Makhachkala, May 8, 2015. The day before, the President of the Russian Wrestling Federation Mikhail Mamiashvili arrived in Dagestan to take part in the Wrestling Championship, which started May 8 in Kaspiysk Sports Palace named after Ali Aliyev.
At the airport, Dagestan Prime Minister, the president of Dagestan Wrestling Federation Abdusamad Gamidov, the head of Dagestan Federal Migration Service Radzhab Abdulatipov, Dagestan Minister of Education and Science Shahabas Shakhov met the honoured guest at the airport.
"It is not by chance that the Russian wrestling championship takes place in Dagestan. Dagestan school of wrestling as well as the level of athletes’ mastership is worldwide known and recognized as professional and serious. The lion's share of athletes representing Russia at the biggest international and national sport events are the Dagestanis", - Mikhail Mamiashvili said. He also noted that it would be interesting to see the upcoming championship with participation of the strongest wrestlers from Ossetia, Kabardino-Balkaria, Krasnoyarsk, Chechnya. The Russia Greco-Roman wrestling championship among youth has recently been held in Dagestan and the athletes were met magnificently here. On the eve of the licensed world freestyle wrestling championship in the United States, the executive committee of the wrestling federation decided to hold the Russian freestyle wrestling championship in Dagestan" - Mamiashvili informed.
In his turn, Abdusamad Gamidov thanked the executive committee of the federation and assured that the competition would be organized in Dagestan at the highest level. "In Dagestan, wrestling is very popular. The republican championship held for the first time in the republic is a great holiday for us. The best Dagestan wrestlers as well as many strong fighters from other regions of Russia will participate in sport event. I am sure that the audience will praise the event"- Dagestani prime minister noted.
Mamiashvili also expressed confidence that the event would become special for Dagestanis, enabling them to see the greatest champions such as young, but already proven Abdul Rashid Sadullaev, the world champion Soslan Ramonov, the Olympic champion Jamal Otarsultanov and some others.
More than 300 athletes in the weight categories up to 57, 61, 65, 70, 74, 86, 97 and 125 kg will compete for the champion titles on May 8 - 10. Groups of fans from different regions of Russia arrived in Dagestan to support their favorite teams.
Let us remind, M.Mamiashvili is the Olympic champion of 1988, the three-fold European champion, three-fold world champion, the honored master of sports, the honored coach of the USSR and Russia, the member of the FILA Bureau. He was awarded with the Order of Friendship of Peoples, the II degree Order For Services to the Fatherland of the and the I degree medal "For Services to the Fatherland”.