Kazan to host Russian Championship on belt wrestling

On October 15-18, Kazan will held the Russian Championship on belt wrestling in Martial Arts Palace, Ak Bars. The competition will be attended by 275 athletes from nearly 30 regions of the country.

At a press conference held by Tatar-inform, Executive Director of the Wrestling Federation of Tatarstan Khabir Habibullin, the first day of the competition will determine winners in freestyle. Men and women will compete in 12 weight categories. Classical style wrestlers will perform in the second day.

Head coach of Tatarstan Wrestling Minhalit Gilmanov noted that Tatarstan fighters were preparing for the tournament, passing three gathering.

According Khabir Khabibullin, Tatarstan fighters will meet a lot of rivals. Many fighters will arrive from Karachayevo-Cherkessia, North Ossetia - Alania, Dagestan, Nizhny Novgorod and Moscow. "Each weight category involves world champions, winners of the World Cup, multiple champions of Russia. The competition will be tough," said the executive director of the Wrestling Federation of Tatarstan. The budget of the championship is about two million rubles.

Khabir Habibullin also informed that for the first time in Kazan, the World Championship in Wrestling and Kuresh would take place. About 400 fighters from 35 countries will arrive to the capital of Tatarstan. Tatarstan will be represented 60 athletes – it is the largest team. Khabir Habibullin called representatives of Central Asia: Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and China, main contenders of Russian athlets.

"It is the first tine when the World Championships on belt wrestling and kuresh are to be held together. I believe, it will attract athletes from different countries. The opportunity to come to Kazan and experience not only the belt wrestling but kuresh stimulates increase in the number of participants and popularity of these kinds of fight. They will be more recognizable by supporting each other. In addition, we dream that belt wrestling to become the Olympic sport. Joined forces always give result faster," Khabir Habibullin said.