An IKA delegation has inspected Asian Games facilities in Hangzhou ©IKA

Hangzhou is hosting the Asian Kurash Championship in what has been billed as an international test event for the delayed Asian Games in the Chinese city.

The Asian Games were delayed from 2022 until September 23 to October 8 2023 due to tough COVID-19 restrictions in China, including on international travel which affected several international sports events.

National-level test events have been staged at several Hangzhou 2022 venues including for triathlon and ju-jitsu, but the International Kurash Association (IKA) has organised its Asian Championship in Hangzhou, due to conclude tomorrow at the Xiaoshan Linpu Gymnasium.

IKA general secretary technical director Reza Nassiri and head of administration Mansur Mirzaev inspected the Asian Games Village expected to house approximately 10,000 athletes, the International Technical Officials (ITOs) Village set to provide accommodation for 4,000 and the Media Village, set to be the base for 6,000 people.

OCA director general Husain Al-Musallam described the Village combining the three sectors as a "positive step for the future" on a Coordination Committee visit to Hangzhou last month.

They then visited the warm-up area set to be used for kurash, kabbadi, taekwondo and karate at the Asian Games.

Prior to the Asian Championship, the IKA leadership consisting of President Haider Farman, vice-president Ziyoviddin Khodjiniyazov and general secretary Nassiri met in Kuwait.

They discussed plans for a "Kurash Week" in Hangzhou, also featuring an international seminar of kurash referees and coaches, and approved the final list of ITOs for the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games.

The kurash discipline of martial arts made its debut at the Asian Games at Jakarta-Palembang 2018, where Uzbekistan won five of the available six gold medals.