Armenia wants national wrestling kokh to spread outside its borders

PanARMENIAN.Net - The city of Vanadzor will host the championship of kokh, the Armenian national wrestling that became the basis for development of other martial arts.

President of the Federation of Kokh Vaghinak Galstyan in a recent interview dwelled upon the details of the championships, development and goals of Armenian kokh fights, the press service of the National Olympic Committee said.

According to him, they prepared very seriously for the national championships after a long pause.

"The Armenian kokh by the rules is very similar to free-style wrestling, judo and sambo. The competition period lasts five minutes, while fights begin with national songs and dances," Galstyan said.

"The championship among adults will be held in eight weight classes, 100 athletes are set to participate in them."

"Previously, fighters wore national costumes during the bouts. We tried to give a bit of a modern look to the uniforms, preserving the national elements," he said.

When the results of the championshipս are revealed, a national team will be formed to later take part in international competitions. The United World Wrestling (UWW) has a national wrestling federation whose goal is to unite everyone under one roof and hold the World Championship on National Wrestling.

"We have a goal to develop this type of sport and eventually hold a Kokh World Championships," Galstyan added.