Obituary, #UnitedWorldWrestling

Former UWW Sec Gen Dusson passes away

Thursday, May 29, 2025 - 16:28 By United World Wrestling Press

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CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (May 29) -- Former United World Wrestling General Secretary and Hall of Fame member Michel DUSSON passed away Thursday aged 90 years.

Dusson served wrestling for close to 65 years in different positions including being a referee, President of Federation Francaise de Lutte and Secretary General of UWW from 1982 to 2022.

UWW President expressed his condolences on the demise of Dusson and thanked him for his service to wrestling.

"Dusson was a true steward of the sport of wrestling," Lalovic said. "He dedicated his life to it and served across many eras. We are forever indebted to his unwavering commitment and lifelong dedication to wrestling."

Before being appointed the Secretary General in 1982, Dusson was the Bureau member of UWW (then FILA) from 1980. He began his referee career in 1959 and remained one till 1980, officiating the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal.

He also served as the member of the French Olympic Committee for 12 years besides being appointed as the CAS Arbitrator from 1984 to 1992.

While he made numerous contribution to grow and improve wrestling over the years, Dusson played a major role in bringing Women's Wrestling to the Olympic program.

In 2018, he was inducted into the UWW Hall of Fame at a ceremony on the eve of the World Championships in Budapest, Hungary.

UWW expresses its condolences to the Dusson family.

#development

ASDEC Chair Niamkey Leads Workshop on Sports Development

Monday, May 11, 2026 - 07:14 By United World Wrestling Press

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LAUSANNE, Switzerland (May 9) -- Collaboration, innovation and open exchange was at the heart of a two-day workshop, organised by the ASOIF Sport Development and Education Commission (ASDEC) on May 5 and 6 in Lausanne, Switzerland. The meeting brought together more than 60 participants from 30 International Federations (IFs) for two days of peer exchange and practical discussion on key issues shaping the future of sport development.

Held in a collaborative and informal setting, the workshop focused on topics including coach development, officiating, National Federation support, and the evolving delivery of sport development programme.

During the workshop, Olympic Solidarity hosted roundtable discussions giving participants an opportunity to exchange feedback, ideas and perspectives on existing programmes and future collaboration opportunities.

Participant feedback strongly highlighted the value of the workshop as a trusted environment for open discussion, practical learning and networking across International Federations. Many participants - particularly first-time attendees, but also experienced delegates who had attended numerous workshops - emphasised the importance of having a collaborative and non-political space in which to share challenges, ideas and experiences openly.

ASDEC Chair Deqa NIAMKEY, Development Director at United World Wrestling, highlighted after the workshop:

"The ASDEC Workshop 2026 was a great success, offering International Federations a wide range of relevant topics, including updates on the current trends and landscape of sports business industry, participation programmes, and strategies for entering new markets," Niamkey said.

"The workshop also fostered meaningful discussions with key partners focused on the development and growth of our sports. It continues to serve as an important platform for networking, exchanging ideas, sharing best practices, and transferring knowledge, all in line with ASOIF’s broader good governance strategy."

The workshop concept is fully aligned with the third strategic pillar of the ASOIF Strategy 2026–2032, which focuses, among other priorities, on developing and modernising platforms for shared learning and adding value by addressing member priorities and sector developments.

Read More: From AI to Officiating, ASOIF Workshop Explores Future of Sport Development