Asian Junior Zurkhaneh Sports Championships start in Tajikistan

Dushanbe, Dec.18 (MNA) – The first edition of the Asian Junior Zurkhaneh Sports Championships and Parazurkhaneh Sports Championships kicked off in Dushanbe, Tajikistan on Friday. The events, which are underway at the Hakim Abolghasem Ferdowsi Hall, will run until Monday. Some 70 athletes from nine countries namely, Tajikistan, India, Pakistan, Nepal, Afghanistan, Iraq, Bangladesh, Chinese Taipei and South Korea are participating in the competitions. In the opening ceremony held at the hall, Amir Hosseini, secretary general of the International Zurkhaneh Sports Federation (IZSF) said the ancient Zurkhaneh Sports are the ancestors’ legacy, which has been confirmed by UNESCO. The head of Iran's National Olympic Committee, Mohammad Aliabadi, also attended the ceremony. Abdollah Sajjadi, head of the IZSF technical committee, said, “Our objective is to introduce Zurkhaneh Sports as an Olympic event. Everyone can enjoy it anywhere and anytime. We have worked to develop the sport around the world during the past years. At the moments, as you see in the Asian Junior Championship, the athletes from Nepal and India have improved their skills and become an integral part of the federation.”