Representatives of the wrestling community gathered in the conference hall of the Kazakhstan National Sports University to discuss key issues related to the development of Greco-Roman, freestyle and women’s wrestling in the country.
The important meeting, dedicated to a new stage in the development of Greco-Roman, freestyle and women’s wrestling in Kazakhstan, was attended by the leadership of the Kazakhstan Wrestling Federation, presidents of regional federations, head coaches of the national teams, referees, sports medicine specialists and veterans of the field.
Speaking at the Congress, President of the Kazakhstan Wrestling Federation Erkin Okasov noted that the new stage of development of Greco-Roman, freestyle and women’s wrestling must be based on a clear system and shared responsibility.
“The core of our strategy today is to build a unified system, develop strong regions and, through this, pave the way for a victorious future. We no longer need fragmented actions; we need a vertical system that truly works. The Federation and the regions must operate under the same regulations, the same rules and common standards. In the future, the electronic database of athletes, the register of coaches and referees, as well as the ranking and statistics system will be fully organized.
The way athletes earn points, enter the national team, and gain access to state support and grants will be managed through an open and understandable system. In addition, specific KPIs will be introduced for the work of regional federations. Our position is clear: one federation, one database, one standard and one goal. Our long-term objective is to place Kazakhstan among the world’s top five wrestling powers by 2036. To achieve this, we are setting the stable winning of medals at the Olympic Games, annual placement in the TOP 10 at World Championships, and bringing women’s wrestling in Kazakhstan among the strongest in Asia as our main strategic goals,” said Erkin Kadyrgaliuly.
According to the Federation President, projects such as the National Wrestler Card, the International Wrestling Academy, Wrestling Digital Hub, the Coach – 2030 program, as well as scientific and innovative support will be implemented in this direction.
Kazakhstan Wrestling Federation Secretary General Nuraddin Sadykov then delivered a report, emphasizing that in the development of wrestling disciplines, it is important to focus not on short-term results but on building a sustainable system for many years ahead.
“Today, the main task is to create a unified system for the development of Greco-Roman, freestyle and women’s wrestling. At present, differences in the level of training across regions, support for the sports reserve, modernization of the competition system, digitalization and growing international competition require concrete solutions. In this regard, the Federation is proposing a development strategy until 2032. This document covers such areas as popularizing wrestling, preparing the sports reserve, strengthening the national team, developing women’s wrestling, improving the qualifications of coaches and referees, upgrading infrastructure and strengthening international cooperation.
Our goal is to build a common vertical structure between the Federation, regional federations, clubs, youth sports schools, academies, school leagues and student leagues. In other words, we will create a sustainable system capable of producing champions continuously for decades,” said Nuraddin Rysbaiuly.
According to the Secretary General, there are plans to create a unified information and analytical platform for athletes and coaches based on the example of the UWW website. Later, it will be integrated into the Federation’s official website.
In addition, during the Congress, representatives of the national teams Konysbek Tukenov, Daniyar Kaysanov and Nursultan Temirov presented reports on the preparation process in Greco-Roman, freestyle and women’s wrestling during the first half of the year, results at international competitions, and preparations for the upcoming Asian Games and World Championships. UWW referee-instructor Igor Ligay addressed issues of refereeing and the study of international rules, while sports medicine doctor Azamat Nurmatov delivered a report on athlete health, medical monitoring and safe weight cutting. Doszhan Shalkar, President of the Shymkent City Wrestling Federation, presented the Mektep Kures Ligasy and Students Wrestling League projects aimed at developing school and student wrestling. A report by Kairat Azimov on international cooperation was also heard.
Ernar Ussenbayev, Director of Sports Development of the Kazakhstan Wrestling Federation, proposed the introduction of a new ranking-based qualification system for the Kazakhstan Championship. According to him, the main goal of this system is to make selection fair and transparent.
“Who qualifies for the Kazakhstan Championship should be determined not by the decision of an individual, but by the athlete’s actual results. The main purpose of the proposed ranking system is to make selection fair, open and understandable. Throughout the year, an athlete participates in ranking tournaments and earns points based on their results. At the end of the season, the wrestlers with the highest ranking in each weight category qualify for the Kazakhstan Championship.
Today, the number of participants in championships is too high. At some competitions, this figure reaches up to 2,000 people. In such circumstances, the tournament lasts several days, the number of bouts increases, and the workload on both referees and athletes becomes very heavy. Most importantly, the quality of the championship declines, and it becomes difficult to properly manage the level of competition. What matters to us is that every wrestler competes consistently throughout the year and proves their level. In that case, the Kazakhstan Championship will become the main platform not for random participants, but for athletes who have demonstrated the best results throughout the season,” said Ernar Ussenbayev.
According to the speaker, under the proposed system, only the top 16 ranked athletes in each weight category will be admitted to the Kazakhstan Championship. In addition, the champion of the previous season will be given the opportunity to defend their title. The ranking will be updated after each tournament and published openly. This is expected to provide clear guidance for athletes, coaches and regional federations.
The second part of the Congress featured a panel session dedicated to the main areas of development of Greco-Roman, freestyle and women’s wrestling in Kazakhstan. During the discussion, participants considered issues such as building a unified management system for wrestling disciplines, improving the efficiency of regional federations, developing children’s and youth sports, training coaches and referees, and strengthening sports medicine and scientific support. Participants also presented proposals on modern approaches to athlete preparation, introduction of the ranking system, expansion of international cooperation, digitalization, commercialization of wrestling and development of sponsorship mechanisms.
Following the panel session, the initiatives and proposals raised at the Congress will be summarized, after which a final resolution will be adopted to define specific tasks and priorities for the next stage of development of wrestling disciplines.
At the end of the event, Erkin Okasov awarded a number of specialists contributing to the development of wrestling in the country with the medal “For Contribution to the Development of Wrestling.” The awardees included Zhumakhan Turgambekov, Zhumash Imanbayev, Marat Mukhambetov, Gabiden Raiymbek, Tolegen Duisembayev, Sagyndyk Bisembayev, Bektai Khasenov, Berik Alimov, Nauannur Bakbergenuly, Vladislav Sutormin and Nurzhigit Yerimbetov.
The Federation President noted the contribution of these specialists to the development of national wrestling, the upbringing of young athletes, the strengthening of regional schools and the formation of national teams, and wished them success in their future work.
Thus, the one-day Congress of the Kazakhstan Wrestling Federation became an important platform opening a new stage in the development of Greco-Roman, freestyle and women’s wrestling in the country.
Press Service of the Kazakhstan Wrestling Federation
