Legendary oil wrestler and two-time champion Ahmet Taşçı faced Japanese champion sumo wrestler Akino Mine. The match between the 1.75-meter-tall Taşçı, weighing 110 kilograms, and the 1.90-meter-tall Mine, weighing 150 kilograms, drew much interest from spectators.The two wrestlers congratulated each other following the match, after which Mine toured the field to salute the spectators. He was then photographed with Edirne Mayor Hamdi Sedefçi and Turkish Wrestling Federation President Osman Aşkın Bak. The matches attracted the interest of the international media as well. About 400 journalists from Germany, the US, France, Bulgaria, Greece, Norway, Japan and Turkey followed the competition.
A total of 52 wrestlers took part in the tournament. In the third round, held on the same day and considered an early indicator of the final standings, last year’s title holder, Mehmet Yeşil, qualified for the fourth round by again this year defeating Recep Kara, who has won the title several times before. Kara’s fans rushed onto the field after the match to protest the referee’s calls.
The Kırkpınar oil wrestling championship is the oldest wrestling festival in the world and has been held continuously since 1357 in Rumelia, the European part of the Ottoman Empire. Wrestlers wear tight, short, leather pants called kıspet. Made of water buffalo leather, they weigh approximately 13 kilograms. The wrestlers cover their bodies with olive oil before the bouts begin.
