Development

Level II Course for Coaches and Referees in Guatemala

Thursday, December 30, 2021 - 16:28 By United World Wrestling Press

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GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala (December 30) -- 15 coaches and 5 referees from different departments from Guatemala participated in the UWW Course for Coaches and Referees Level II from the 7th to 13th December 2021 in the Guatemala National Wrestling Training Center. This course was organized by the National Federation of Guatemala, United World Wrestling Development Department, and the National Olympic Committee of Guatemala with the support of Olympic Solidarity.

UWW certified educators Abraham GALVA (PUR) for referees and Pedro ROJAS (PUR) for coaches.

The course was focused on the updating of new regulatory changes and at the same time in which they learned about teaching methodology and planification of sports training.

GUA

Group discussions were realized and experiences from other coaches were presented about topics related to methods and processes about sports training by age and stages. During every session, participants including coaches and referees showed a great level of commitment.

Recently retired athlete and current National Coach Christian Jose MOX ARIAS said “I’m very excited to have this kind of workshop in my country. This will help me to develop my skills as a coach and I can’t wait to give my students all the new knowledge.”

After the course, at the closing ceremony were present Francisco LEE LOPEZ, President UWWA, the President of the Guatemala Federation Ramón Francisco GONZÁLEZ PINEDA, and members from the National Olympic Committee of Guatemala awarding the participant with the participation certificates.

UWW Lifts Restrictions on Belarus, Russia Wrestlers

Friday, May 15, 2026 - 03:02 By United World Wrestling Press

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CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (May 15) -- United World Wrestling will allow Belarusian and Russian wrestlers to compete without restrictions at upcoming UWW competitions with immediate effect.

Under the updated participation guidelines, wrestlers from Belarus and Russia will compete under their respective national flags at all age-group levels, including senior. Athlete and staff uniforms may now bear the country initials “RUS” and “BLR,” while the national anthems of both countries will be played during medal ceremonies at UWW events if their wrestlers win gold medals or a team wins a championship.

All other standard UWW competition protocols will remain in effect in accordance with international wrestling rules.

In January, UWW had approved the participation of all wrestlers from the two countries up to the U23 age-group level under their respective national flags following an IOC recommendation that youth athletes holding Belarusian or Russian passports should no longer face restrictions on participation in sports events, including team competitions.

UWW first issued a statement on the geopolitical situation surrounding Ukraine in March 2022 and aligned with measures recommended by the IOC. At the time, UWW decided that wrestlers and officials belonging to affiliated and associated federations in Belarus and Russia would not be invited or allowed to participate in international competitions on the UWW calendar.

In April 2023, UWW formed an independent panel to verify the eligibility of wrestlers from Belarus and Russia based on the IOC’s recommended conditions of participation. At the same time, UWW approved wrestlers in the U15 and U17 age categories to compete as neutral athletes in international competitions.

UWW issued another update to the eligibility criteria for Belarusian and Russian wrestlers in September 2024. In February 2025, UWW announced that all eligible wrestlers from Belarus and Russia would compete under the UWW flag, removing the “Individual Neutral Athletes” designation. However, UWW did not authorize the use of national anthems or references to the flags, symbols, or coats of arms of Belarus and Russia.