An international tournament in national belt wrestling was held in Ashgabat. Strongmen from Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, Belarus, Georgia, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan came to compete in the martial arts sports complex of the Olympic town of the Turkmen capital.
National belt wrestling has ancient historical roots and embodies the heroic spirit and courage. These types of martial arts are not just a sporting hobby, but also an integral part of the cultural heritage of the peoples, glorifying noble traditions passed down from generation to generation.
Formally, the tournament program included two types of wrestling – Turkmen Goresh and Kyrgyz Alysh. But in fact, these are very similar national versions of the ancient oriental martial art. A full house of spectators at competitions of this kind is guaranteed due to the traditional love of the population for uncompromising duels on the mat.
Alysh is the national wrestling of the Kyrgyz people with a fixed grip on the belt. Its history goes back to the distant past. Both men and women participate in this type of wrestling. Wrestling takes place only in a standing position. The task of each wrestler is to try to knock the opponent down on the mat without letting go of his belt.
In recent years, belt wrestling Alysh, like Turkmen Goresh, has been actively developing throughout the world. The World Alysh Federation (WAF), founded in 2002 with headquarters in Bishkek, now includes 36 national federations from Asia, Africa, Europe, North and South America. The tournament in the Turkmen capital was held as part of a program of events dedicated to the status of Ashgabat as the “City of New Sports Opportunities of the CIS”, which was granted to the Turkmen capital by the decision of the CIS Council of Heads of Government in May 2024.
On the first day of the tournament, Turkmen athletes won 14 medals in the national wrestling Goresh, including eight gold, five silver and one bronze.
On the second day of the tournament in belt wrestling Alysh, competitions were held in six weight categories for men and four for women. And in this type of program, Turkmen athletes were the first in the team standings, winning 14 medals, including 4 gold, 5 silver and 5 bronze.
Apart from Turkmen athletes, representative of the teams of Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan also won many medals. Among the prize winners were also representatives of Azerbaijan, Mongolia, Russia, Tajikistan, India and Belarus.
After the finals, an award ceremony was held, during which the winners and prize-winners of the tournament were presented with medals and memorable gifts, including the book “Youth is the backbone of the Motherland” by President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov.
The tournament in Ashgabat became an important platform for demonstration of the skills of Goresh and Alysh wrestlers from different countries, popularization of these national sports and strengthening international sports cooperation.