WORLD MILITARY QAZAQ KURESI CHALLENGE: THE ITALIAN TEAM IS READY!

The 1^st CISM WORLD MILITARY QAZAQ KURESI WRESTLING CHALLENGE, national sport registered by UNESCO in the “Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity”, will take place from 12 to 16 August 2025 in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan. The event is organized by the CISM (International Military Sport Council). The Italian Team of Qazaq Kuresi will be composed of the Technical Director Mattia Galbiati and the athletes Sandro Lorito (66kg), Gabriel De Luca (74kg), Francesco Pio Aidone (82kg), Eugenio Sturniolo (90kg) and Andres Felipe Moreno (-100kg), all belonging to the Armed Forces as well as to the Traditional Wrestling Italian Federation (FILT), a sports association affiliated with the sports promotion body A.S.I. These athletes have extensive experience in Qazaq Kuresi, having participated in various international competitions and, in particular, in the 2024 World Nomad Games and the recent World Championships in New Delhi. This time, Mameli’s anthem will have a double emotional meaning for them: for the flag and for the uniform! The participation of the Italian delegation is the result of the collaboration between Navy Captain Roberto Recchia, Secretary General of CISM, Colonel Stefano Bianca, Head of the Sports Office of the Defence General Staff, and the Vittorio Giorgi, founder and president of the Traditional Wrestling Italian Federation. Last March, the Minister of Defence of Kazakhstan Ruslan Zhaksylykov made an official visit to Rome, where he met with the Minister of Defence Guido Crosetto. Relations between the two countries have strengthened significantly in recent times.