Hadou Benkrou, Mauritania
I have been practicing judo for 26 years. I have a second black belt in judo and I work as a coach. I was first introduced to Kurash last year. I became interested in the sport when I saw pictures of some of my Egyptian friends wearing Yakhtak (Kurash uniform). From them I learned more about this sport. When I studied the refereeing system in Kurash, I felt that it was completely understandable and close to me.
Another aspect of Kurash that attracted me was that it allowed women to participate while respecting Islamic traditions, especially the wearing of the hijab. The essence of it is also beautiful – to fight standing up and thus achieve victory. This simplicity is one of its main advantages.
The three-month online course was a very important experience for me. Thanks to it, I had the opportunity to get acquainted with a real school of Kurash in Uzbekistan. I got several licenses to practice Kurash in my country and even registered a Kurash Federation, but it was thanks to this course that I fully formed my practical experience.
You know, you could say that since this year I have dedicated my life to Kurash. We have currently opened large halls in three neighborhoods in the capital city of Nouakchott. The only thing we lack is Yakhtaks and Gilams for Kurash. Because we do not have such equipment in our country yet. At the same time, there are a lot of people who want to practice Kurash.
We hope that the International Kurash Association and the African Kurash Union will also help us to solve these problems. Financial and moral support for sport in Africa is always lacking, so international support is important for us.
While in Uzbekistan, during the course I managed to understand the true essence of Kurash. Now I intend to repeat all the knowledge I gained and pass it on to local coaches and referees. The aim is to popularize Kurash in Mauritania and introduce it to the new generation.
The city of Tashkent impressed me with its calm environment, cleanliness and green spaces, as well as its friendly and hospitable people. Unfortunately, I did not have time to visit many places, but the hospitality of the Uzbek people made a deep impression on me.
There was no language barrier during the training as I was provided with an interpreter. I express my deep gratitude to the organizing committee for all the organizational work – such a highly organized sporting event deserves respect and admiration.
