Original sports competitions, games and entertainments, held at the places with large people concentration, at weddings, various holidays and during leisure hours, play an important role in the cultural life of the Altaian people. The descriptions of the Altaian bogatyrs' lives in the multivolume heroic epos "Altai Batyrlaar", where the bogatyrs after battles ad difficult marches spend their leisure time contesting in their strength, intelligence, quick-wittedness and adroitness, are the evidence of this.
This is what the old inhabitants say. Many of them took part in similar competitions and games themselves. Unfortunately, o要ly few competitions were preserved until nowadays, many of them are simply forgotten.
National sports in Mountain Altai is being rapidly developed since the beginning of 1970-ies. By that time, annual championships at national sports of the peoples of Siberia and Far East were held.
ALTAI KURESH (Altaian wrestling)
Only men above 18 are admitted to the competition.
There are determined weight categories according to the age groups starting with the lightest o要e - 32 kg up to the heaviest - above 82 kg.
Kuresh wrestlers used to wear their usual every-day clothes, i.e. soft leather footwear, trousers and a shirt. Clotes miust be comfortable, and clothes seizures were not allowed. For the wrestlers' mutual convenience, they had to wrestle wearing sashes.
Presently, in order to improve the wrestling class, a new sports uniform is recommended: a sash made of soft material 180-220 cm long and 50-70 cm wide, and special national clothes comfortable for wrestling.
Absolute championship is held at the end of the competitions, where the sportsmen's weight is taken into consideration and the "Three Touch Points" rule is used.
ALTAI SHATRA (THE ALTAIAN BOARD GAME)
All shatra competition participants are divided into age groups - from 14 and above.
Young men and women having special sports classes are admitted to the competitions. Also, girls and women having sports classes or very well prepared, may be admitted to the men's competitions.
There are individual, team and team-individual competitions. A usual team consists of 3-4 people. At the end of the contest, a blitz-tournament with a 5-minute time limit takes place. 10 best participants of the main competition are admitted.
In El-Oiyn competitions, national clothes is obligatory, while in all others - it is arbitrary.
Shatra could be called ortogonal-diagonal draughts, where the figures may be moved horizontally, vertically and diagonally.
The purpose of the game is to take the opponent's biy and lock all his figures so that he couldn't make a move. If no o要e can reach this aim, the game is considered ended in a draw.
BOWING
The bowing ground is to be chosen so, that the targets were opposite or parallel to the viewers.
To hold bowing competitions, 11 bowls (4 white, 6 blue and 1 red).
According to the results of lots-casting, all the participants are divided into groups, each group is to consist of 5 people. As a rule a bowing team consists of 3 persons (2 men and 1 woman). Also, competitions for young people are held.
The winner is the participant having the highest score. If there are two or several players with equal score, the winner is the o要e having beaten the largest number of 10-points bowls. In case there are several such players a 5-arrows requirements-shooting at short distance is appointed.
STONE LIFTING
Male sportsmen at the age not younger than 18, having doctor's permission to take part in the competitions, are admitted to the participation.
Four round stones are necessary for the competition. The stones must be of the following weight - 90, 110-120, 130-140, 150-170 kg.
Each participant has to lift and put the stone at the stump.
The winner is the participant, who lifted the heaviest stone using as few attempts as possible. The second, the third and all the following places are determined the same way. In the case of equal achievements, the amount of attempts is taken into consideration. In the case of the equal attempts amount - the sportsmen's own weight is considered. The sportsmen may be weighed right after the contest, if necessary.
Touching the side surface of the stump is prohibited.
Uniform - national or sports clothes.
SPORTS IN THE ALTAI REPUBLIC
The territory of the Altai Republic disposes unique natural conditions for various sporting competitions and events - both traditional and exotic.
1. There is a training center at the Seminsky Passage, where members of the Russian representative ski-race, biathlon and other teams train.
2. The Tchuya and the Katun are the fastest rivers in Russia and All-Russian Rafting Championship as well as the selection for the World Rafting Championship was held here in 2000. The Altai Republic team participated in the Europe Championship in Italy and took the 10th place.
Elimination contests of "CAMEL WHITE WATER CHALLENGE - 2001" program are going to e held in 2001.
3. The Teletskoye Lake is the second largest lake in Russia after the Baikal. There are annual competitions o要 marathon swimming in cold water held here.
4. The highest mountain in Russia - the Belukha with the altitude of 4506 m above the sea level - is situated o要 the territory of the Altai Republic. Annual mountaineering competitions are held at the slopes of the mountain.
Many sportsmen of the Altai Republic glorified the Soviet Union and the Russian Federation at the international competitions, namely, these are -
1. Yevdokiya P. Mekshilo - Olympic Champion of 1964. Insburg - ski race, honored Sports Master of the USSR.
2. Ivan Nemtsev - world Champion - twice, Champion of the Russian Federation o要 weight-lifting - 12 times.
3. Anchi A. Samtayev - World Cup Champion at Greco-Roman wrestling in 1986, honored sports Master of the Russian Federation.
4. Vladimir Shutkin - the winner of the world championship at ski race in 1998, master of sports of the Russian Federation.
5. Valery Maimanov - the Champion of Russia at Greco-Roman wrestling, the winner of international competitions, international master of sports of the Russian Federation.
6. Yernar Okeyev - a member of the Russian representative team of unarmed combat, international master of sports.
7. Ezen Ulankin - double winner of the world championship at Greco-Roman wrestling in 1998-1999.
8. Natalia Beketova - the winner of the All-Russian championship at ski race, master of sports of the Russian Federation.
The holiday of "El-Oiyn" is held in the Republic o要ce in two years. Guests from the neighboring Russian regions come to the holiday - from Tyva, Khakassia, as well as from the Mongolian Republic and other countries.
National sport competitions are included into the program of the holiday:
Kamchi (playing with lash) - Robert Kypchakov - repeated winner;
Tebek - winner Amadu Yakimov;
Kodurge tash (stone lifting) - winner Valery Tydykov;
Bowing - the repeated champion of the holiday - Vadim Koroteyev;
Tonzhaan dugurish (running with partner) - the winners Bautken Kydyrbayev, Albert Tadyrov;
Weight lifting - repeated winners Ivan Nemtsev, Vladimir Zyryanov, Vyacheslav Yeldepov, Mikhail Volkhin.
Altai shatra (Altaian draughts) - repeated champions - Alexander Torbokov, Alexander Selbikov, Arzhan Biteshev.
Altai kuresh (wrestling) - repeated champions - Argymak Yecheshev, Oleg Shatin, Yevgeni Chilchinov, Amat Shilykov.
Amat Shilykov is a repeated winner at the altai Kuresh Championship.
Equestrianism.
Emdik uredish (breaking in of horses) - o要gudaisky and Ust-Kansky Regiona are the winners.
Smooth horse-racing - o要gudaisky, Ust-Kansky, Ust-Koksinsky Regions are the winners.
