What does the coming year hold for us...
Dear friends, we are ready to present to you the International Mas-Wrestling Federation Events Calendar for 2026.
World Championships
The All-Russian Mas-wrestling Federation has proposed hosting the 2026 World Championship for men and women and the World Championship in the absolute weight category for men and women at the end of November. The host city is currently under active discussion. There are several candidate cities to choose fr om.
Russian sports have faced unprecedented sanctions and are now gradually returning to the global stage. Mas-wrestling, which originated in a Russian region, will once again become a bridge of mutual understanding among athletes from different countries next year. It is only natural that the homeland of mas-wrestling – Russia – will host the World Championships next year.
For the first time in history, we intend to organize the World Championship among students in the city of Krasnoyarsk, Russia. The proposal came from the Vice President of the Russian Student Sports Union, head of the commission for non-Olympic and other developing sports of the Council of Student Sports Leagues Alexander Cherkashin.
At the end of September, Russia will host the World Festival of Youth and Students. This is a unique platform wh ere youth fr om 180 countries will gather in a space of open dialogue and cooperation to recharge with the energy of unity and find growth points for their bold ideas and projects.
Student athletes participated in the first historic championship in Yakutsk in 2014. A foreign student from Mongolia named Erdenevaanchig Batbaatar, a freestyle wrestler, tried his hand at mas-wrestling and won a bronze medal. In 2018, a whole delegation of foreign students receiving higher education in Chuvashia, Bashkortostan, and the federal city of Moscow came to Yakutsk for the World Championship. We are glad that this movement is expanding and students in other countries around the world are following Russia's example.
Continental Championships
The All-American Mas-wrestling Championship will take place in Los Angeles, USA, at the beginning of the year—January 10-12. It will serve as the selection event for the national team to participate in the World Nomad Games and other international mas-wrestling competitions. The competition format is open, meaning mas-wrestlers from other continents are also eligible to participate.
The South American Championships for men and women across all weight categories, including the absolute division, will be held as part of the Arnold Classic South America in Sao Paulo, Brazil, from April 24–27. The weather in Brazil during this period is not hot and is very comfortable. The organizers are welcoming new participants, and the competition is also open. Next year, mas-wrestling events in the Arnold Classic program will only take place in South America. Don’t miss your chance to win the coveted belt at Arnold Schwarzenegger’s festival! Brazil is waiting for you!
The Open North American Mas-wrestling Championship for men and women this year was held in Calgary, Canada, during the days of the world-renowned Calgary Stampede cowboy festival. This experience is considered successful, and in agreement with the continental leader Odd Haugen, it has been decided to hold it again at this location next year. The organizers intend to expand the event program with an emphasis on Yakut culture, paying tribute to the homeland of the sport. The President of the Canadian Mas-wrestling Association, Andrew Bolinger, informed that the event has received support from the Government, and we hope for visa support for the participants. All interested parties are requested to take care of obtaining entry visas to Canada in advance. At the same time, the organizers reserve the right to issue invitations at their discretion, based on objective information about the actual preparation of athletes from individual countries.
The North American Mas-wrestling Championship for men and women in the absolute category will also be held in an open format in another location. Preliminarily, we can mention Las Vegas during the Olympia Festival from October 24-27.
Eurasia, it must be admitted, has given us many reasons for concern in the past year. There is no doubt that the global restructuring of the world is negatively affecting our work and its stability. We are successfully overcoming these negative moments thanks to our unity. In unity lies our strength. The European Championship was taken by Slovakia, which, during a critical period, became a stronghold of European mas-wrestling and rose to leading positions on the continent. Slovakia aims to lead the European Mas-wrestling Confederation in the near future. We would like to thank President Jan Matej and Vice-President Oliver Kurek for the exceptionally high level of preparation of the European Championships. Special thanks for the competition merchandise (hall design, souvenir products, award attributes), which was in a unified, restrained style with a national flair.
Pakistan has proposed hosting the Eurasian Championship. "One continent, one championship" is the reasoning. Why not? National leader Nawab Furqan Khan needs no special introduction. He started as an ordinary athlete, rising through the ranks of mas-wrestling. Falling in love with the sport wholeheartedly, he led the national federation, elevating mas-wrestling to a leading position not only in his own country. Pakistani athletes are medalists in the most prestigious tournaments. At the same time, they demonstrate high technical preparation and a will to win.
Khan leads a large army of devoted mas-wrestling fighters, personally accompanies them on trips, and supports them. We are pleased that our colleague has been honored to represent the Pakistan Police Sports Board, which is an affiliated member of the Pakistan Olympic Association (POA).
Pakistani mas-wrestling is a kind of phenomenon that deserves respect and close attention.
International tournaments
The most significant events in this category will undoubtedly be the international competitions within the program of the World Nomad Games.
The Nomad Games are an outstanding, large-scale cultural event of world-class caliber, worthy of your attention and participation. The regulations for the Games have been approved. They will take place from August 31 to September 6 in the Kyrgyz Republic. Mas-wrestling is included in the Traditional Strength Sports category. The organizers have limited the number of participants for our sport. Thus, only one team per country is allowed to compete, with a maximum of 8 members: 6 athletes (3 men and 3 women) and 2 coaches.
The weight categories are the most in-demand. For men, the selected categories are up to 70 kg, up to 90 kg, and absolute; for women—up to 55 kg, up to 75 kg, and absolute.
The dates and venue for the mas-wrestling competitions are still under consideration. The host party promises to announce this information several months before the start of the competitions.
The Mas-Wrestling Federation of Kyrgyzstan announced two more tournaments of international level: among boys and girls, men and women for the prizes of the Honored Mas-wrestling Coach of the Kyrgyz Republic Marat Ramatov in the village of Karakol in May and the Memorial of Erkinbek Tezekbaev in Bishkek. The organizers promise a warm welcome and a good cultural program with visits to natural attractions.
The International Tournament AGT&KMWF ATLANTS among children and students intends to be held by the Mas-wrestling Federation of Kazakhstan on June 24-27.
At the end of July, we put in the Calendar the International tournament among high school students, dedicated to the 50th anniversary of Pavel Pinigin's victory at the Olympic Games. The venue is Montreal, Canada. We see it as a match meeting of schoolchildren from the Arctic regions of Yakutia and Canada. The approval process has yet to be completed. We will keep you informed. I can only say that the selection of Yakut participants will take place at the end of January in the village of Zhigansk based on the results of the Arctic tournament among schoolchildren called "Polar Challenge".
The international tournament "VDNH Cup" in Moscow will be held as part of the Festival of National and Non-Olympic Sports in July. The territory of VDNH is the hallmark of Russia. Everyone is invited to participate.
In mid-August, the Open All-Russian Competitions in memory of Olympic champion Roman Dmitriev will be held in Sochi, Russia. The name of this outstanding athlete went down in the history of world mas-wrestling. After all, it was he who gave the name "mas-wrestling" to the new sport. The tournament has its own history within the country, but from now on it will deservedly have an international status. The city of Sochi has an excellent infrastructure, there are mountain and coastal sea clusters. The 2014 Winter Olympics took place here. Welcome to Sochi.
The international tournament within the sports program of the Eastern Economic Forum needs no introduction. This prestigious event, wh ere the competition format changes every year, is attractive to participants who receive personal invitations fr om the IMWF. Next year, it will once again be held with the support of AK "Railways of Yakutia."
The international tournament as part of the Olympia Sports Festival will take place from September 24–27, once again in Las Vegas, USA. The organizer, the esteemed Odd Haugen, invites all interested parties to test their strength in Yakutian mas-wrestling at one of the world's most prestigious sports venues.
Closing the series of international tournaments will be the season's new addition - the Cup of Pharaoh International Mas-Wrestling Tournament organized by the Egyptian Jiu-Jitsu Federation in collaboration with mas-wrestling enthusiasts led by Dr. Taha Gamal, who are developing student mas-wrestling at Cairo University. This will be the first mas-wrestling competition under the auspices of the International Mas-wrestling Federation on the African continent—a historic event. Live broadcast and media coverage by local organizers are guaranteed. Free airport transfers to accommodation will be provided. The sports complex wh ere the competitions will be held is in close proximity to the hotel, within walking distance. A pleasant bonus will be organized free transfers to Giza, home to the famous pyramids and the Museum of Egyptian History. Museum entry is paid.
Egypt is a mysterious country, very attractive to tourists. Athletes from many countries—the USA, Canada, Brazil, and several European and Asian nations—have expressed interest in participating in the Pharaoh's Cup.
Dear friends, we congratulate you on the upcoming Christmas and New Year! Ahead of us are new wonderful events that, we hope, will unite us even more strongly. We wish you peace and kindness! See you again in different corners of the world!
