Estonian coach leads all three wrestlers to medal matches at U15 Europeans in Bulgaria

Janar Sõber, a coach from Lääneranna Sports School, took his three female wrestlers to the U15 European Wrestling Championships in Samokov, Bulgaria. All three of his athletes — whom he has coached since childhood — reached the medal matches in what he described as an unbelievable fairytale. The coach was still moved to tears the day after the competition.

A coach from Lääneranna Sports School achieved something remarkable at the U15 European Wrestling Championships in Samokov, Bulgaria — all three of his female athletes made it to the medal matches at the same tournament.

Janar Sõber, who has guided the three wrestlers since they were young children, travelled to Bulgaria with his team for the under-15 European championships. What unfolded in Samokov surpassed all expectations, with every single one of his athletes advancing to fight for a medal.

"It's completely unbelievable — I still have tears in my eyes even now," Sõber said when reflecting on the experience. The coach described the events in Bulgaria as a fairytale that seemed almost too good to be true even a full day after the competition had ended.

The achievement highlights the strength of grassroots sports development in Estonia's smaller communities. Lääneranna Sports School, located in western Estonia, has clearly built a wrestling programme capable of producing elite junior talent at the European level.

The story serves as an inspiring example of what dedicated long-term coaching can accomplish, with Sõber's personal investment in his athletes — tracking their development from the very beginning — paying off on one of European youth wrestling's biggest stages.