Kurash
Central Asian jacketed upright wrestling — no ground work, all throws from a standing belt-and-jacket grip.
👥1 per team🌤indoor
What is Kurash?
Kurash is an ancient Uzbek upright jacketed wrestling style, dating back some 3,500 years. Wrestlers wear a jacket (yakhtak) belted at the waist and contest bouts from a standing stance — all ground work is banned, forcing pure throwing technique. Kurash has been contested at the Asian Games since 2018.
Quick facts
Category
Combat Sports
Type
Individual
Players
1 per team
Where played
indoor
Country of origin
🇺🇿 Uzbekistan
Estimated origin
Ancient Uzbekistan (~3,500 years)
Olympic
No
Popularity
major
Sources & provenance
Last verified 2026-08-24.verified