Tatar national belt wrestling “Koresh” has an ancient origin and along with customs, rites and traditions represents national culture of Tatars. From immemorial time folk festivals Sabantuy was held in the places of Tatars dense dwelling in a Russian territory. National belt wrestling “Koresh” was in the high light at these festivals. There are historical manuscripts describing Tatar national festival in 922 year and the major competition was wrestling in the middle of maidan. This wrestling is the national kind of sports and has an ancient history and very popular with Volga region, Ural, other parts of Russia, the near and far abroad peoples.
The first official national belt wrestling “Koresh” championship was autonomic republics and territories sports contest in June 1928 in Kazan. All-USSR national belt wrestling “Koresh” sport competition was held in August of the same year.
The first TASSR national belt wrestling “Koresh” championship took place in Kazan in 1949. And more massive and higher level Republican competitions in honor of the hero-poet Musa Jalil have been carried out since 1956.
Federation of freestyle wrestling, Greco-Roman wrestling and Sambo developed Tatar national belt wrestling “Koresh” at the turn of 1950 and 1960 years.
The sportsmen from such neighbor regions as Bashkiria, Mordovia and Ulyanovsk City came for the first time to the Kazan competitions on the 5 of December, 1959. And Kazan was qualified to hold first RSFSR national belt wrestling “Koresh” championship in 1960. Such competitions have been annually taken place not only in Kazan but also in other Russian cities since that time. It was held in Kazan (1960, 1968, 1970, 1971, 1974, 1977, 1979, 1989, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009); Ufa (1961, 1976, 1980, 1984, 1999, 2001), Salavat (1973); Orenburg (1962); Oktyabrski (1978, 1981); Tuimazy (1988); Chelyabinsk (1972, 1991); Cheboksary (1975, 1982, 1986, 1990); Almetievsk (1983, 1987); Samara (2003); Ulyanovsk (2004); Naberezhnye Chelny (2005). The sportsmen from 36 Russian’s regions have been participating in Russian championships over the past years. There are also international belt wrestling “Koresh” championships.
The foundation of national belt wrestling “Koresh” federation on the 15th of December, 1958 was a big leap forward in the development of this kind of sports. On the World Tatar Congress initiative by the decision of constituent conference consisting of 57 Russian regions National Belt wrestling “Tatar Koresh” Federation of Russia was founded on the 15th of April, 2005. It was registered by the Ministry of Juctice as the All-Russian public organization on the 19th of January, 2006. Minnahmetov Zaudat Midehatovich became elected president of this organization. Since 2005, All-Russian and International competitions have held by national belt wrestling “Tatar Koresh” Federation of Russia.
The annual Federal Sabantuy became a good tradition and it helps to expand the geography of regions where national belt wrestling “Koresh” develops. Folk festival Sabantuy was carried out in more than 70 Russian regions and 20 near and far abroad countries in 2009.
International Association of national belt wrestling “Koresh” that was founded on the 9th of September, 2009 started to hold European and World Championships. International Association of national belt wrestling “Koresh” as a part of international committee of belt wrestling became a member of International Federation of Wrestling Associations (FILA) that is International Olympic Committee member.
Belt wrestling is a part of XXVII Worldwide Summer Universiade 2013 program in Kazan.