The picturesque city of Constanța (Romania), located on the western coast of the Black Sea, hosted a historically significant event for Kurash on September 5–6, 2025. Here, under the initiative of the International Kurash Association (IKA) and the International Kurash Institute (IKI), in cooperation with the European Kurash Confederation and the Romanian Kurash Federation, an International refereeing seminar and a prestigious International tournament were held.
The main purpose of the seminar was to enhance the qualifications of European referees and prepare them for the competitions held on September 6 within the framework of the traditional Turkic peoples’ festival, Kurultay, dedicated to World Kurash Day. This initiative marked a significant step toward the broader promotion and enhancement of prestige of Kurash on the International stage.
The training sessions were conducted by experienced specialists of the International Kurash Institute and the Kurash Federation of Uzbekistan — Kim Eur Joong and Khikmat Kurtov. They provided theoretical knowledge and practical skills on the unified International rules and refereeing standards in Kurash to more than 30 referees from nearly 10 countries.
During the seminar, referees strengthened their skills in ensuring impartiality and fairness in competitions, as well as in making correct decisions in disputable situations. This will serve to further raise the level of organisation of International Kurash competitions in the future.
Following the seminar, an International tournament was held with the participation of representatives of the European Kurash Confederation’s member states. At the opening ceremony, Merampi Iliadis, the President of the Confederation, and Naim Belgin, the President of the Romanian Kurash Federation, addressed the participants with wishes for success.
Throughout the day, guests of the festival and Kurash fans witnessed exciting and uncompromising contests. Each victory brought joy to the hearts of the spectators, while the Kurash arena, which united people of different nations, was filled with the spirit of friendship and solidarity.
The fact that the seminar and tournament were held on the eve of World Kurash Day gave the event even greater significance. Through these activities held within the Kurultay Festival, the philosophy of Kurash and its human values were once again highly recognised by the global community.
