#WrestleBelgrade

Live Blog, U23 World Championships Day 4: WW 53kg, 57kg, 62kg, 65kg, 72kg

Thursday, November 4, 2021 - 08:59 By Vinay Siwach

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BELGRADE, Serbia (November 4) -- Day four of the U23 World Championships and we are continuing with women's wrestling as five more weight classes are in action. Wrestlers from 53kg, 57kg, 62kg, 65kg and 72kg will try to reach the semifinal at the end of the day.

WATCH LIVE | MATCH ORDER

1315: Excellent session of women's wrestling at the U23 World Championships. All five Ukraine wrestlers reach the semifinals. Russia has 3 while Turkey and Italy have 2 each. Eight other nationals have one wrestler each

1310: Alina AKOBIIA (UKR) lives up to the billing at 57kg. She pins NITIKA (IND) and enters the semifinal. She looks unstoppable here in Belgrade

1255: Othelie HOEIE (NOR) is heading to the semifinal at 57kg. She secures a victory via fall over Elvira KAMALOGLU (TUR). The Norway camp is ecstatic

1240: Nigeria brought one competitor for the women's part of the U23 Worlds and she has reached the semifinal. Esther KOLAWOLE (NGR) gives no chance to Amanda MARTINEZ (USA) and wins 11-0 at 57kg

1230: What a start for Euro U23 silver Zeynep YETGIL (TUR). She reaches the 53kg semifinals with a pin in the first period. She is looking for a second medal at the U23 Worlds after a bronze in the last edition.

1215: Aurora CAMPAGNA (ITA) marches on! She beats Emma BRUNTIL (USA) with technical superiority and reaches the semifinal here in the U23 Worlds.

1150: Alina AKOBIIA (UKR) could not have started on a better note. A huge pin to begin with against Hannah TAYLOR (CAN). She makes it look so easy

1125: A couple of upsets early here. Two-time Asian champion Divya KAKRAN (IND) falls 4-13 against Anastasiya ALPYEYEVA (UKR). She could never get her double leg attack used to get the fall. On Mat B, unheralded Kendra DACHER (FRA) beats junior world silver Lilly SCHNEIDER with technical superiority. Great technique from Dacher to block and counter Schneider

1100: Big wins for Bruntil and Paulava. On Mat B, Aurora CAMPAGNA (ITA) pins Zineb HASSOUNE (MAR) who looks in pain after that bout. Nice gesture from Campagna to check on her opponent after the win

1045: We kick off proceedings of the qualification round with Emma BRUNTIL (USA) taking on Yagmur CAKMAK (TUR). Big bout on Mat A as Tatsiana PAULAVA (BLR) takes on Ameline DOUARRE (FRA)

1030: Welcome to day four of the U23 World Championships from the Belexpocentar in Belgrade. It's a windy day here in the Serbian capital but the mats have been sanitized, the wrestlers have warmed up and we are ready for action

#development

South Africa Advances National Wrestling System with DNSS Phase 2

Thursday, April 9, 2026 - 07:25 By United World Wrestling Press

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PRETORIA, South Africa (April 8) -- South Africa has reached a decisive milestone in its long-term wrestling development strategy with the successful implementation of Phase 2 of the Development of National Sport System (DNSS) programme, delivered in collaboration with United World Wrestling (UWW) and supported by Olympic Solidarity.

Following the diagnostic and mapping phase conducted earlier, Phase 2 marks a clear transition from analysis to structured implementation, laying the foundation for a sustainable and internationally aligned wrestling system.

Led by UWW Development Officer Vincent AKA, in close cooperation with the South African Wrestling Federation (SAWF), the National Head Coach, Markus DEKKER and Provincial Coordinators, the programme was deployed across multiple provinces through a structured 10-day intervention from March 2 to 13. 

Activities were conducted in key locations including:

· LPWA (Ion Bachu)
· CGWA (Ruiter)
· NGWA (Menlo Park Hall)
· Frank Joubert Tournament (Menlo Park Hall)

This nationwide approach ensured direct engagement with provincial structures, strengthening alignment between national leadership and local associations while promoting inclusive development across the country.

From Talent Identification to System Building

Unlike traditional training camps, DNSS Phase 2 focused on identifying talent and building long-term development systems. Wrestlers and coaches from all age categories -- U13, U15, U17, U20, and Senior -- were actively involved, ensuring a complete pathway approach.

Provincial visits and stakeholder meetings played a key role in assessing facilities and operational structures, strengthening coordination between SAWF and provinces, and identifying emerging wrestlers.

Building Athlete Pipeline

A training camp for different provinces brought together wrestler to consolidate talent identified during Phase 1 and introduce standardized training methodologies.

The training camp included technical sessions, physical conditioning, match simulations and wrestling. The initiative contributed to the creation of an updated national prospect and the foundation of a structured athlete monitoring system.

South Africa

Beach Wrestling Gains Momentum

As part of the DNSS activities, a Beach Wrestling training session in Roodepoort highlighted the programme’s expanding impact.

During the visit, Aka led a specialized session, sharing advanced technical insights adapted to beach wrestling. It included stance and balance adjustments, grip and control techniques, and movement adaptation on sand.

The training programme comes at a crucial time, as South African athletes prepare for African Beach Wrestling Championships in Alexandria, Egypt and other international tournaments.