#BeachWrestlingWorldSeries

Mat Medalists Come to Rio for Beach Wrestling's Second Stop

By Tim Foley

RIO DE JANEIRO (May 10) -- With the shadow of Caricoa 2 looming over the beach wrestling circle at Olympic Park in Barra de Tijuca, world silver medalist Aline DA SILVA FERREIRA (BRA) and 2012 Olympic bronze medalist Dato MARSAGISHVILI (GEO) are preparing to compete in the second stop of United World Wrestling's Beach Wrestling World Series (BWWS).

Silva, a local hero since parlaying her 2014 silver medal in freestyle wrestling into a number of charitable acts in her home country, comes into the tournament hopeful she can earn enough points to qualify for the 2019 ANOC World Beach Games in San Diego this October.


'I want to represent my country. well," said Silva. 'This is going to be a lot of fun!"

For Marsagishvili the aim seems to be even simpler: to have fun wrestling. One of the world's best 86kg wrestlers, Marsagishvili travels to Rio on the heels of winning the BWWS first top in Chaves, Portugal. The quick-smiling Georgian not only took home the 1000 CHF prize for winning his weight category, but another 1000 CHF for winning the event's Move of the Tournament.

"The environment is so enjoyable at beach wrestling," Marsagishvili said at the time. "I look forward to these competitions and wrestling my best."

Marsagishvili will have a tougher tournament in Rio than he did in Chaves, facing off against two-time defending beach wrestling world champion Muhammed INAM of Pakistan. Inam won last year's world championships in deciding fashion and is looking to make it a three-peat later this year in Zagreb, Croatia at the world championships. 

Also joining the field is Reece Humphrey, a celebrated former member of the USA National Team in freestyle. His upperbody techniques and high-energy are sure to play well with tomorrow's crowds.

Wrestling action start at 2pm local time with coverage on United World Wrestling and FloWrestling.org.

Entry Lists

Men's Beach Wrestling 

70kg
Panah ILYASLI (AZE)
Jerome Kamel HOYTE (BAR)
Joilson DE BRITO RAMOS JUNIOR (BRA)
Joao Victor DOS SANTOS SILVA (BRA)
Levan KELEKHSASHVILI (GEO)
Niko AROUZMANIDIS (GRE)
Inayat ULLAH (PAK)
Hugo Miguel DA SILVA PASSOS (POR)
Mehmet Emin OGUT (TUR)
Semen RADULOV (UKR)
Reece HUMPHREY (USA)

80kg
Ibrahim YUSUBOV (AZE)
Angelo Rafael MARQUES MOREIRA (BRA)
Marcelo Antonio CASTRO CUMSILLE (CHI)
Davit KHUTSISHVILI (GEO)
Georgios KOULOUCHIDIS (GRE)
Edmilson BRITO GOMES (POR)
Efe Sami UNAL (TUR)

90kg
Kanan ALIYEV (AZE)
Wanderson Messias DA SILVA LIMA (BRA)
Pedro Henrique DE OLIVEIRA E SILVA ROCHA (BRA)
Andre Luiz RAMOS PINTO (BRA)
Dato MARSAGISHVILI (GEO
Grigorios KRIARIDIS (GRE)
Christos SAMARTSIDIS (GRE)
Muhammad INAM (PAK)
Adao Rafael ANDRADE DA SILVA (POR)
Murat OZKAN (TUR)

+90kg
Oyan NAZARIANI (AZE)
Davi Jose ALBINO (BRA)
Guilherme EVANGELISTA DIAS (BRA)
Christopher HIPOLITO DE ALMEIDA (BRA)
Mamuka KORDZAIA (GEO)
Ioannis KARGIOTAKIS (GRE)

Women's Beach Wrestling

50kg
Claudia Soledad CABRERA (ARG)
Fernanda ASCENCIO PERES (BRA)
Kamila BARBOSA VITO DA SILVA (BRA)
Susana Paula DE ALMEIDA DOS SANTOS (BRA)
Carmen Nireida GOMES TEIXEIRA VIEIRA (POR)

60kg
Crystal Shanika HOLDER (BAR)
Camila FAMA TRISTAO (BRA)
Ana Luiza PEREIRA FRANCA (BRA)
Isabel Cristina RODRIGUES (POR)
Mehlika OZTURK (TUR)

70kg
Brenda AGUIAR DOS SANTOS (BRA)
Nikeli FERREIRA DE OLIVEIRA (BRA)
Sonia Marina PEREIRA BRAZIO (POR)

+70kg
Aline DA SILVA FERREIRA (BRA)
Dailane GOMES DOS REIS (BRA)
Aysegul OZBEGE (TUR)

#development

Pat Shaw Memorial - Regional Education Development Programme wraps up in Guatemala

By United World Wrestling Press

GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala (June 12)---The 2024 UWW Pat Shaw Memorial - Regional Education Development Programme (REDP) recently concluded in Guatemala City, marking another milestone in the annual celebration of wrestling excellence.

From May 30 to June 6, the "Center for High-Performance and Development of America" (CARDA) in Guatemala City buzzed with energy as athletes, coaches, and referees gathered for an intensive training camp and educational courses. Under the expert guidance of Iranian coach Reza AZIMI, participants from Barbados, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, United States they have honed their skills on four specially prepared mats.

Parallel courses for coaches and referees were a key highlight, underscoring the event's commitment to professional development. The training camp and coaches' course were led by Professor Reza AZIMI, alongside Venezuelan Héctor CAMACHO, while the referees' course was conducted by Puerto Rican international IS category referee Abraham GALVA. These sessions provided comprehensive learning and growth opportunities for all attendees.

GUAAbraham GALVA (PUR) walks referees through their pre-competition meeting at the Pat Shaw Memorial. (Photo: United World Wrestling)

The week was characterized by an atmosphere of enthusiasm and collaboration, culminating in the Technical Congress on June 6. Esteemed attendees included UWWA President Francisco Eduardo LEE LÓPEZ, UWW Development Officer Yuri MAIER, the Executive Committee of the Guatemalan Wrestling Federation, and delegates and coaches from 20 nations.

The climax of the event, the XXXIII "PAT SHAW" Cup, unfolded on June 7th and 8th. With 333 athletes, 44 coaches, 16 delegates, and 25 referees participating, the tournament featured 526 thrilling matches.

This year's tournament was a testament to dedication and passion, with every athlete striving for excellence and glory. The event met all UWW requirements for official competitions, encompassing technological, medical, and sporting standards.

As we bask in the success of the 2024 UWW Pat Shaw Memorial - Regional Education Development Programme (REDP), we eagerly look forward to the next edition, filled with anticipation and confidence that it will further the growth and promotion of wrestling in our region.

United World Wrestling strongly believes that this is the way forward for the development of our sport through programs such as this that bring together athletes, referees, and coaches in an environment that is enriching from an educational and competitive experience, allowing many new participants access to an international event.