Turkish wrestler Cengizhan Şimşek defeated his rival Mustafa Taş to claim the new chief wrestler crown at the 661st Historical Kırkpınar Oil Wrestling Festival on Sunday.
First-time champion Şimşek, introduced as a "charismatic chief wrestler," was the surprise package at this year's festival.
He beat favorites like Menderes Saltık, Orhan Okul, Tanju Gemici and İsmail Balaban on his way to the final.
His opponent Taş, who earned the title of "youngest chief wrestler," was equally matched, beating Salih Dorum, Faruk Akkoyun, Osman Aynur, Hüseyin Gümüşalan and Ertuğrul Dağdeviren, in the earlier stages.
Both players were given an emphatic welcome by the crowd when the announcer called their names for the final bout.
The finalists responded to the crowd and performed peşrev, a traditional prematch choreography done by oil wrestlers.
Both wrestlers began the match cautiously, weighing each other's strengths and looking for potential weaknesses.
Despite attacks and counterattacks, they couldn't get the better of each other for over 40 mins and the match went into a point count, with each wrestler earning points for different moves.
Şimşek eventually caught Taş off-guard in the 59th minute to win the competition to claim Turkey's chief wrestler title for the first time.
Earlier, a large Turkish flag was unfurled to celebrate the occasion at the Sarayiçi Er Square, the main venue for the historical Kırkpınar Oil Wrestling.
The 30-square meter (322-square feet) flag was carried by referees, announcers and the wresters.
Sports Minister Mehmet Kasapoğlu, Edirne Governor H. Kürşat Kırbıyık, Deputy Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey and the CHP (Republican People's Party) Kocaeli Deputy Haydar Akar, Edirne Mayor Recep Gürkan, Youth and Sports Ministry's Sports Services General Manager Mehmet Baykan, Turkish Wrestling Federation President Şeref Eroğlu and other dignitaries were present at the final.
The world’s longest-running sports competition and a UNESCO intangible cultural heritage, the 661st Historic Kırkpınar Oil Wrestling championship began in Turkey’s northwesternmost city Edirne on July 1.
