The homeland of mas-wrestling invites friends from all over the world. Yakutia is calling!
At the beginning of the year, the leader of Yakut mas-wrestlers, the legendary Anatoly Baishev, asked Aisen Nikolayev, the Head of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), to support holding the Yakutia Team Cup in an open format, meaning with the participation of foreign teams.
Mas-wrestling is beloved and developing on all continents today. Anatoly Anatolyevich proposed inviting continental teams to the birthplace of the sport for the anniversary events and to compete on the competition platform. Holding the competitions in Yakutia and using a team format involving athletes fr om various countries is intended to demonstrate the unity of the world's mas-wrestlers in promoting the national sport of the indigenous people of the North.
The international tournament was proposed to be held at the end of the year, at the beginning of the calendar winter—in the first days of December, when Yakutia experiences its famous bitter frosts and when one can witness the true North and the harsh natural conditions in which the strong-willed Sakha people live and work.
Aysen Sergeyevich listened carefully to all the arguments and promised full support. The Head of the republic kept his word—a corresponding decree was signed, and an Organizing Committee was established to prepare and hold the Open Team Mas-wrestling Cup dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the founding of the Mas-wrestling Federation, chaired by Sergey Mestnikov, Deputy Chairman of the Government of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia). The organizing committee included representatives of ministries and agencies, institutions and organizations, and public associations.
According to the Regulations of the Team Cup, twelve teams will take the stage of the Triumph Sports Complex in Yakutsk on December 4th. Six of them will represent different uluses of Yakutia and six will represent different continents: Australia and Oceania, Asia, Africa, Europe, North America, and South America.
Active preparation work began immediately after the release of the main approving documents. The local teams were formed based on the results of the RS (Y) Championship in February. The team included the republic’s best mas-wrestlers.
The International Mas-wrestling Federation reached out to continental leaders responsible for developing the sport. The response was positive, as expected. Because so many people wanted to travel to the sport’s homeland, qualifying championships were held in South and North America—in São Paulo, Brazil, in April, and in Calgary, Canada, respectively. The continental teams included accomplished, well-trained mas-wrestlers from countries around the world wh ere active efforts are being made to popularize mas-wrestling.
The core of team Asia was made up of Mongolian athletes as a tribute to Dmitry Baishev, who made a major contribution to Yakut-Mongolian friendship: he sponsored many projects that helped launch the development of mas-wrestling in Mongolia, brought Mongolian athletes to Yakutia for training camps, and was the first to propose holding a team cup featuring international teams. All teams will compete under their own flags.
The Chief Referee for the competition is the legendary mas-wrestler Vladimir Sharin.
The event promises to be unique. No international mas-wrestling tournaments have ever been held in this format before. By inviting teams from abroad to compete in a team event across nine weight categories for both men and women, the Yakut Mas-wrestling Federation recognizes their high level of preparation. The geographical spread of the participants is sure to impress anyone involved in sport: mas-wrestlers from all over the world will come to Yakutia.
The unprecedented world-class tournament will attract considerable media attention, with numerous accompanying events planned at the NVK Sakha studio: press conferences and meetings with the founders of the sport and leaders of the major mas-wrestling federations, including the international, all-Russian, and regional federations.
The upcoming tournament is the result of the collective efforts of these federations. It is noteworthy that all three federations were initially led by one person – Alexander Akimov. His merits and personal contribution to the advancement of Yakut mas-wrestling are difficult to assess. Having taken the helm of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) Federation in 1996, Alexander Konstantinovich later founded the All-Russian Mas-wrestling Federation. He secured its official recognition by Russia’s Ministry of Sport and state accreditation in 2015. Today, he is a true leader of world mas-wrestling, the father of a large international sports family, and a guarantor of the IMWF’s continued success. Alexander Akimov will personally welcome the participants in the Team Cup and pay tribute to veterans in Yakutia.
The National Broadcasting Company will provide a platform for the program “Mas-wrestling Unites the World,” featuring stars of world mas-wrestling. The premiere of a film by the federal sports channel Match TV about the development of mas-wrestling will take place. An autograph session with mas-wrestling stars for young athletes is planned in an engaging educational quest format, along with much more. The grand opening and closing ceremonies promise to be spectacular and will bring surprises even for the discerning Yakut audience.
The authority of the main organizers—heroes of the Sakha people Anatoly Baishev and Vladimir Sharin—leaves no doubt that on December 4 the public will fill the Triumph sports arena and welcome all twelve teams, regardless of the flags under which they will come onto the platform. After all, this will not be a confrontation but a unification of athletes from around the world around Yakut mas-wrestling. We will show that we stand for peace, friendship, and mutual understanding.
Yakutia is calling!
