The traditionally high level of competition in Thessaloniki, ensured by the National Federation of Kurash and local government, has long been appreciated by kurash wrestlers from dozens of countries. This time the tournament also brought together a very solid list of participants, although the competitions were held only in the most prestigious open-weight category as the ongoing economic crisis still shakes Greece.

It’s not an easy challenge to be the best among the best. For example, one of the permanent participants of the tournament and the main contenders for the top prize Vasilios Iliadis (GRE) only last year was able to conquer the top of the podium, having won triple world champion Davlat Choriev from Uzbekistan. And, it seems, he decided not to give up this honorary title. His cousin Dionisis Iliadis and rival in the final (both are nephews of Merabi Iliadis, president of the European Kurash Confederation) also knew the taste of victory on home carpet in 2008. However it was Vasilios who won the title.

Third place went to Georgy Iyadze (GEO) and Ivan Iliev (BUL). Ilgor Asadov from Bukhoro was only one step short of the podium. Iliboy Ibragimov from Samarqand made sure that today the belonging to Kurash homeland does not guarantee high places as athletes from many countries have mastered the Uzbek national wrestling skill as good as Uzbeks themselves.

Uzbeks, by the way, continue to actively promote Kurash in various parts of the world. Kamil Yusupov, president of the International Kurash Association, has left for a working visit to Malaysia and Singapore. While two representatives of the national federation, Bahodir Berdikulov and Qahramon Nazarov, went to Indonesia for training camp and coaching seminars. And who knows maybe the ninth tournament of Islam Karimov in Thessaloniki will meet the first Indonesian athletes...