Macedonia Wins Three Wrestling Medals in a Single Day at Mediterranean Games
Vejseli and Hajdari took silver, Magomedov bronze, while the U20 football team suffered a 3:0 defeat to Turkey in a mixed day for the delegation in Taranto.
Freestyle wrestlers brought Macedonia three medals in a single day at the XX Mediterranean Games in Taranto — two silvers and a bronze, reaffirming wrestling's status as the country's most productive sport at these Games.
Fati Vejseli and Redžep Hajdari both took silver, while Ahmad Magomedov claimed bronze. Vejseli, who had earlier beaten Turkey's Yasin Yesil in the semifinal, ran into a stronger opponent in the final and had to settle for second place — still, the delegation's first guaranteed medal became part of a trio of successes in the same afternoon.
A Rough Loss for the Footballers
Not all the news from Taranto was positive — the U20 national football team suffered a convincing 3:0 defeat to Turkey, following a 0:0 draw with Tunisia in their opener. All three goals for Turkey came from Özder Özcan, in the 26th, 41st and 59th minutes. With this result, the team's chances of reaching the semifinals of the group all but evaporated, leaving only a match against Morocco on August 26 to close out the tournament with dignity.
A Tradition Continues
With three new medals, Macedonia continues its run of success in wrestling at the Mediterranean Games — a sport that, alongside karate and taekwondo, accounts for the bulk of the country's 14 total medals across its four appearances. Tomorrow, wrestler Konsevič will attempt to add another bronze in the women's competition, and the delegation continues its campaign across the remaining sports until the Games close on September 3.
MKNews Hub · Sport · August 25, 2026