Kurash in Paris: French capital hosts prestigious prize for ancient Uzbek martial art

Hundreds of fans and athletes descended on Paris over the weekend for the latest edition of the international Kurash tournament. They had gathered in the French capital for the prestigious prize of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

Holding competitions in Europe is seen as key for a sport that continues to grow.

During the opening ceremony, representatives of the French Federation of Kurash underlined the human values of the ancient Uzbek discipline and its role in improving physical and mental health.

The sport aims to one day be part of the Olympic family and Komil Yusupov, the founder of modern Kurash, was quick to praise the French organisers.

"This year we have already held four international tournaments on the European continent. The main goal of holding such tournaments is to strengthen cooperation and develop Kurash. We would also like this sport to be included in the European Games programme and this is currently one of our top priorities. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the organisers of this event," Yusupov said. 

Around 60 athletes from 30 different countries took part in this year’s event and the open weight category didn’t disappoint.

As the top athletes battled it out on the Gilam, three of them stood out and gave the Parisian crowd something to cheer about thanks to some stunning moves.

Uzbekistan’s Muhammadkarim Khurramov, Serbia’s Zakro Culum, and Danov Bobon from Macedonia were the ones to watch.

After a fierce competition, Khurramov and Culum advanced to the showpiece match and despite the Serbian’s weight advantage, Khurramov dug deep to earn a late Chala for a hard-fought win.

In the women’s event, Jasmin Grabowski produced a superb display to take top honours.

The German