On May 17, 2026, ceremonial events and the final matches of the CIS Koresh Championship took place in the city of Bolgar (Republic of Tatarstan, Russia) on the grounds of the Bolgar State Historical and Architectural Museum-Reserve. The competition was held as part of the Izge Bolgar Jiyene gathering, which formed part of the 17th International Economic Forum “Russia – Islamic World: KazanForum.”
More than 100 wrestlers from CIS countries — national champions in traditional wrestling styles — participated in the tournament. Athletes competed in 10 weight categories as well as the absolute category. The championship included qualification tournaments in Moscow, preliminary bouts at the Olimp Sports Complex in Bolgar, and final matches during the large-scale gathering.
Among the honored guests of the tournament were Rais of the Republic of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov, President of the Koresh Federation Jauhat Minnakhmetov, First Deputy Minister of Sports of the Republic of Tatarstan Khalil Shaikhutdinov, as well as prominent public and political figures.
The absolute champion of the tournament was Radik Salakhov — an 8-time Russian champion, 3-time world champion, and Honored Master of Sports. In a hard-fought final match, he defeated Georgia’s representative Ucha Tabatadze, the national champion in the traditional wrestling style chidaoba. The main prize — car keys — was presented to the winner by Rustam Minnikhanov.
During the ceremony, heads of national koresh federations from CIS countries received awards from the Koresh Federation and the Republic of Tatarstan, including the commemorative medal marking the 100th anniversary of the Tatar ASSR. Among those honored were:
Murad Gaidarov (Belarus) — Olympic silver medalist;