On Saturday morning (November 27) the first youth European championship began with Mentor Asghar Sefidi’s beat and bell sound at the sports complex of Benteo technical university in Minsk, Belarus with the slogan of friendship, respect, excellente for building a better world through developing zurkhaneh sports with the aim of achieving multiculturalism.
According to zurkhaneh.com, 110 athletes from Azerbaijan, Ukraine, Turkey, Belarus, Georgia, Russia and Lithonia compete in three sections of team skills, individual skills and Koshti Pahlavani for two days.
On Saturday morning, November 27, the participant countries finished team competitions, and in the afternoon of the same day, the opening ceremony and individual skills competitions were held. On Sunday, November 28, Koshti Pahlavani competitions and medals distribution ceremony were held and the games ended.
At the end of all competitions, considering sum total of scores, Azerbaijan national youth team with 161 scores won the championship, Lithuania with 144 scores came second, Ukraine with 133 scores won the common third place, turkey with 100 scores won the common third place; and Georgia with 93 scores, Belarus with 82 scores, and Russia with 57 scores, respectively won the fourth through sixth places.
First youth European zurkhaneh sports championship was held for two days (November 27-28, 2010) by the European confederation of this sport supported by the International Zurkhaneh Sports Federation.
IZSF president: “A youth-centric approach is the key to durability of zurkhaneh in the world”
Eng. Mohsen Mehralizadeh, the president of International Zurkhaneh Sports Federation, stated that: “The fundamental approach of the federation is to train the adolescent as well as young generations.”
IZSF president described holding of the first European zurkhaneh sports championship as an important step in development and institutionalization of this sport and added that: “Participation of Russia, Turkey and Georgia which are the new members of the federation showed that zurkhaneh development policy in the right direction.”
Belarusian president’s consultant: “Zurkhaneh leads to affinity between nations”
While welcoming the participants, Zay Cheko, Belarusian president’s sports consultant, expressed his happiness due to familiarity with this sport and announced his state’s readiness for founding a federation or any other cooperation which will result in a close athletic relationship between the two nations.
Secretary General of Belarusian Olympic committee: “We will dedicate a suitable area for building a zurkhaneh.”
Secretary General of Belarusian Olympic committee asked for close cooperation and teamwork for founding zurkhaneh sports federation in this country and stated that: “We are ready to provide IZSF with a suitable area for building a zurkhaneh in Minsk.”
While welcoming the Iranian delegation, Zay Cheko, Belarusian president’s sports consultant, expressed his happiness due to familiarity with this sport and announced his state’s readiness for founding a federation or any other cooperation which will result in a close athletic relationship between the two
nations.
Medved: 
We must unite traditional and modern sports
Alexander Medved, the legendary Olympics as well as the world freestyle wrestling champion and the honorary president of Zurkhaneh Federation of Belarus, referring to his visit to Iran in 1960 said: “At that time, I saw in person how familiar Iranian champions are with zurkhaneh and how most of them start their athletic activity from zurkhaneh.”
World wrestling Olympian emphasized that: “Since Belarusian athletes became familiar with zurkhaneh, they have practiced this sport seriously. This sport is close to wrestling, we must try to unite traditional as well as modern sports.”
Vice-president of Belarusian National Olympics Committee added that: “We have done our best to hold the competitions at a high level so that zurkhaneh sports will be demonstrated well.”
In response to a question regarding the development of this sport in the world, Medved said: “There are numerous traditional sports in the world. For instance president of Kazakhstan declared “kurash” a national resource and gave it full-scale support in the world, and now we witness that, just like zurkhaneh, kurash also has an international federation. In my opinion, this sport must be further supported by our Iranian friends so that its status will be stabilized among other world sports.”
The legend of world wrestling said: “This sport must be progressively publicized and promoted.”
Iranian ambassador to Belarus;
IRAN Embassy supports sports programs
While welcoming participants in the first youth European zurkhaneh sports championship, Seyyed Abdollah Hosseini, Iranian ambassador to Belarus, said: “The association of spiritual values and physical activities in this sport is one of its attractions.”
Iranian ambassador to Belarus said: “Cultural and athletic activities have a deep effect on nations, and the Iranian embassy supports all programs which lead to intimacy of the two nations. Building a zurkhaneh in Minsk can be very effective in familiarizing and further closeness of the two nations, and the Iranian embassy will follow it as an important project.”
Belarusian ambassador in Iran;
Zurkhaneh is a good start
Victor Rebok, Belarusian ambassador in Iran, mentioned the special attention of his country’s president to sports and the youth and said: “Sportive memories shared by the two nations are lasting ones the values of which must be transferred to from generation to generation.”
Mentioning that the legendary world wrestling champion Alexander Medved has deep memories from world champion Takhti, He said: “People still remember that Takhti did not perform any techniques on Medved’s injured leg. We must try to educate our youth by transferring such excellent values to them.”
Victor Rebok emphasized that: “Zurkhaneh is a good start because Belarusian government supports sports and this can strengthen zurkhaneh, too.”
Victor Rebok, Belarusian ambassador in Iran, mentioned the special attention of his country’s president to sports and the youth and said: “Sportive memories shared by the two nations are lasting ones the values of which must be transferred to from generation to generation.”
Mentioning that the legendary world wrestling champion Alexander Medved has deep memories from world champion Takhti, He said: “People still remember that Takhti did not perform any techniques on Medved’s injured leg. We must try to educate our youth by transferring such excellent values to them.”
Victor Rebok emphasized that: “Zurkhaneh is a good start because Belarusian government supports sports and this can strengthen zurkhaneh, too.”
The first European zurkhaneh is built in Minsk
Dr. Seyed Amir Hodseini, Secretary General of IZSF, thanked world wrestling champion, Alexander Medved, for his substantial support of starting zurkhaneh sport in Belarus and holding the first European competitions and said: “If we want zurkhaneh sport and its values to endure, we must focus our plans on the adolescent and the youth, and this is a strategy which, fortunately, is pursued in the European Confederation of Zurkhaneh Sports and the International Federation also supports it.”
Referring to construction of zurkhanehs in Tajikistan and Afghanistan, IZSF Secretary General said: “Soon, construction of a zurkhaneh complex will be started in Karbala and in case initial negotiations reach a conclusion and Belarusian sports officials allocate an appropriate area for construction of a zurkhaneh, the International Federation is ready to build the first European zurkhaneh in Belarus.”