Tashkent To Host Asian Kurash Championship

The 1st Asian Kurash Championship [kurash is a national Uzbek type of wrestling] will be held in Tashkent on April 28 and 29, said Bakhadyr Makshitov, Chairman of the State Sports Committee of Uzbekistan. The championship will be held under the auspices of the International Kurash Association and organised by the Asian Kurash Confederation and the National Kurash Federation of Uzbekistan. Some 100 athletes from 16 countries, including Bangladesh, India, Iran, Mongolia, Nepal, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Singapore, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Thailand, Uzbekistan, Sri Lanka, South Korea and Japan, will fight for the laurels. Nigeria and Spain will send in their observers, while the International Olympic Committee will be represented by Mostafa Hashemi-Taba, Iranian Vice-President for Physical Training. Not only men, but also women weighing up to 63 kg will take part in the championship. Experts say that Turkmen athlete Olesya Nazarenko, the silver medallist of the 2nd Kurash Tournament in Turkey, has a good chance of winning.

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