Kurash

Kurash (kuresh, koresh and variants; Uzbek kurash, Kyrgyz күрөш küröş, Turkmen göreş Bashkir көрәш (köräş), Tatar küreş, күреш, көрәш, kөrəş, Kazakh күрес küres, Shor кӱреш küreş, Azeri güləş, Chuvash кӗрешӳ) is one of the Turkic terms for "wrestling" (from Old Turkic keriš, c.f. Turkish güreş) and specifically refers to a number of folk wrestling styles practiced in Central Asia. The wrestling is the main competition at the folk festival Sabantuy. Wrestlers (köräşçe(lär)) use towels to hold their opponents, and their goal is to throw their opponents off the feet.

History

The first official All-USSR koresh championship took place in Kazan in 1928 and was followed by the first TASSR (Tatar Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic) national championship in 1949. Since 1956, regular Tatar Köräş competitions have been organised in honor of the national hero and poet Musa Cälil.

At the turn of 1950 and 1960, the Soviet Federation of freestyle wrestling, Greco-Roman wrestling, and sambo started to develop Tatar Köräş. Sportsmen from the neighbour regions, such as Bashkortostan, Mordovia, and Ulyanovsk City came to compete in Kazan for the first time in 1959. In 1960, the capital of Tatarstan was appointed host of the first RSFSR (Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic) national koresh championship, an event that has been repeated every year since that date. It was organised in Kazan about 15 times, but also in other cities, such as Salavat, Orenburg, Oktyabrsky, Tuymazy, Chelyabinsk, Cheboksary, Almetievsk, Samara, Ulyanovsk, Naberezhnye Chelny. Sportsmen from 36 Russian regions have participated in the Russian championships over the past years.