What are the weight categories in kurash, and how long is a bout?
I · Intermediate · The bout · 1 of 4Senior men fight in eight weight categories, from 60 kg to over 120 kg, and senior women in eight, from 48 kg to over 87 kg. A senior men's bout lasts four minutes and a senior women's bout three. The clock counts only fighting time, so it stops whenever the referee stops the bout.
How it works
- Senior men: 60, 66, 73, 81, 90, 100, 120 and over 120 kg.
- Senior women: 48, 52, 57, 63, 70, 78, 87 and over 87 kg.
- Juniors (16 and 17) and cadets (14 and 15): their own lighter categories.
- Children and veterans: their own groups and categories.
- Men's bouts: four minutes from 16 to 35 years. Three minutes from 11 to 16 and from 35 to 56. Two minutes below 11 and from 56.
- Women's bouts: three minutes from 16 to 35 years. Two minutes below 16 and from 35.
- Pure time: the clock stops when the bout is stopped.
- One category: an athlete competes in one weight category only.
- Absolute weight: an open category with no weight limit, which an athlete may also enter with the chief referee's permission.
The glossary has the weight categories, the age groups, the absolute weight, the bout, the chief referee and the knock-out system.
Tricky cases
Is a four-minute bout over four minutes after it starts?
No. Only fighting time counts. The clock stops for each score, penalty and treatment, so a bout takes longer.
Can an 81 kg athlete also enter the 90 kg category?
No. An athlete in one weight category may not compete in another. The absolute category is the exception, with the chief referee's permission.
Can a 17-year-old fight in the senior event?
Yes, with the chief referee's permission. Youths of 16 and 17 may take part in adult competitions.
Are these the categories used at the Asian Games?
Not necessarily. The list here is the federation's own, published for 2026. A multi-sport games picks its own events from them, and those lists are not saved.
Why the rule exists
Weight decides a great deal in a sport of lifting and throwing, so athletes are matched by size. The absolute category keeps the older tradition of finding the strongest wrestler of all. Shorter bouts for the young and the old limit fatigue, which is when injuries happen.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Senior men | Eight categories; four-minute bouts | IKA Rules 23.1; 24.1 |
| Senior women | Eight categories; three-minute bouts | IKA Rules 23.2; 24.2 |
| Men aged 35 to 56 | Three minutes | IKA Rules 24.1 |
| Children under 11 | Two minutes | IKA Rules 24 |
| Absolute weight | No limit; by permission | IKA Rules 23.3; 25.3 |
From the rule book
International Kurash Association, International rules of organization and holding of Kurash competitions (web page, adopted 1998, categories for 2026), sections 2, 23, 24 and 25. Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: the federation's competition rules (saved as a web page only).