#WrestlePlovdiv

Live Blog: U23 European Championships Day 5

Friday, March 11, 2022 - 08:44 By Vinay Siwach

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PLOVDIV, Bulgaria (March 11) -- The U23 European Championships move to day five with freestyle action in five weight classes. The wrestlers from 57kg, 65kg, 70kg, 79kg and 97kg will try to reach the semifinals later tonight. Senior World bronze medalist Horst LEHR (GER) is also in the mix.

MATCH ORDER | LIVE STREAM

1320: We finish the session with an incredible comeback from Ivailo TISOV (BUL) against Demin LIUTCANOV (MDA). He was down 8-2 and then 14-8 but secures a fall to move into the semifinals at 57kg.

1310: Senior World bronze medalist Horst LEHR (GER) was trailing 2-0 until the final minute but blasted a double leg attack and secured the fall

1245: Nicolai GRAHMEZ (MDA) looks unstoppable today. He has his second fall of the day he moves into the 70kg semifinals

1240: What a bout we had. Bayramov and Alaca put on a show for the fans. Bayramov began with a four-point double and then laced two times to lead 9-1. But Alaca scripted a comeback to be 11-8 but Bayramov stayed composed to win it.

1210: Returning silver medalist Nicolai GRAHMEZ (MDA) with a fall in 21 seconds over Roland BIRO (HUN) at 70kg

1200: Georgios KOUGIOUMTSIDIS (GRE) with a fall over Abdulvasi BALTA (TUR). The two were involved in a tough battle but the Greece wrestler with a big four-pointer to lead 13-3 but secured the fall

1145: Junior Worlds silver medalist Ziraddin BAYRAMOV (AZE) begins with a big 12-1 win over Stilyan ILIEV (BUL)

1143: Ugrelidze with a small comeback as he cuts Alaca's lead to 8-4. There is still a minute to go in the bout. Can the Georgian cause an upset? He can't. Alaca wins 8-5.

1130: Cadet world champion Hamza ALACA (TUR) is now on Mat A against Gia UGRELIDZE (GEO). He starts with a takedown and then two leg laces to make it 5-0. A duck under for two more. 

1115: Welcome to day five of the U23 European Championships in Plovdiv. We will have Hrachya MARGARYAN (ARM) beginning against Dominik LARITZ (SUI) on Mat A 

#development

South Africa completes phase one of UWW DNSS Program

Monday, November 17, 2025 - 08:24 By United World Wrestling Press

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PRETORIA, South Africa (November 17) --  The South African Wrestling Federation successfully completed the first phase of the United World Wrestling National Development and Support Strategy (DNSS) from October 17 to 26.

Under the supervision of Vincent AKA, UWW International Development Officer for Africa, and the coordination of Markus DEKKER, member of the SAWF Coaches Council, a nationwide development mission was undertaken. The UWW-SAWF team visited provincial associations, conducting technical assessments, talent identification sessions, and workshops for coaches.

South Africa

Using the UWW National Federation Assessment Tool (NFAT), the mission provided a detailed overview of the current state of wrestling in South Africa -- from grassroots participation to elite athlete preparation.

The tour covered major provinces including Western Cape, Eastern Province, Free State, Northern Cape, Gauteng North, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, and North West, engaging hundreds of athletes, coaches, and local administrators.

The assessment revealed strong technical potential among the U15 and U17 categories, as well as a growing passion for wrestling across communities and schools.

The mission also identified the need for stronger governance structures and more consistent communication between SAWF, provinces, and clubs to unify efforts under a national development plan.

Both teams will continue to work towards second phase of the program which will include establishing two regional pilot centers [Pretoria and Western Cape] to act as training and coordination hubs, launch a "School Integration" program linking PE teachers, schools, and wrestling clubs, developing a national athlete database to monitor and support emerging talents.

It will also aim to organize governance and compliance workshops to reinforce management capacity, implementing UWW coaching courses nationwide, forming a National Technical Committee to coordinate DNSS implementation and introducing measurable evaluation indicators to ensure accountability and progress tracking.