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Laman Ismayilova

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Azerbaijan national team has successfully performed at Koresh Belt Wrestling World Championship held in India, Azernews reports.

Eyvaz Bakhshiyev (60 kg), Hajali Gasimov (74 kg) and Abdulla Abdullayev (82 kg) won bronze medals among men.

In the women's competition, Shahana Almammadova (70 kg) rose to the third step of the podium.

Belt wrestling Koresh is a form of martial arts that focuses on grappling with the objective of bringing the opponent to the ground using allowed techniques.

With a history spanning over a thousand years, Koresh is deeply rooted in the rituals and traditions that form an integral part of the national culture of many communities around the globe.

The earliest recorded reference to Koresh comes from the Arab traveller Ahmad Ibn Fadlan, who documented his visit to Volga Bulgaria in 922.

Koresh wrestling has a deep cultural significance, rooted in the traditions and rituals of the Tatar and various Turkic peoples. Historically, this folk festival known as "Sabantuy" (where "saban" means plow and "tui" means wedding, symbolizing the conclusion of spring agricultural work) has been celebrated in regions where Tatars reside. The festival features a variety of entertainment, with "Koresh" wrestling competitions being a highlight. The event reaches its peak with the crowning of the Sabantuy champion, known as the batyr.

Notable accounts of this folk celebration and the heroic fighters, referred to as pahlevans, come from the Arab traveller Ahmad Ibn Fadlan, who documented his visit to Volga Bulgaria in 922, and Abu Hamid al-Garnati, who visited in 1131.

In Koresh wrestling, a "technique" refers to a deliberate attack by a wrestler that causes their opponent to lose contact with the mat, resulting in a specific position on the mat. While trips, sweeps, and leg hooking are strictly forbidden, throws using the legs are permissible.

The International Koresh Belt Wrestling Federation comprises 42 countries.

The advancement of Koresh on the global stage is progressing with the federation's inclusion in the World Ethnosport Confederation, headed by the president of the confederation Bilal Erdogan.

Belt wrestling Koresh was part of the CIS Games 021, and there are plans for participation in other major international sporting events as well.