Tajikistan’s national kurash team secured four medals at the Asian Kurash Championship held in Turkistan, Kazakhstan, on October 29, an official source within the country’s Kurash Federation told Asia-Plus.
The team finished with an impressive haul: one gold, one silver, and two bronze medals, placing Tajikistan among the top-performing nations at the tournament.
Haqnazar Nazarov claimed the gold medal in the 90 kg category, delivering a dominant performance with no chances left for his opponents.
In the over 100 kg division, Dodokhon Qurbonaliyev earned silver after narrowly losing in the final match.
Two bronze medals were won by Ramziddin Azizov in the 60 kg category and Navoruz Karimzod in the 74 kg category.
With these results, the Tajik team wrapped up the championship among the continent’s best.
The competition continues in Turkistan with the Kurash World Cup, set for October 30–31, where Tajikistan will also compete. Seven wrestlers will represent the country:
· Ramziddin Azizov (60 kg)
· Iskandar Mahmadhodjazoda (66 kg)
· Navrouz Karimzod (74 kg)
· Saidjon Haidar (82 kg)
· Haqnazar Nazarov (90 kg)
· Rashid Ziyobekov (100 kg)
· Dodokhon Qurbonaliyev (+100 kg)
Kurash refers to a number of folk wrestling styles practiced in Central Asia. The style is of Uzbek origin. Kurash wrestlers use towels to hold their opponents, and their goal is to throw their opponents off the feet. The wrestling is the main competition at the folk festival Sabantuy.
The first official All-USSR kurash championship took place in Kazan in 1928 and was followed by the first TASSR (Tatar Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic) national championship in 1949. Since 1956, regular Tatar Kurash competitions have been organized in honor of the national hero and poet Musa Cälil.
At the turn of 1950 and 1960, the Soviet Federation of freestyle wrestling, Greco-Roman wrestling, and sambo started to develop Tatar Kurash. Sportsmen from the neighbor regions, such as Bashkortostan, Mordovia, and Ulyanovsk City came to compete in Kazan for the first time in 1959. In 1960, Tatarstan’s capital, Kazan, was appointed host of the first RSFSR (Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic) national kurash championship, an event that has been repeated every year since that date. It was organized in Kazan about 15 times, but also in other cities, such as Salavat, Orenburg, Oktyabrsky, Tuymazy, Chelyabinsk, Cheboksary, Almetievsk, Samara, Ulyanovsk, Naberezhnyye Chelny. Sportsmen from 36 Russian regions have participated in the Russian championships over the past years.
The International Kurash Association (IKA), founded in 1998, has held championships since 1999.
