Kurash combatants duke it out. [Photo/hangzhou.com.cn]

There is a martial art known as "Kurash" that is popular in Central Asia but not well known in China. On April 28-30, the Chinese team will participate in the Kurash Asian Championships for the first time, including athletes from Zhejiang.

Chinese people are less familiar with Kurash than Judo and Jujitsu, the other martial arts featured in the Asian Games. Kurash originated in Uzbekistan some 3,500 years ago and is a standing uniformed combat sport that is both popular and culturally significant in Central Asia.

Kurash debuted at the 18th Asian Games in Jakarta in 2018. At the Hangzhou Asian Games, Kurash events will also be held at the Xiaoshan Linpu Sports Center, with a total of seven gold medals expected to be handed out.

The interior of the Linpu Sports Center in Xiaoshan district, Hangzhou. [Photo/hangzhou2022.cn]

Before the Asian Games begin, the Linpu Sports Center will host the first-ever Kurash intercontinental competition to be held in China from April 28 to 30: the 2023 Asian Kurash Senior Championship and World Kurash Series Qualifier.

More than 160 athletes from 24 Asian countries and regions will participate in the event, which is expected to hand out 15 gold medals. The Chinese team will also participate in the Kurash Asian Senior Championship as a group for the first time, with men and women divided into 14 weight categories, and every category having Chinese athletes registered to participate.

The Linpu Sports Center, where the event will be held, is the largest sports center in the southern part of Xiaoshan. In addition to Kurash, it will host several important events, such as Judo, Jujitsu, and Paralympic Judo for the visually impaired at the Hangzhou Asian Para Games.

The Linpu Sports Center in Xiaoshan district, Hangzhou. [Photo/hangzhou2022.cn]