Turkish Traditional Wrestling Federation's President İbrahim Türkiş announced that the upcoming 662nd Historical Kırkpınar oil wrestling event will see the participation of 32 chief wrestlers.
Taking place from July 7-9 at the Sarayiçi Private Square, this edition will mark the final Kırkpınar held under the traditional format.
The introduction of new criteria means that the number of participants will be limited starting from next year's Kırkpınar, allowing only 32 wrestlers to engage in head-to-head combat.
This change aims to provide the audience with more thrilling and fiercely competitive matches, thereby raising the overall quality of the Kırkpınar oil wrestling spectacle.
In the previous 661st Historical Kırkpınar oil wrestling event, a total of 54 talented athletes showcased their skills in gripping wrestling competitions.
President İbrahim Türkiş of the Turkish Traditional Wrestling Federation shared his insights on the CW Energy Türkiye oil wrestling league and the historical Kırkpınar oil wrestling in an interview with an Anadolu Agency (AA) correspondent.
Türkiş highlighted the successful execution of the first two stages of the Turkish oil wrestling league, which witnessed tremendous participation and intense battles in Manavgat and Kocaeli.
The league breathed fresh excitement into the ancient art of oil wrestling, captivating both the wrestlers and the public alike.
"The league introduced a different level of thrill to oil wrestling. The points race within the league had a significant impact on the athletes' performances. Notably, favorites like Mustafa Taş and İsmail Balaban faced early eliminations. In the first stage, Ali Gürbüz emerged as the head wrestler from the Orhan School, while İsmail Balaban, Mustafa Taş and Yusufcan Zeybek fought fiercely in the second stage. We witnessed Yusufcan Zeybek's remarkable journey to the finals. The audience displayed great interest in the sport, and the wrestling matches were broadcast live on eight TV channels. Although the spectator capacity did not meet our initial expectations, wrestling enthusiasts filled the existing stands with their unwavering support," İbrahim Türkiş said.
Türkiş emphasized the pivotal role of the league in determining the participants of Kırkpınar, stating: "At the conclusion of the Turkish oil wrestling league, the top 24 athletes will earn their place in Kırkpınar's head-to-head competition next year. As the federation, we will organize pre-selections prior to Kırkpınar, ensuring those who qualify will have the opportunity to participate. Consequently, we will witness the presence of 32 formidable head-to-head wrestlers at next year's Kırkpınar. It will be a spectacle to behold, featuring the most skilled and physically fit wrestlers."
Regarding the format of this year's Kırkpınar, Türkiş confirmed that it will continue to adhere to the traditional rules, as there are no current criteria in place to warrant any alterations.
However, he hinted at the possibility of implementing rule changes for future editions.
Explaining the rationale behind the potential adjustments, Türkiş revealed: "This season, discussing the elimination of scoring is not technically feasible due to the large number of participants, with an estimated 3,000 wrestlers expected to compete. However, we are planning to conduct the Kırkpınar wrestlers' competitions without scoring next year. This decision is driven by the limitation of participants to 32 wrestlers."
Türkiş closely follows the Turkish oil wrestling league competitions and expressed his belief that young wrestlers might surprise the audience at this year's Kırkpınar as well.
"The athletes are in excellent shape, and many young talents are demonstrating remarkable prowess in the league. We have witnessed closely contested matches and the potential for upsets. The Turkish oil wrestling league exemplifies this. While two renowned wrestlers have secured top positions, critical bouts have the power to completely turn the tables. Five young athletes are exhibiting exceptional performances, and their skills are steadily increasing as Kırkpınar approaches. They possess the ability to create astonishing surprises. Additionally, our veteran wrestlers are also in splendid form," he said.