Merampi Iliadis, President of the European Kurash Confederation, made an official visit to the beautiful and ancient city of Constanta, located on the Black Sea coast of Romania.
During this trip, he was accompanied by Naim Belgin, President of the Romania Kurash Federation.
In recent years, Romania has taken serious steps towards the development of Kurash, organizing a number of international tournaments, national championships and various levels of events at a high level. In particular, traditional Kurash competitions have been held in Constanta since 2021 as part of the Kurultai International Festival of Culture and Sports.
During the visit, Mr. Iliadis highly praised the work of the Romania Federation, noting the country’s strong commitment to Kurash and its rapid development. In his view, the initiative to hold one of the continent’s most prestigious events — the 2026 European Championship — in Constanța is very timely and appropriate.
At the meeting with Mihai Ochiulet, Head of Sports at the Constanța City Hall, the parties discussed preliminary agreements on organizational and infrastructural matters related to the championship — including the sports arena, hotels, transport logistics, support services, and security.
It was noted that the meeting was an initial practical negotiation, and it was announced that the European Championships in Kurash seniors, juniors and cadets will be held in Constanta from 18 to 20 September 2026. At the same time, it was emphasized that some calendar changes and final confirmation of organizational aspects will be determined at the next working meeting.
