The official recognition of this sport opens up additional opportunities, including federal funding, awarding categories and titles to athletes, opening Teikev classes at sports schools and training coaches. A commission of the Russian Ministry of Sports decided to include Chukotka’s national wrestling technique in the All-Russian Sports Register, as per the press service of the Government of the Chukotka Autonomous Area. 

“This serves to recognize Chukotka’s sports traditions and provides opportunities for development; our young people will start receiving official categories and will be additionally motivated to train and win. Teikev should become the visiting-card of our region,” Governor of the Chukotka Autonomous Area, Vladislav Kuznetsov, noted.

Official recognition was preceded by large-scale work to draw up documents and regulations throughout 2025. Specialists updated, standardized and approved Teikev rules. Amendments mostly deal with refereeing, specifically, clear criteria for judging athletes’ performance and penalties for specific holds and throws. The project involved coaches, representatives of the area’s Physical Fitness and Sports Department, the Association of Small Indigenous Small-Numbered Peoples of Chukotka and the Council of Elders.     

During each bout, the contenders strip down to the waist and rub their bodies with snow until they are steaming hot. After that, they rush each other, trying to throw the rival on their back. These wrestling competitions involve both men and women; some districts have female type of wrestling when the participants kneel and try to grab each other.