Dagestan is a country of mountains, a country of languages and a country of the best wrestlers, recognized as one of the leading wrestling powers in the world. This truth is confirmed by the number of masters of sports, world and European champions: every second Dagestan is engaged in wrestling, every third receives one of the sports titles or rank.
In a strong body - a strong spirit
Dagestan wrestlers are called the best in the world for a reason. The story tells about ancient times when, to protect the local population from constant uninvited guests, village men created a kind of guard squads. The inaccessible terrain, the harsh life of the highlanders, constant raids - all this contributed to the fact that the Dagestan people over the years became more and more hardy, decisive, strong-willed. If at first the wrestling was regarded more as fun for the holidays, then over time it developed into a sport called free-style wrestling. The heyday of the Dagestan struggle fell on the middle of the last century - it was then that martial arts began to be actively promoted in the region of the highlanders, which allowed the wrestlers to immediately demonstrate a high level of training, reaching the first steps of record victories. Today, “free-style wrestling”, “Dagestan” are two inseparable and related concepts.
From the very origins
The free-style wrestling of Dagestan became known outside the country thanks to the wrestler Sali-Suleiman (aka Mamma Makhtulaev), who was popularly called the real hero. He repeatedly confirmed the fame of an unrealistically strong man , by force he was compared only with Ivan Poddubny, whose meeting in the open ring ended in a draw. Over time, wrestling sections began to open not only in cities, but also in villages, and much attention and strength was given to the material support of both the athletes themselves and the coaching staff. At competitions of the all-Union scale, “wrestlers” performed under the slogans “Free-style wrestling, Russia, Dagestan”. In the second half of the last century, Vladimir Krutkovsky, a well-known specialist who makes a great contribution to the preparation of educational plans, comes to Dagestan.
Dagestan Freestyle Wrestling Federation
The year of the foundation of the wrestling federation is 1989. The idea was realized by the incredible efforts of Saipulla Absaidov (Olympic champion) and Abshin Abshinov, who in those years headed the Dagestan Sports Committee. For 4 years freestyle wrestling of Dagestan as a training system It has established itself in a variety of foreign venues, where competitions of various levels and training camps have repeatedly been held.
Saypulla Absaidov was replaced by a new leader - Hamid Hamidov, who, in addition to basic matters, completely surrendered to the popularization of this sport, also focusing on Greco-Roman wrestling. Three years later, Hamid Hamidov died, and no less talented new president of the FSBR took his place. Freestyle wrestling of Dagestan in the person of Abdusamad Hamidov received a talented top manager.
How are things today
Today, Dagestan is the only republic where more than half of the population is engaged in freestyle wrestling. The number of points covered by the sports movement included 42 districts and 10 cities, and the number of wrestlers exceeded the mark of 30 thousand people. The republic can rightfully be proud of its “freestyle” - 14 people have won the honorary title of Olympic champion.
In addition to wrestlers, many distinguished trainers work in Dagestan, who have trained more than one generation of titled athletes. Nowadays it is difficult to imagine the phrase “freestyle wrestling, Dagestan” without the connection of these words with each other. Along with the sport that is already deeply rooted in the republic, increased attention is also being given to Greco-Roman wrestling. Athletes actively participate in training camps, travel outside the country, thereby expanding geographical boundaries with enviable constancy.
Legends of the Dagestan freestyle wrestling
Like every nation, Dagestanis have their own legendary heroes, to whom the younger generation of wrestlers is oriented today. Freestyle wrestling (Dagestan) is, first of all, Surakat Asiyatilov, with whom the first successful performances at sports grounds were connected. This is a real giant Osman Abdurakhmanov - a powerful hero, famous for inhuman power in the arenas of circuses. This is Sali-Suleiman, who was popularly called the Invincible Leo. It is impossible not to say about Al-Klych Khasaev, revered among the people as a saint. And, of course, this is Mustafa Dagistanli, twice the winner of the Olympic Games, three times the world champion, a man for whom the title of invincible has firmly strengthened.
What should be a freestyle
First of all, the words “free-style wrestling, Dagestan” should be not just words, but a feeling of patriotism towards their homeland. The wrestler must be a strong will, see an incentive in front of him, confidently go to victory.
The athlete should not think about everyday problems - his whole existence should be permeated with sports, the desire to reach even higher peaks. Every wrestler who goes on the carpet should not play for personal values or ambitions. The athlete must remember that behind his back is his homeland, relatives, friends, coaches, for whom he should become the best. Today, Dagestan athletes are a real golden fund of the country, an invaluable example of such a lifestyle that every teenager should adhere to is the pride of his land.