Astana will host the 15th World Kurash Senior Championship at the end of June 2026, after the event was moved from its original venue in Bojnord, Iran, due to the political situation in that country, the International Kurash Association (IKA) reported on April 27.
The championship is expected to draw around 500 athletes from 50 countries, according to Qazinform News Agency, which reported on May 12 that Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Tourism and Sports had convened a working meeting to review preparations for several major international sporting events scheduled for the summer.
The Kurash World Championship was originally planned to run from January 31 to February 5 in Bojnord. Following its relocation to the Kazakh capital, a dedicated organising committee has been formed and preparatory work is under way.
A meeting at the Ministry of Tourism and Sports was attended by Yerbol Myrzabossynov, Minister of Tourism and Sports of Kazakhstan; Ziyoviddin Khodjiniyazov, Vice-President of the International Kurash Association; Mansur Mirzaev, Head of the IKA Administration; and Andrey Borgens, President of the Kazakhstan National Association of Kurash Sports Federations.
Kurash is a traditional form of upright wrestling with Central Asian origins, practised in over 100 countries and recognised by the International Olympic Committee. Kazakhstan has a strong track record in the sport at international level.
Minister Myrzabossynov noted that Kurash has become one of the fastest-growing combat sports in the world and that Kazakhstan has the infrastructure to host the championship at the highest level.
The Kurash World Championship is one of several international sporting events coming to Kazakhstan this summer. Astana is also scheduled to host the 2026 World Boccia Cup, featuring athletes from 25 countries, the Asian Canoe Sprint Championships with around 350 competitors from 16 nations, and International WT Taekwondo tournaments expected to attract approximately 1,600 participants.
“Kazakhstan’s high results in international arenas are the result of systematic and consistent reforms being carried out in the sports sector,” said Khodjiniyazov. — IKA