Chuvashia is again ready to host the World Games of National Martial Arts

The next World Games of National Martial Arts are again planned to be held in Chuvashia. These competitions are tentatively scheduled to take place in April 2025. Earlier, in the fall of 2023, the republic hosted the first Games with great success; they united athletes from many countries.

Initially, plans to organize the second Games were announced in the Address of the Head of Chuvashia Oleg Nikolaev to the State Council of the Chuvash Republic:

“The holding of the first World Games of National Martial Arts in Chuvashia last year with the participation of athletes from twenty-five countries of the world revealed genuine interest in their beauty and strength. We plan that Chuvashia will host the second games in 2025“, said the head of the republic.

The first steps to prepare for a new large-scale event have already been taken: the Minister of Sports of Chuvashia Vasily Petrov discussed the project with Ramil Gabbasov, executive director of the Russian Union of Martial Arts, a confidant of the President of Russia.

“Our republic already has experience in hosting large and significant competitions. From October 3 to October 9 last year, the first World Games of National Martial Arts took place in Cheboksary with the participation of 2 thousand athletes, coaches, team officials and the court. The Games program included 14 types of martial arts. I am sure that the upcoming competitions will also be held at a high organizational level and will give participants and guests unforgettable emotions and memories,” the minister noted.

The first Games were held at the Cheboksary Arena stadium, the competition program included aikido, belt wrestling, all-style karate, kyokushin, mas-wrestling, hapsagai, Chuvash national belt wrestling “kereshu”, Cossack hand-to-hand combat, sword fighting, oriental, uchkur , chessboxing, kyrgysh kurosh. Russia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Afghanistan, Belarus, Botswana, Germany, Zambia, Israel, India, Jordan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Cyprus, Kyrgyzstan, Colombia, Morocco, Mexico, Moldova, Pakistan, Syria, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan were represented at the sports festival , Turkey, Uzbekistan.

The participants of the First World Games of National Martial Arts were greeted by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“This bright, large-scale event brought together both eminent and novice athletes, their coaches and mentors and, of course, fans from Russia and other countries at the Cheboksary Arena Ice Palace. It is symbolic that the Games are taking place in Chuvashia, where since ancient times there has been its own form of wrestling, beloved by the residents of the republic – “Kereshu”emphasized Putin, whose welcoming words were read out at the opening ceremony of the Games by the Head of Chuvashia Oleg Nikolaev.

Putin expressed confidence that the competition “will make a significant contribution to the development of martial arts in our country, especially among young people, and will help strengthen the centuries-old traditions of folk culture, the prestige and status of unique national martial arts schools.”

Before the start of the Games, RSB Executive Director Ramil Gabbasov also noted the historical significance of the competition for both Russia in general and Chuvashia in particular.

“Before the start of the competition, we met many times with the Head of Chuvashia, the Minister of Sports of the republic, and I can say that there was a serious commitment to holding this large-scale event. Now I clearly see the result of everything we talked about at our meetings, and it makes me happy. The fact that the 1st World Games of National Martial Arts was held in Chuvashia will forever remain in history.“- said Gabbasov on the eve of the start of the competition.

In general, the Games were highly appreciated by the participants and spectators. And the program of the final day of battles was broadcast live by the federal channel “Match Fighter”.