Today, the XIV World Kurash Championship, which brought together representatives from four continents of the planet - from Asia, Africa, Europe, as well as South and North America, triumphantly ended at the Martial Arts Sports Complex of the capital's Olympic village.  Following the results of two days of competition, Turkmen wrestlers won 15 medals in 15 weight categories - seven men's and eight women's.

As you know, on the first day of the competition, our athletes won two gold, three silver and three bronze awards. Dinara Rozykulova (weight category up to 63 kg) and Maria Lokhova (up to 70 kg) rose to the highest step of the podium. The silver medalists were Aishirin Khaidarova (up to 48 kg), Ainur Amanova (up to 52 kg) and Sanzhar Abdirahmanov (up to 90 kg), and the bronze medalists were Gulshat Annaeva (up to 57 kg), Ruslan Esgerov (up to 100 kg) and Sapa Sapaev (over 100 kg).  

The remaining seven sets of medals were played on the final day of the 2023 World Cup, in four men's and three women's weight categories. As a result of the competition, the Turkmen team won three more gold, three silver and one bronze awards today.

Vepa Avlyakuliev (weight category up to 60 kg) brought the third gold medal to the Turkmenistan team. In the first round, he won a clear victory over Mohammed Al-Gharrawi (Iraq), in the quarterfinals he defeated Anil Anil (India), in the semifinals he defeated Muslimbek Karimov (Tajikistan), and in the final he defeated Emur Suleimen (Kazakhstan), who was awarded silver awards. Bronze medals went to Muslimbek Karimov (Tajikistan) and Said Talebi Nia (Iran).

The fourth gold medal in the Turkmenistan team was won by world championship debutant Sabina Kadyrova (up to 78 kg), who in the first round already won a clear victory over Andrea Guillen (Mexico) in the 16th second. Then, in the quarterfinals, she also easily won against Sheetal Sheetal (India), and in the semifinals and finals, in a bitter struggle, she defeated, respectively, bronze medalist Saba Karamali (Iran) and world vice-champion Filura Ergashova (Uzbekistan). Another bronze medal in this weight category was awarded to Chia-Lin Liu (Chinese Taipei).

The fifth gold medal in our team was won by Dayanch Omirov (up to 81 kg). On the way to this success, in the first seconds of the fight he defeated Tom Belen Santana (Dominican Republic), and then in turn won against Chansik Woo (Republic of Korea), Ramin Ahmadzadeh (Iran), Bekadil Shaimerdenov (Kazakhstan) and rose to the highest step of the podium. Kazakh kurashist Bekadil Shaimerdenov won the silver medal, and Iranian Ramin Ahmadzadeh and Umid Esanov (Uzbekistan) won bronze.  Silver medals in the Turkmenistan team were awarded to: Shatlyk Jumanyyazov, Jahan Muhammedova and Sabina Agadzhanova.

Shatlyk Jumanyyazov achieved silver success in the up to 73 kg category, in which Abilkair Maulenin (Kazakhstan) excelled, and Niko Tchikaidze (Georgia) and Jaedeog Kwon (Republic of Korea) won bronze.  Jahan Muhammedova rose to the second step of the podium in the weight category up to 87 kg, in which Pokizahon Kamoldinova (Uzbekistan) became the world champion, and Moldir Nurlanbek (Kazakhstan) and Pargati (India) became the bronze medalists.

Another silver medalist in our team, Sabina Agadzhanova, six years ago at the V Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games in Ashgabat, took second place in the jiu-jitsu competition. And now she has become the vice-world champion in kurash in the weight category over 87 kg, in which the first ever gold medal in this type of wrestling for the Dominican Republic was won by Audrey Arelis Puello Perez, and the bronze medalists were Samriti (India) and Fatemeh Barmaki Kordkolai (Iran).

Dovlet Khemrakulyev (up to 66 kg) was awarded a bronze medal in the Turkmenistan team. The second bronze medalist in this weight category was Khairandeshi Murodzoda (Tajikistan), the silver medalist was Majid Vahid Barimanlu (Iran), and the world champion was Chori Zoirov (Uzbekistan).

In recent years, Turkmen kurashists have made a noticeable step forward. If at the previous World Championships in India they won one silver and two bronze medals, now our team has five gold, six silver and four bronze medals. With these indicators, our wrestlers were significantly ahead of the other teams in the total number of medals (15), losing in the team competition in the number of gold awards only to the Uzbekistan national team, which had 7 gold and 1 silver and bronze award each. The top three winners were completed by the Kazakhstan team, whose kurashists won one gold, two silver and three bronze medals.

According to experts, such progress in this sport is the result of the fruitful work of coaches Dortkuli Tejenov, who headed the men's team of Turkmenistan two years ago, and Shirin Kubaeva, who has been leading the country's women's team for many years, having created a good kurash wrestling school in Lebap velayat. By the way, out of 15 medalists at the 2023 World Cup, 14 are graduates of the Lebap wrestling school.

Shirin Kubaeva is a former famous athlete. For many years, she successfully defended the honor of the country on the world sports arena, becoming the winner and prize-winner of many international competitions. It is noteworthy that in 1997 she successfully graduated from the Turkmen Institute of National Economy with a degree in international economics. For a number of years, Shirin Permanovna combined coaching with work in economic organizations. And only after winning the 2009 Asian Martial Arts Games in Bangkok (Thailand) did she finally decide to focus only on coaching.

“I love being a coach. “Sport is in my genes,” says Sh. Kubaeva, whose father and great-grandfather were engaged in Goresh wrestling and won prizes among palvans at weddings.  According to the head coach of the women's national team of Turkmenistan, the current success of our wrestlers at the 2023 World Cup is a natural result of the policy pursued by the country's leadership on the development of physical education and sports. Thanks to the great attention to the development of this area by President Serdar Berdimuhamedov and the National Leader of the Turkmen people, Chairman of the Halk Maslakhaty Hero-Arkadag, excellent conditions have been created in Turkmenistan for training athletes and holding international tournaments.

Hosting the World Cup is a big responsibility. Turkmenistan, once again acting as the host country of major competitions that brought together many foreign guests from all over the planet, coped with it “excellently”! This opinion was expressed today by athletes who arrived in Ashgabat from many countries, their coaches, journalists from the world's leading media, specialized publications and television channels, and representatives of the International Kurash Federation (IKA).

According to the general opinion of titled athletes and sports experts, heads of delegations, the Turkmen capital is worthy of hosting world championships in many sports. And for this, all conditions have been created here that meet international requirements, including the ultra-modern sports infrastructure of the Olympic village, the construction of which was personally patronized by the National Leader of the Turkmen people Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov.

For two days, intense emotions did not subside at the Martial Arts Sports Complex; athletes waged an exciting fight for medals. But despite the intense competition, an interesting rivalry that gave the fans a lot of impressions, the unifying principle was the desire for open and trusting communication and friendship.  For Turkmen athletes and coaches, this was an excellent opportunity to get acquainted with the experience of a number of countries and national federations in the development of kurash wrestling and gain useful experience for the future.

A rich cultural program was prepared especially for the guests, which allowed them to get acquainted with the history and rich heritage of the Turkmen people, their original traditions and customs, the sights of white marble Ashgabat and the first “smart” city of Arkadag in Turkmenistan, and taste national dishes.

The current World Cup was a great success. Both athletes and fans received unforgettable impressions from the Ashgabat World Cup, which became possible thanks to the personal attention and support of President Serdar Berdimuhamedov and the National Leader of the Turkmen people, Hero-Arkadag.  The 2023 World Cup has ended, giving everyone a sea of ​​positive emotions and joy. Many became fans of kurash wrestling, the fights were so exciting and filled with the desire to win.

The success of the current tournament increased the pride of all Turkmen citizens for the Fatherland and once again confirmed the status of Turkmenistan as a sports power that is capable of hosting and hosting world-class competitions.