Afghanistan has sent two heavyweight Pahlavani wrestlers to Kyrgyzstan for the VI World Nomad Games. The team will compete in traditional wrestling during the multi-sport gathering, which runs from August 31 to September 6.
KABUL | By Sara Amiri
Two members of Afghanistan’s national Pahlavani wrestling team travelled to Kyrgyzstan on Saturday to represent the country at the sixth World Nomad Games.
The delegation is led by national team coach Hakmatullah Hakimi and also includes an assistant coach, according to a statement from the Afghanistan Kurash, Sambo and Belt Wrestling Federation reported by Pajhwok Afghan News.
The federation described both competitors as heavyweight wrestlers but did not disclose their names in its public announcement. The athletes are due to compete in Pahlavani, a traditional wrestling discipline included in the Games programme.
The official World Nomad Games schedule places the event in Kyrgyzstan from August 31 to September 6. The opening programme is scheduled for Bishkek, with the main sporting and cultural events taking place in the Issyk-Kul region.
The Games bring together traditional sports from nomadic cultures, including several wrestling styles, equestrian events, archery and strength competitions. Afghanistan’s participation places its wrestlers in an international field devoted to disciplines with deep roots across Central and South Asia.
The Afghan federation said the country had previously won two silver medals in Pahlavani at an earlier edition of the World Nomad Games. The latest delegation’s participation follows that earlier result.
File photo: Afghan men compete at a traditional wrestling tournament in Zhari district, Kandahar, in 2011. Photo by Spc. Kristina Truluck/U.S. Army; public domain.