COVID-19

IOC Refugee Scholarship Holders Oboadi, Alwad in Training Videos

By United World Wrestling Press

CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY (May 1) -- IOC Refugee Scholarship recipient and Greco-Roman wrestler Aker Al OBOADI shared a video of himself training during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Oboadi who left his home in Iraq for Austria, is preparing for the opportunity to qualify for the Olympic Games in Tokyo set to start July 23, 2021.


AL OBOADI and Ali ALAWAD, originally from Syria, are the first two wrestlers in the history of our sport to wear the UWW flag at the continental and world competitions. Thanks to the initiative of the IOC and National Olympic Committees of  Austria and Egypt, wrestling refugees are entitled to take part in the sport and pursue their Olympic dream. Both athletes plan to compete in their respective continental qualifiers in 2021, and if necessary, the "Last Chance" Olympic qualifier.

Stay tuned to United World Wrestling for more news, highlights, and updates.

#OffTheMat

How is Amir related to Hassan and Reza Yazdani?

By Eric Olanowski

COSIER-VEVEY, Switzerland (April 29) --- The wrestling world fell in love with Amirmohammad YAZDANI (IRI) and his massive smile after his run to the 2021 world finals. He’s a guy who understands the entertainment aspect of the sport. His post-match celebrations command the attention of the entire arena, which has led to the young Iranian becoming one of the most talked-about freestyle wrestlers in the world.

Yazdani showed his appreciation for his worldwide fan base by sitting down with United World Wrestling and answering the questions you asked. He talked about sharing the Yazdani last name with legends Reza and Hassan, what he’s afraid of, his favorite food and much more.