DUSHANBE, August 23, Asia-Plus — The Fifth Open Asian Armsports (Armwrestling) Championships will be held in the Tajik capital from September 15-17.
According to information from Tajikistan’s Armsports Federation, 12 teams have already confirmed their participation in the championships in Dushanbe. Among them are Japan, India, Indonesia, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, and Uzbekistan. .
The source in the Tajik Armsports Federation says Willie Diniamoster (phonetically spelled), Secretary General of the World Armsports Federation, is expected to arrive in Dushanbe on this occasion. On September 14, he will conduct a seminar for referees.
On September 13, a congress of the Asian Armsports Federation congress will be held in the building of Tajikistan’s National Olympic Committee (NCO). The congress aims to consider a number of issues related to further development of armsports in Asia as well as a country, which will host the next Sixth Asian Armsports Championships.
The Fourth Asian Armsports Championships was held in the Uzbek capital city of Tashkent last year. Tajikistan’s team was the third in the Tashkent championships. “This year we will fight for the first or at least the second place,” the Asia-Plus interlocutor concluded.
Armwrestling – the game of testing arm strength and skill is now one of the world”s major sports. While nearly everyone on earth understands the sport of armwrestling, it is the World Armsports Federation that has given armwrestling a set of rules, a constitutional shape, and a vibrant everyday life. Armwrestling as an organized sport got its start in the United States through the efforts of WAF Founder, Bob O”Leary, in the early 60”s. Canada, under the leadership of John Miazdzyk, was the next country to join, rapidly followed by India and Brazil.
Today, the WAF has over 70 member nations on its rolls, Continental Federations established on each continent, and a prestigious World event hosted each year in a different country. As the sport has grown, involvement and support has come in from many sources. Government sports departments, national olympic committees, major private and commercial agencies are all involved in promoting armwrestling. The WAF is an official applicant for membership of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), as well as the General Assembly of International Sports Organizations (GAISF), and continues to pursue its goal for Olympic recognition.
