On Wednesday, 29 November 2023, a media forum was held in Ashgabat to celebrate the successful culmination of the 14th World Kurash Championship.
The event, which concluded the previous day, witnessed the participation of 181 athletes from 45 countries across four continents, all vying for top honors in 15 medal categories.
The media forum was graced by the presence of dignitaries from the International Kurash Association (IKA), the African Union (AKI), and the European Confederation of Kurash (EKC), along with representatives from the State Committee for Physical Culture and Sports, the National Olympic Committee, the Kurash Federation of Turkmenistan, and the State Committee of Turkmenistan for Television, Radio Broadcasting and Cinematography.
In his opening remarks, IKA President Haidar Farman commended the remarkable turnout and global participation in the 2023 World Cup. He further highlighted the successful convening of the IKA Congress, held during the championship, which welcomed delegates from 53 countries across Asia, Africa, Europe, South America, and North America.
The championship culminated in a resounding triumph for the Turkmen national team, securing 15 medals across all weight categories. Their impressive haul included 5 gold medals, 6 silver medals, and 4 bronze medals.
Despite their overall dominance in terms of total medals, the Turkmen team’s gold medal tally was surpassed only by Uzbekistan, which garnered an impressive 7 gold medals, along with 1 silver medal and 1 bronze medal.
Kazakhstan claimed the third position with 1 gold medal, 2 silver medals, and 3 bronze medals.
In a testament to the global reach and competitive spirit of Kurash wrestling, 16 out of the 45 participating countries won medals at the Ashgabat World Kurash Championship.
Secretary-General of the Kurash International Association Reza Nassiri expressed his admiration for Turkmenistan’s dedication to sports development and its promotion of a healthy lifestyle. He applauded the abundance of sports complexes across the country and the exceptional facilities provided for public sports engagement and overall well-being.
In a gesture of deep appreciation, the President of the Kurash International Association, Haidar Farman, presented sports equipment and certificates to President Serdar Berdimuhamedov and the Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty of Turkmenistan, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, acknowledging their strong support for the tournament’s success and their exemplary contributions to physical culture, sports, the Olympic movement.///nCa, 30 November 2023 (photo credit – TDH, IKA)