#WrestleAlexandria

African & Oceania OG Qualifier 2024 Entry List

By United World Wrestling Press

ALEXANDRIA, Egypt (March 17) -- The second continental qualifier for the Paris Olympic Games will be held in Alexandria, Egypt. The African and Oceania OG Qualifiers will see 192 wrestlers from 33 countries competing to earn the 36 quotas for the Paris Games.

Beginning on March 22 with Greco-Roman, the tournament will offer the quotas to the winners of the semifinals in each of the six Olympic weight classes. Women's Wrestling will be held on March 23 and Freestyle on March 24.

The African and Oceania OG Qualifiers can be watched live on uww.org or the UWW App. Subscribe to UWW+ to get unlimited access.

Freestyle

57kg
Abdelhak KHERBACHE (ALG)
Roland TAMBI NFORSONG (CMR)
Alexander BUCKMAN (CPV)
Gamal MOHAMED (EGY)
Diamantino IUNA FAFE (GBS)
Thomas SANTIAGO (GUM)
Ben TARIK (MAR)
Younes LACHGAR (MAR)
Enozunimi SIMEON (NGR)
Daroa OLSSON (NRU)
Suraj SINGH (NZL)
Mika LEHMKUEHL (RSA)
Omar FAYE (SEN)
Ibrahim BUNDUKA (SLE)
KHALIL BARKOUTI (TUN)

65kg
Chouaib SAHRAOUI (ALG)
Manaceu NGONDA (ANG)
Georgii OKOROKOV (AUS)
Samuel DOHYA KALE (CMR)
Anthony WESLEY (CPV)
Omar MOURAD (EGY)
Junjun ASEBIAS (FSM)
Gibriel CHOW (GAM)
Wotna NDOC (GBS)
Thierno DIALLO (GUI)
Ethan AGUIGUI (GUM)
Otmane EL BAHJA (MAR)
Stephen IZOLO (NGR)
Lowe BINGHAM (NRU)
Cole HAWKINS (NZL)
Cristian NICOLESCU (PLW)
Gaku AKAZAWA (SAM)
Sylvio DIATTA (SEN)
Sahid KARGBO (SLE)
Farouk JELASSI (TUN)

74kg
Abdelkader IKKAL (ALG)
Francisco KADIMA (ANG)
Ethan THOMAS (AUS)
Israel NIYONKURU (BDI)
Baki TCHANI (BEN)
Jacques MONTY MBOUGOU (CMR)
Joao  BARBOSA VICENTE (CPV)
Amr REDA (EGY)
Bacar NDUM (GBS)
John ROJAS (GUM)
Mathayo MAHABILA (KEN)
Aime RAKOTONIAINA (MAD)
Rayanne ESSAIDI (MAR)
Oyeinkeperemo BRAVEMAN (NGR)
Linus VAN RENSBURG (RSA)
Mamadou DIOUF (SEN)
Khairiddine BEN TLILI (TUN)

86kg
Fateh BENFERDJALLAH (ALG)
Jayden Alexander LAWRENCE (AUS)
Cedric ABOSSOLO (CMR)
Matteo MONTEIRO FURTADO TRESSE (CPV)
Ahmed MAHMOUD (EGY)
Mohamed CAMARA (GUI)
Mark ONGUYESI (KEN)
Youssef AIT BOULAHRI (MAR)
Jean STE MARIE (MRI)
Harrison ONOVWIOMOGBOHWO (NGR)
Edward LESSING (RSA)
Siny SEMBENE (SEN)
Imed KADDIDI (TUN)

97kg
Wali KEBIR (ALG)
Thomas BARNS (AUS)
Franck ANABA (CMR)
Mostafa ELDERS (EGY)
Babacarr MBOGE (GAM)
Emmanuel OSEI SARFO (GHA)
Anas SAMIR (MAR)
Nicolaas DE LANGE (RSA)
Maulalo ALOFIPO (SAM)
Pape NDIAYE (SEN)
Mohamed SAADAOUI (TUN)

125kg
Hemza HALOUI (ALG)
Amoussou CAKPO (BEN)
Georges TCHADIE (CMR)
Diaaeldin ABDELMOTTALEB (EGY)
Issah FUSEINI (GHA)
Oussama ASSAD (MAR)
Ashton MUTUWA (NGR)
Marcus CARNEY (NZL)
Justin VAN ZYL (RSA)
Modou FAYE (SEN)
Hamza RAHMANI (TUN)

Abdelkarim FERGAT (ALG)Abdelkarim FERGAT (ALG) will be looking to earn a Paris spot for Algeria in GR 60kg. (Photo: UWW / Bayrem Ben Mrad)

Greco-Roman

60kg
Abdelkarim FERGAT (ALG)
Latuf MADI (COM)
Moamen MOHAMED (EGY)
Ismail ETTALIBI (MAR)
Romio GOLIATH (NAM)
Daroa OLSSON (NRU)
Given SIKHOSANA (RSA)
Ibrahim BUNDUKA (SLE)
Mohamed HKIRI (TUN)

67kg
Ishak GHAIOU (ALG)
Ando LEHTMETS (AUS)
Anthony WESLEY (CPV)
Mohamed ELSAYED (EGY)
Bilal EL BAHJA (MAR)
Lowe BINGHAM (NRU)
Cristian NICOLESCU (PLW)
Barend BADENHORST (RSA)
Gaku AKAZAWA (SAM)
Sahid KARGBO (SLE)
Souleymen NASR (TUN)

77kg
Abd OUAKALI (ALG)
Francisco KADIMA (ANG)
Sheng ZHANG (AUS)
Mahmoud ABDELRAHMAN (EGY)
Yassine CHEKLY (MAR)
Shafaihuuna BENHARD (NAM)
Dean VAN ZYL (RSA)
Sami SLAMA (TUN)

87kg
Bachir SID AZARA (ALG)
Roberto NSANGUA (ANG)
Mohamed METWALLY (EGY)
Wadii OUALAL (MAR)
Richard FERREIRA (RSA)
Hakim TRABELSI (TUN)

97kg
Fadi ROUABAH (ALG)
Mohamed GABR (EGY)
Wissam KOUAINSO (MAR)
Christiaan BURGER (RSA)
Maulalo ALOFIPO (SAM)
Mohamed MISSAOUI (TUN)

130kg
Hemza HALOUI (ALG)
Oussama ASSAD (MAR)
Marcus CARNEY (NZL)
Amine GUENNICHI (TUN)

Blessing OBORUDUDU (NGR)Tokyo Olympic silver medalist Blessing OBORUDUDU (NGR) will lead a strong Nigerian team for the qualifiers. (Photo: UWW / Amirreza Aliasgari)

Women’s Wrestling

50kg
Ibtissem DOUDOU (ALG)
Juliana VALENCIA VELEZ (AUS)
Rosine NTSA ASSOUGA (CMR)
Nada MOHAMED (EGY)
Debora TURE (GBS)
Paulina DUENAS (GUM)
Emma WANGILA (KEN)
Victorine RASOARIMALALA (MAD)
Mercy GENESIS (NGR)
Matilda KOKERA (RSA)
Nourhene HEDHLI (TUN)

53kg
Chahinez RABAH (ALG)
Mbuka CAROLINA (ANG)
Jessica LAVERS MCBAIN (AUS)
Nogona BAKAYOKO (CIV)
Miriam NGOE WASE (CMR)
Shaimaa MOHAMED (EGY)
Mia AQUINO (GUM)
Elisa RASOANANTENAINA NOMENJANAHARY (MAD)
Zineb ECH CHABKI (MAR)
Christianah OGUNSANYA (NGR)
Lobna ICHAOUI (TUN)

57kg
Chaimaa AOUISSI (ALG)
Irene SYMEONIDIS (AUS)
Natacha NABAINA (CMR)
Louji YASSIN (EGY)
Rckaela AQUINO (GUM)
Malala SOLONIAINA (MAD)
Zineb HASSOUNE (MAR)
Ester ABRAHAM (NAM)
Kara LE ROUX (RSA)
Faten HAMMAMI (TUN)

62kg
Mastoura SOUDANI (ALG)
Nachi MASUDA (AUS)
Gloria NIYONKURU (BDI)
Lec ANDE (CAF)
Grace ABONA NKOUMOUDIE (CMR)
Angelina RODRIGUES MIRANDA (CPV)
Gharam ASKAR (EGY)
Fatoumata CAMARA (GUI)
Laralei GANDAOLI (GUM)
Eunice MBURU (KEN)
Esther KOLAWOLE (NGR)
Minette KRUGER (RSA)
Siwar BOUSETA (TUN)

68kg
Kawiyatou ISSIFOU (BEN)
Blandine NGIRI (CMR)
Samah ABDELLATIF (EGY)
Blessing OBORUDUDU (NGR)
Tayla FORD (NZL)
Uilau TARKONG (PLW)
Bea MEIRING (RSA)
Patricia ELNOUR (SUD)
Khadija JLASSI (TUN)

76kg
Amy YOUIN (CIV)
Pelagie WILITA (CMR)
Arianna XAVIER (CPV)
Samar HAMZA (EGY)
Jemima NYARKO OFORI (GHA)
Hannah RUEBEN (NGR)
Patricia ELNOUR (SUD)
Zaineb SGHAIER (TUN)

#WrestleIstanbul

Turkiye hosts More Than Medals camp following U17 World Championships

By United World Wrestling Press

ISTANBUL, Turkiye (September 11) --- The More than Medals World 2023 was held in Istanbul, Turkiye from August 7th to 12th, 2023. Organized by the United World Wrestling Development Department and the Turkish Wrestling Federation, the program aimed to enhance the skills of young wrestlers from developing countries. To achieve this, the program provided the participants with top coaches and experts from around the world, who shared their knowledge and experience with them.

The program was a great success, with nearly 60 participants from 17 countries across Asia, America, Europe, and Africa attending. The participants included both athletes and coaches who stayed after the U17 World Championships with the goal of improving their skills and knowledge. During the program, they had the opportunity to attend training sessions where they learned new techniques and strategies. Additionally, an anti-doping workshop was held for the participants. This program demonstrates the power of sports to unite people and foster friendship and understanding among nations.

The participants were accommodated in the Pullman Istanbul Hotel & Convention Center, located in Yenibosna Merkez Mahallesi, Bahcelievler, Istanbul, Turkiye. All training sessions and activities were also held in this hotel. The UWW development team, led by Yuri MAIER (ARG) and Vincent AKA (FRA/CIV), was responsible for the project. Their extensive experience in organizing these types of events over the years made the process very smooth.

TURVincent AKA leads a training session at the 2023 More Than Medals camp in Istanbul. (Photo: United World Wrestling)

Vincent AKA was in charge of the organization of the training sessions. The coaches from the different nations present were invited to conduct their own training sessions, providing athletes with a diverse range of training styles and techniques to learn from. This not only allowed for a more comprehensive learning experience but also fostered a sense of unity and cross-cultural exchange among the participants. The training sessions were a great opportunity for these young athletes to expand their knowledge and skills and to form lasting connections with individuals from different parts of the world.

During the Istanbul city tour, athletes enjoyed a ferry ride that showcased the beautiful surroundings and explored the Asian side of Istanbul, the Golden Horn, and iconic landmarks like the Grand Bazaar and Sultanahmet. They also visited the impressive Hagia Sophia, which taught them about its rich history and cultural significance. Overall, the city tour provided a unique insight into Istanbul's culture and past.

The success of this program was partly due to the good relationship and affinity with the local federation. The Turkish Wrestling Federation was very collaborative and provided everything needed to have a great event. All the participants were satisfied with the development of the activities.

Year after year, More Than Medals continues to prove that it is an excellent resource for young wrestlers from developing countries. The program not only provides them with top coaching and training opportunities, but it also promotes cross-cultural exchange and understanding among nations. The success of the More than Medals World 2023 program is a testament to the power of sports to bring people together and promote friendship and understanding across borders.