On the second day of his visit to Egypt, Haider Farman, President of the International Kurash Association (IKA), met with Major General Ahmed Nasser, President of the Association of African Sports Confederations (AASC) and the Union of Arab Sports Federations. The meeting took place in a warm and positive atmosphere, where Mr. Nasser expressed his pleasure at hosting Mr. Farman in Cairo. He acknowledged the rapid development of Kurash as a distinguished martial art and emphasized the importance of Kurash’s inclusion in the African Games program.
The discussions centered around the necessary steps for the IKA to join the AASC, the same procedure as 17 other International Federations.With agreements made on key actions that would be coordinated by the AASC. As part of the “Road to the African Games” initiative, the IKA is to start involvement at the next African Combat Games, and further talks focused on organizing international tournaments in Africa to promote Kurash. Both sides agreed on the importance of such events for increasing the sport’s visibility and participation across the continent.
During the meeting, which lasted over an hour, Major General Nasser pledged his full support for promoting Kurash in Africa. Mr. Farman expressed his gratitude for the warm reception and emphasized that Africa is one of the fastest-growing regions for the IKA, with 26 national federations currently members of the African Kurash Union. He noted the ongoing efforts to organize continental championships, international tournaments, and training seminars annually across Africa, all contributing to the rising participation in Kurash.
Mr. Farman was accompanied by IKA Head of Administration Mansur Mirzaev and the President of the Egyptian Kurash and Kickboxing Federation, Mohammad Sobih. The meeting reflected the growing collaboration between the IKA and African sports organizations, including the AASC, which plays a key role in supporting and promoting sports across the African continent.
