Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — Delegates at the 22nd Congress of the International Kurash Association (IKA), held in Astana, unanimously supported the nomination of Otabek Umarov, First Deputy Chairman of Uzbekistan's National Olympic Committee, for the post of association president. The election of the new head is scheduled for 2027.
The Uzbek delegation attending the congress included representatives of the Ministry of Sports and the National Olympic Committee.
Addressing the meeting, Umarov highlighted efforts to develop and promote kurash internationally under the leadership of Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, who also serves as chairman of the National Olympic Committee and honorary president of the International Kurash Association.
Congress participants reviewed the association's activities in 2025–2026 and discussed expanding international cooperation, promoting kurash worldwide and improving the organisation of competitions.
The national federations of Kazakhstan, Lithuania, Sri Lanka, Jordan, France, Syria, Switzerland, Armenia, Italy, Australia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain were admitted to the IKA.
Delegates also discussed amendments to competition rules, the development of the refereeing system and improvements to the international ranking of athletes.
The final decision on the leadership of the International Kurash Association will be made at the organisation's next congress in 2027.
