The World Kurash Championship in Ashgabat is recognized by the International Federation of this type of wrestling (IKA) as the best in the history of world championships.
«The XIV World Kurash Championship, held in Ashgabat from 23rd to 28th of November, was one of the best world championships in this type of wrestling in the history. The government of Turkmenistan has made every effort to organize and conduct the tournament at the highest level», the IKA statement says.
As already reported, 15 sets of world championship medals in Ashgabat were competed by 181 athletes from 45 countries of four continents, and the IKA Congress, held during the 2023 World Cup, was attended by delegates from 53 countries from Asia, Africa, Europe, as well as South and North America.
The World Championship, held at the Martial Arts Sports Complex of the Olympic Village, ended triumphantly for the Turkmenistan national team, whose athletes won 15 medals in 15 weight categories - 5 gold, 6 silver and 4 bronze. With these indicators, our wrestlers were significantly ahead of the other teams in the total number of medals, losing in the team competition in the number of gold awards only to the Uzbekistan national team, which has 7 gold and 1 silver and bronze medals. The top three winners were completed by the Kazakhstan team, whose kurash won one gold, two silver and three bronze medals. In total, at the Ashgabat World Kurash Championship, athletes from 16 out of 45 countries stood on the podium.
According to the President of the International Kurash Association, Haidar Farman, this is a new page that will be inscribed in golden letters in the history of the sport of kurash. The head of the IKA stated this in a recent letter addressed to President Serdar Berdimuhamedov and the National Leader of the Turkmen people, Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty Hero-Arkadag, expressing the country’s leadership «deep gratitude for holding the World Cup at the highest level and the warm hospitality provided».
«The XIV World Kurash Championship has once again increased the international authority of Turkmenistan as a state capable of hosting major sporting events at the highest level. Millions of people and sports fans watched the heated fights live with great pleasure, which once again demonstrated to the whole world Turkmenistan’s commitment to the high ideals of humanity and international sports diplomacy», emphasized Haidar Farman, President of the International Kurash Association.
