Obituary

Magomed Aliomarov, Leader in Development of Women's Wrestling, Dies at 67

Wednesday, May 13, 2020 - 17:00 By United World Wrestling Press

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MAKHACHKALA, Russia (May 13) -- Magomed ALIOMAROV, head coach of Russia's resurgent women's wrestling program, died Wednesday after a brief battle with COVID-19. He was 67.

Born in the small village of Tlyarosh, Dagestan, Aliomarov began wrestling as a child. After his competitive years, Aliomarov worked as a club coach in Dagestan from 1978-1992 before taking an administrative role as vice-president of the Azerbaijan Wrestling federation from 2008 to 2017. That nation saw great success during Aliomarov's tenure including a 2009 World Championship team title in women's wrestling. In 2011 Aliomarov became the head coach of Azerbaijan Women's Wrestling team, where he remained until 2015.

The Russian Federation hired Aliomarov back in February 2019 to lead its women's program. The move created instant results with Russia earning the team title at the 2020 European Championships in Rome and runner-up honors at the 2019 World Championships in Nur-Sultan. The successes made Aliomarov and the Russian Wrestling Federation hopeful for the future of the women's program.
 
"I have no words. He was such an energetic person who had so many plans. Our women's team followed him, and that lead to very good results," said Mikhail Mamiashvili, President of Russian Wrestling Federation. "Our deepest condolences to the relatives and friends of Magomed Aliomarovich and the entire wrestling community."

Known to be a fierce advocate for his athletes, Aliomarov was widely respected by opposing coaches, while also enjoying the admiration of his athletes.

"It's difficult to believe," said Inna Trazhukova, who won a world championship in Nur-Sultan. "His death is a great loss for our team. He believed in me before the 2019 World Championships and I got the best result in my whole sports career."

"We had the great plans for Olympic Games and I'm very sad that they wouldn't come true."

United World Wrestling president Nenad LALOVIC also sent his condolences to the Russian Wrestling Federation and the families and friends of Aliomarov.

"We are very saddened by the news. The death of Aliomarov is a big loss for the sport and our community."

#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.