[Press Release] Tanzania UNESCO Representative List Ssireum (Northern Style) Championship Ends in Co-Championship… Opening a New Horizon for Global Cultural Exchange

(Reporter Kim Min-jung) Marking International Youth Day on August 12 in Tanzania, the cultural hub of East Africa, the International Northern Ssireum Federation Championship captured joint victory amidst enthusiastic cheers from local youth.

This tournament was held to promote the value of Korea's historic Northern-style Ssireum to the world and to strengthen cultural ties with international youth. In particular, as representatives from various countries and local trainees competed from the preliminary rounds to the finals, unexpectedly close matches continued, resulting in a record of co-champions.

Cultural solidarity and harmony through traditional martial arts

An official from the Tanzania Culture Headquarters commented on the championship, saying, ”Beyond simply winning or losing, it was a venue for sharing the spiritual values of traditional martial arts that connect the Silk Road cultural sphere and Africa.” They added, “In particular, it served as an opportunity for local youth to experience the value of tradition firsthand and gain pride as global champions.”.

Benadeta Benard, Head Coach of the Tanzania Northern Wrestling National Team

Commemorating the competition, the local leaders who participated presented championship certificates, linked with the official certification system of the International Northern Style Wrestling Federation (INSF), to the youth of their organizations.

This is evaluated as having laid the foundation for a sustainable global traditional martial arts successor training system, rather than just a simple one-off event.

Future Outlook and Global Archiving

The Tanzania Cultural Centre is reported as a best practice at the festival hosted by the International Northern Wrestling Federation to commemorate UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Day (October 17).

Starting with the news of the co-championship at this Tanzania Championship, the Korea Culture Journal plans to report in a series of continuous special features on the vivid scenes of a global traditional martial arts network spanning Asia, Africa, and Europe.

The detailed records of this tournament, the list of co-winners, and the digital certification information of the local practitioners will be permanently preserved worldwide through the official archive and digital registry of the International Northern-Style Ssireum Federation.

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