerbaijan. While athletes prepare to test their strength, speed, and strategy on the mat, W4P Ambassadors will invite these young athletes to focus on something equally important off the mat—providing care, resources, and hope for children whose lives can be meaningfully impacted by collective action.
The momentum behind this initiative continues to grow, guided by leaders and champions who understand that legacy is not confined to podiums or medal counts. It is measured in lives touched and bridges built between communities and nations.
Among those contributing to this shared mission are:
Farid Mansurov, Azerbaijan Olympic Champion (Greco-Roman, Athens 2004)
Namig Abdullayev, Azerbaijan Olympic Champion (Freestyle, Sydney 2000)
Parvin Piriyev, Azerbaijan Wrestling Secretary General
Vusala Gurbanova, Azerbaijan Wrestling Director of International Department
Aydan Mammadhasanova, Azerbaijan Wrestling Deputy Secretary General
Yegana Babayeva, Assistant to the Azerbaijan Wrestling Secretary General
Farqani Aliev, Cultural Affairs (Culture and Sports), U.S. Embassy - Azerbaijan
Dan Russell, Executive Director, Wrestling for Peace
Joy Russell, Master of Strategic Leadership, Wrestling for Peace
Each brings a unique voice and perspective, yet all are aligned in a common purpose: to ensure that wrestling serves as a bridge between cultures, and a force for good in the world.
As the U17 World Championships approach, Baku becomes more than a host city. It becomes a meeting point for ideas, where athletes from different nations not only compete, but share space, stories, and respect. In this environment, Wrestling for Peace seeks to remind the world that sport at its highest level is never isolated from humanity; it is an expression of it.
In a world often defined by division, Wrestling for Peace continues to demonstrate what is possible when nations choose collaboration over separation, and when athletes are seen not only as competitors, but as ambassadors of hope.
This is Wrestling for Peace. Not just a campaign, but a commitment. Not just an event, but a shared responsibility to build something lasting, together.