On October 31, Farshad Gardakaneh won top spot in the 91.5-kg division at the European Championship held in Rome, Italy.
“It was in the discipline of Jiu-Jitsu No-Gi (Grappling) – without the traditional uniform.
There, I proudly managed to raise the flag of Kurdistan on the European stage,” he told Kurdistan Chronicle.
“My deepest gratitude goes to everyone who stood by my side – to my amazing team shocxmma, to my country Belgium, to my homeland Kurdistan, and to all the incredible people of Belgium and Kurdistan who supported me throughout this journey,” he wrote on X.
First and foremost, I want to thank God for giving me the strength and determination to once again become the Champion of Europe.
— Farshad Gardakaneh / فرشاد گردکانه (@FGerdakaneh) October 31, 2025
My deepest gratitude goes to everyone who stood by my side — to my amazing team shocxmma , to my country Belgium, to my homeland Kurdistan, and to all… pic.twitter.com/4R3dczI2WV
Gardakaneh lives in Belgium, and also became the European champion in the 94-kg division at the 2025 European IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu Championship held in Lisbon, Portugal, on January 20.
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Gardakaneh earlier told Kurdistan Chronicle that he was introduced to jiu-jitsu after he migrated to Europe. “Before moving to Europe, I was deeply involved in wrestling, where I was very strong and successful. When I arrived in Europe, I discovered jiu-jitsu,” he said
