#NFRoundup

NF Roundup Blog, Feb. 8 - Feb. 12

By United World Wrestling Press

Saudi Wrestling Federation Hosts Introduction to Refereeing Course for New Female Referees 
Following the vision of the Saudi Wrestling Federation, headed by Mr. Mashaal Aljomaih, a five-day introduction to refereeing course for females was conducted January 31- February 04, at the Green Halls in Riyadh under the auspice of the General Manager of the Leadership Development Institute Abdullah Bin Faisal Hammad.

The introduction to refereeing course was the first course ever for new female referees in KSA. Sixteen female participants from all over the kingdom attended the five-day course in Riyadh. And it was a great opportunity to introduce them to refereeing wrestling and its basic rules.

The course was financially covered by the Saudi Wrestling Federation and the Leadership Development Institute. Saudi Federation covered the domestic flight tickets and the full accommodation for all the female participants, while the Leadership Development Institute covered all the other expenses.

The UWW Educator Sherif HALAWA from Egypt assisted by the Cat I International Referee Mohsen Yamani, Chief of Saudi referees conducted the course. The Course was also an opportunity to teach the female participants how to use the electronic Arena system during the wrestling competitions. The Cat III international referee Saud Alsuhaibi assisted Mr. HALAWA in teaching the female participants how to use the Arena system.

Ref
The Saudi Wrestling Federation hosted an introduction to refereeing course for female referees. The course lasted five days and was held in Riyadh. 

During the course, three specialized lecturers from Kind Saud University did also some sessions in 3 different topics (Sports Psychology, Sports injuries, and Sports management). The Leadership Development Institute covers all the lecturers’ expenses.

All the female participants did not practice wrestling before. Therefore, during the course there was some theoretical sessions about the wrestling rules basis, some practical sessions on the mat (however they did not have the referees’ uniform), and some practical sessions on Arena system to manage a competition. For 5 days, the female participants watched many videos about wrestling rules and some matches to let them feel the sport of wrestling.

The Saudi Wrestling Federation made a decision to assign the new female referees to the coming national competitions to work as referees, especially to manage the Arena system and to work as judge. They must gain the experience through continuous participation at competitions, and step-by-step, they'll take the whistle and work as referees on the mat soon.


Jordan BURROUGHS (USA), a four-time world champion, will look to earn a berth to a third straight Olympic Games. (Photo: Tony Rotundo)

U.S. OLYMPIC TEAM TRIALS – WRESTLING WILL MOVE FROM UNIVERSITY PARK, PA. TO LOCATION TO BE DETERMINED SOON

USA Wrestling, Penn State Intercollegiate Athletics and the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee have collectively decided that the 2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Wrestling, originally scheduled for April 4-5, 2020, will not be held at the Bryce Jordan Center in University Park, Pennsylvania. 

USA Wrestling and Penn State Intercollegiate Athletics worked to reschedule the event in 2021. However, a decision to relocate the 2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Wrestling was made due to a variety of factors, including current COVID-19 health and safety guidelines and the desire to provide the ability to accommodate all of the participants, staff and fans.

In addition to the announcement of the relocation of this year’s U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Wrestling, USA Wrestling, Penn State Intercollegiate Athletics and the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee announced Penn State and the Bryce Jordan Center will host the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Wrestling.

USA Wrestling is currently in negotiations to secure a new location for the competition, targeting the early April 2021 time frame. USA Wrestling expects that it will be able to finalize this arrangement in the near future.

The decision to relocate the event will not impact the competitions which serve as qualifiers for the 2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Wrestling, as set in the approved USA Wrestling Athlete Selection Procedures for the 2020 Olympic Games in men’s freestyle, women’s freestyle and Greco-Roman. 

Updated event information will be shared by USA Wrestling as soon as possible.

Click here for USA Wrestling's full release.

Ivory
Wrestlers at the UWW Africa Training Center in Abidjan, Ivory Coast sport their #WeWillWrestleAgain shirts.


Risako KAWAI (JPN) celebrates winning her Olympic gold medal at the '16 Rio Games. (Photo: Tony Rotundo)

FIRST OF COVID-19 PLAYBOOKS PUBLISHED FOR TOKYO OLYMPICS & PARALYMPICS
Despite reports, rumors and speculation to the contrary, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga reiterated once again last week that his nation’s intention is to indeed move forward with hosting the postponed 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.

Speaking to the World Economic Forum via teleconference last Friday, Suga stated, “We are holding the Olympics and Paralympics this summer. I am determined to achieve the games as a proof of human victory against the pandemic, a symbol of global solidarity and to give hope and courage around the world.”

Backing up this statement is the fact that the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee (Tokyo 2020) today published the first Playbook for member federations.

Click HERE to read the full Olympic Playpook breakdwon by swimswam.com.

#WrestleBudapest

Ranking Series: Double delight for Japan, Sujeet gives India gold

By Vinay Siwach

BUDAPEST, Hungary (July 17) -- Asian champion Takara SUDA (JPN) and world silver medalist Yoshinosuke AOYAGI (JPN) showed on Thursday why they will be prime contenders for gold medal at the World Championships in Zagreb in September.

Suda and Aoyagi earned two gold medals at 61kg and 70kg respectively, and reminded the world about Freestyle powerhouse Yamanashi Gakuin University in Japan.

Suda, who has not lost a match this year, won his second Ranking Series gold medal in 2025, adding to his gold from Tirana. But he needed a big comeback in the 61kg final against Taiyrbek ZHUMASHBEK UULU (KGZ) in the dying seconds, winning 5-3.

Zhumashbek Uulu led 3-1 with 13 seconds remaining in the match when Suda used a snap to off balance Zhumashbek Uulu and go behind. He tried a takedown but then switches the direction and brings Zhumashbek Uulu to the mat, back first.

Zhumashbek Uulu tried to defend it with a whizzer but failed and Suda turned on his head without any danger to get the two points and win 3-3 on criteria. Kyrgyzstan challenged the call but on review, Suda was awarded four points and the scored changed to a 5-3 win for the Japanese.

In February, Suda won the gold medal in Tirana after an 8-8 victory over Nachyn MONGUSH (UWW) and then won the Asian Championships gold medal over UDIT (IND) 6-4 in March.

Zhumashbek Uulu, who won Mongolian Open in June at 65kg, returned to 61kg after an year of competing at 65kg. He defeated Udit earlier in the day and reached the final but failed to cross the final hurdle.

With the win, Suda has clearly shown signs that he will be a gold-medal threat in Zagreb at 61kg, a weight class won by his high school and university teammate Masanosuke ONO (JPN) in 2024.

Aoyagi, who had also won gold medal in Tirana, was more dominant in his gold medal run. In Tirana, European silver medalist Arman ANDREASYAN (ARM) had pulled out injured in the final.

Incidentally, he made the final against Aoyagi in Budapest on Thursday and this time he decided to wrestler. However, the winner was the same.

Aoyagi used a head-in-the-hole move to score four points in his 8-0 victory in the final of the 70kg weight class. Andreasyan had no answer to Aoyagi's attack despite being in advantageous positions during the final.

The Armenian was put on the activity clock during which he failed to score and gave up four points. Aoyagi, leading 5-0, won a challenge when Andreasyan was awarded two points for a takedown but on review, it was clear that Andreasyan had both his feet outside before completing a takedown.

With a 6-0 lead, Aoyagi scored a beautiful duck-under for two points and lead 8-0, the final score for the winner.

SUJEET (IND)SUJEET (IND) celebrates after beating Vazgen TEVANYAN (ARM) in the 65kg semifinal. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

Sujeet ends Indian drought

India failed to win any gold medals at the senior level in 2025 as it drew blank at the Asian Championships in March and Mongolian Open in June. However, Asian U23 champion SUJEET (IND) ended that curse for India by winning the 65kg gold medal in Budapest.

While he has age-group world and continental medals, Sujeet's run in Budapest and gold medal can be considered his biggest medal yet as he defeated Paris bronze medalist Islam DUDAEV (ALB) in the first bout, European U23 silver medalist Khamzat ARSAMERZOUEV (FRA) in the quarterfinal and world medalist Vazgen TEVANYAN (ARM) in the semifinal.

Ali RAHIMZADE (AZE) was up in the final and Sujeet, who showed glimpses of Tokyo bronze medalist Bajrang PUNIA (IND), made sure he doesn't let his guard down in the last match.

Sujeet conceded an activity point in the first period and was down 1-0 at the break against Rahimzade. But as soon as the second period began, Sujeet put pressure on Rahimzade, who kept dropping on his knees in the zone to avoid the pushout.

But Sujeet did not back down and scored a takedown when Rahimzade was on the activity clock. Leading 3-1, Sujeet added another takedown and completed a 5-1 victory over Rahimzade and captured the gold medal, his first of Ranking Series events.

At 57kg, world U20 champion Luke LILLEDAHL (USA) needed three straight comebacks to win the gold medal. He defeated Islam BAZARGANOV (AZE) 3-1 in the final to capture his first gold at the senior level.

Lilledahl scored a takedown using a reattack with 20 seconds remaining in the match against Bazarganov to clinch a 3-1 win. His semifinal victory over RAHUL (IND) was even more dramatic as he managed to come back from 6-2.

Rahul used a leg-turk to score six point and lead 6-2 but Lilledahl scored a stepout and then blocked an attempted duck-under and put Rahul's back on the mat for two points. In the final 20 seconds, he threw off Rahul when the Indian was trying to hit a double-leg attack and won 7-6. In his first bout of the day, he scored a pushout with just 0.01 seconds left on the clock and dashed the dreams of Niklas STECHELE (GER).

World silver medalist Vladimeri GAMKRELIDZE (GEO) returned to 79kg from 86kg and instantly showed results, winning the gold medal in Budapest. He blanked Magomet EVLOEV (TJK), 5-0, in the final

At 125kg, Bahrain won its second gold of the tournament as Shamil SHARIPOV (BRN) defeated Dzianis KHRAMIANKOU (UWW), 5-3.

Photo

RESULTS

57kg
GOLD: Luke LILLEDAHL (USA) df. Islam BAZARGANOV (AZE), 3-1

BRONZE: RAHUL (IND) df. Niklas STECHELE (GER), 4-0
BRONZE: Aryan TSIUTRYN (UWW) df. Roberti DINGASHVILI (GEO), 10-0

61kg
GOLD: Takara SUDA (JPN) df. Taiyrbek ZHUMASHBEK UULU (KGZ), 5-3

BRONZE: Bekzat ALMAZ UULU (KGZ) df. Emrah ORMANOGLU (TUR), 4-3
BRONZE: Assylzhan YESSENGELDI (KAZ) df. Giorgi GONIASHVILI (GEO), 10-0

65kg
GOLD: SUJEET (IND) df. Ali RAHIMZADE (AZE), 5-1

BRONZE: Goderdzi DZEBISASHVILI (GEO) df. Alibeg ALIBEGOV (BRN), 7-7
BRONZE: Vazgen TEVANYAN (ARM) df. Khamzat ARSAMERZOUEV (FRA), 9-0

70kg
GOLD: Yoshinosuke AOYAGI (JPN) df. Arman ANDREASYAN (ARM), 8-0

BRONZE: Sina KHALILI (IRI) df. Austin GOMEZ (MEX), via inj. def.
BRONZE: Akaki KEMERTELIDZE (GEO) df. Abbas EBRAHIM (IRI), 11-4

79kg
GOLD: Vladimeri GAMKRELIDZE (GEO) df. Magomet EVLOEV (TJK), 5-0

BRONZE: Georgios KOUGIOUMTSIDIS (GRE) df. Lucas KAHNT (GER), 10-0
BRONZE: Fariborz BABAEI (IRI) df. Bolat SAKAYEV (KAZ), 2-0

97kg
GOLD: Akhmed TAZHUDINOV (BRN) df. Zbigniew BARANOWSKI (POL), 11-0

BRONZE: Jonathan AIELLO (USA) df. Juhwan SEO (KOR), 10-0
BRONZE: Adlan VISKHANOV (FRA) df. Merab SULEIMANISHVILI (GEO), 9-4

125kg
GOLD: Shamil SHARIPOV (BRN) df. Dzianis KHRAMIANKOU (UWW), 5-3

BRONZE: Robert BARAN (POL) df. Demetrius THOMAS (USA), 6-0
BRONZE: Alen KHUBULOV (BUL) df. Vladislav BAJCAJEV (HUN), 3-0