Beach wrestling

Beach Wrestling World Championships Set for Turkey October 6th-7th

By United World Wrestling Press

CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (August 17) – The Beach Wrestling World Championships are headed back to Turkey in 2018 with the coastal city of Mugla welcoming wrestlers from around the world for the two-day event.

The Turkish Wrestling Federation held the 2017 Beach Wrestling World Championships last October in Dalyan.

The championships will also be part of the qualification process for athletes competing in the 2019 World Beach Games, a quadrennial sporting event held next summer in San Diego. The Beach Games are managed by the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC), an important partner to wrestling inside the Olympic movement.

There will be additional qualification events held between now and April 2019 which will impact the final athlete rankings and the ten athletes per weight category who will be qualified. Note that a maximum of one athlete per national Olympic committee, per weight category allowed to be qualified.

The Turkish Wrestling requests that any interested national federations send their entry forms immediately as the Republic of Turkey may require extra time to process paperwork. Interested federations must also contact their nearest Turkish embassy or consulate and work with the Turkish Wrestling Federation to a letter of support for the visa process. 

#development

Road to Dakar 2026 Continues with Successful Central Africa Programme in Brazzaville

By United World Wrestling Press

BRAZZAVILLE, Republic of Congo (June 21) -- The second stop of the United World Wrestling (UWW) Africa Regional Educational Development Programme, Road to Dakar 2026, concluded successfully in Brazzaville after a week combining athlete preparation, education, technical development and competition in Olympic and Beach Wrestling.

Held from June 8 to 14 in the Republic of Congo, the Central Africa phase brought together National Olympic Committees and National Federations from across the region under a unified objective: strengthening wrestling ecosystems and creating more accessible pathways toward the Youth Olympic Games Dakar 2026.

As the second of four regional tournaments scheduled within the continental Road to Dakar programme, the event represented another important milestone on the road to the first Olympic event to be hosted on African soil.

Africa REDT

The UWW Africa Regional Educational Development Programme was designed as a comprehensive and sustainable model that extends beyond competition. The initiative combines athlete development camps, coach and referee education, and practical competition opportunities.

By decentralising activities across regions and consolidating training and competition into one structure, the programme aims to reduce financial barriers for national federations and increase opportunities for athletes and technical officials.

Throughout the week, athletes participated in intensive daily training sessions, as coaches attended the UWW Technical Course - Level 2, focused on improving technical knowledge, athlete development methodologies and long-term performance planning.

Africa REDT

Simultaneously, referees took part in dedicated education sessions covering Beach Wrestling and introductory officiating pathways, preparing them for selection to undertake the International Category III referee examination in the future.

The programme concluded with the Regional Tournament, followed by the Beach Wrestling Regional Tournament, giving participants the opportunity to apply lessons learned during the educational phase directly into competition conditions.

The programme specifically prioritised youth development, with participating athletes largely drawn from the U17 age group and encouraging the involvement of emerging coaches across Central Africa. Support mechanisms jointly delivered by UWW and Olympic Solidarity helped facilitate participation through travel, accommodation, training access and tournament organisation.

Africa REDT

More than just a standalone event, Brazzaville demonstrated the long-term vision behind Road to Dakar 2026 by building stronger national structures, expanding participation and creating sustainable development opportunities well before the final qualification stages for the Youth Olympic Games.