A one-night Kuresh tournament in Balkh’s Shortepa district offered a rare display of continuity and community strength at a time when Afghanistan’s sporting structures remain under strain.
Mazar-e-Sharif | By Sara Amiri
In a landscape where Afghanistan’s sporting institutions continue to face shrinking resources and limited organisational capacity, a regional Kuresh tournament in Shortepa district stood out as an example of grassroots endurance. The event, organised by the Sambo/Kuresh Federation’s provincial representation, brought together 80 wrestlers from surrounding villages in Dali, demonstrating how traditional sports survive through local initiative rather than formal systems.
Over the course of a single night, ten bouts ended level while thirty wrestlers claimed victories over their opponents. The tournament’s intensity and technical quality underscored the sport’s deep roots in northern Afghanistan, where Kuresh remains both a competitive practice and a cultural anchor.
Such local competitions have become essential in an environment where national sports programmes lack funding and stability. In rural districts like Shortepa, community-driven tournaments are increasingly filling the void left by weakened institutions, keeping young athletes engaged and preserving long-standing traditions.
Kuresh, a centuries-old form of belt wrestling with origins across Central Asia, retains an important presence in northern provinces such as Balkh, Jawzjan and Faryab. While national federations have struggled to maintain consistent programming, local tournaments have emerged as a means of safeguarding both cultural identity and athletic continuity.
Against a backdrop of political uncertainty and reduced investment in sport, the Shortepa event illustrates a broader truth: Afghanistan’s most enduring sporting practices survive not through formal infrastructure, but through communities determined to keep their cultural heritage alive.