Overcoming challenges to become a promising sport.

In the vibrant landscape of high-performance sports in Thanh Hoa, while martial arts like pencak silat, vovinam, taekwondo, and judo have long established their positions, kurash is a completely different story. It's a promising "newcomer," a relatively new martial art that has quickly demonstrated its potential for growth with its strong development in recent times.

Kurash fighters from Thanh Hoa province train diligently in the training arena.

"Kurash" in Uzbek means "wrestling." Uzbekistan is also closely associated with the development of this martial art, especially in the modern era. With a history of over 3,000 years, kurash has left its mark on many areas, from society and culture to military affairs in Central Asia.

For over 3,000 years, despite its brilliance, kurash was confined to the borders of Central Asia and only later was introduced to Southeast Asia. Because kurash shares many similarities with judo, the main force of kurash practitioners in Vietnam in the past consisted mostly of judo athletes who switched to it, and in many localities, kurash was a sub-discipline within judo.

For Thanh Hoa, the gold medal in kurash won by Hoang Thi Tinh, a member of the judo national team, at the 2019 SEA Games opened up prospects for the development of this martial art. The Thanh Hoa kurash team was established in May 2021 with only 6 athletes, and Thanh Hoa is a pioneering locality in establishing kurash as a separate sport, aiming for long-term, in-depth development.

Like many sports in their infancy, Thanh Hoa's kurash movement started from scratch. At that time, the concept of kurash was still very unfamiliar to fans and even to local sports administrators. This made the initial recruitment and training of athletes extremely difficult. Without a readily available pool of talent, the coaching staff had to search for, discover, and persuade athletes from other martial arts such as judo, wrestling, taekwondo, or even athletics to try their hand at kurash. This was no easy decision, as each martial art has its own unique techniques and tactics, requiring practitioners to adapt almost from scratch. Furthermore, training mats, competition uniforms, and supporting equipment were not uniformly invested in. Many training sessions had to share space with other sports, significantly impacting the quality of training.

However, it was precisely in these challenging circumstances that the spirit of daring to think and act became the driving force for those involved in kurash to gradually build up their team. The coaching staff and athletes proactively adapted and innovated in their training methods. Exercises were flexibly adjusted, making the most of available resources, while simultaneously strengthening physical fitness and competitive spirit to compensate for the lack of equipment.

Athlete Le Thi Phuong Thao recalled: “Getting acquainted with a new sport, there were many difficulties and shortages, but none of us were discouraged. Every training session was an opportunity for the athletes to improve, to hone both their technique and their willpower to overcome difficulties.”

“Given the limited opportunities to access international experts and the scarcity of tournaments for experience, the coaches have proactively researched and learned from various sources. Training plans are constantly adjusted to suit the physical condition and characteristics of the athletes. In addition, the team places special emphasis on mental strength. The coaching staff always creates a cohesive environment, encouraging athletes to support each other in training and competition,” said Head Coach Nguyen Thi Quynh.

Thanks to the support of the Provincial Sports Training and Competition Center, the team's athlete roster has steadily increased over the years. From an initial 6 athletes, the team now has 16, including 4 provincial-level athletes, 4 youth-level athletes, and 8 talented athletes. Most of the athletes are new faces (only 2 remain from the original group) and very young, with the oldest being only 20 years old. The team's facilities have also improved, with a dedicated training room; uniforms, training equipment, and competition supplies are also ensured.

Thanks to a combination of determination in selecting athletes and innovation in training methods, the kurash team has made significant progress. From participating in tournaments solely for learning purposes, the athletes have gradually proven their abilities, achieving positive results in domestic competitions, especially in youth tournaments. Participating in the first national youth championship in 2024, the kurash team athletes competed at their age level and demonstrated excellent competitive spirit, achieving high results with 2 gold medals, 5 silver medals, and 3 bronze medals. In 2025, the athletes brought home 6 gold medals, 1 silver medal, and 6 bronze medals at the national youth kurash championship; and 1 silver medal and 1 bronze medal at the national beach kurash championship. Recently, athlete Quách Trần Thanh Hằng won the team's first gold medal at the 2026 national beach kurash championship.

"The team has very young athletes, so their success in youth competitions over the past years confirms the effective investment in the sport. This is the foundation for them to confidently advance to the national arena in the future," said kurash team head coach Nguyen Quoc Hoang.

Competition in the domestic arena is increasingly fierce, demanding that athletes constantly improve their skills. In addition, ensuring adequate funding, facilities, and benefits are also crucial issues. Nevertheless, based on what has been achieved, it can be affirmed that Thanh Hoa kurash is heading in the right direction. From a young sport, kurash has gradually established its position and is expected to bring much success in the future.

Text and photos: Anh Tuan

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/vuot-kho-tro-thanh-mon-the-thao-trien-vong-289342.htm