Coaching Course

Poland Hosts Level 1 Referee and Coaches Course

By United World Wrestling Press

CETNIEWO, Poland (July 28) -- The long journey to open up wrestling activities is underway in Poland, with the recent delivery of a national coaches and referee course last week in Cetniewo.

The course, attended by 18 coaches and referees, was organized for the national freestyle and women wrestling coaches, and club the coaches in Cetniewo. The course was initiated and fully funded by the Poland Wrestling Federation and delivered in accordance with international standards.

"We are excited to see these courses being delivered in a responsible manner," said UWW Development Director Deqa Niamkey. "This is a good sign that we will soon be able to deliver more educational programming in appropriate locations."

The course was well received by the national referees and a similar course will be delivered later this year for regional level referees and coaches. The federation says it hopes the future programming will help promote education among referees and coaches; update knowledge of referees and coaches and to bring new perspectives into wrestling coaches at national level.

The coaches course focused on the proper management of athletes and included coaching skills like communication, planning, organization, training calendars, sport psychology, and a review of the UWW Code of Ethics.

Those who completed the course received certification from the Poland Wrestling Federation.

2026 Dakar Youth Olympic Games

Oborududu Named Athlete Role Model for 2026 Dakar YOG

By United World Wrestling Press

CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (June 15) -- Blessing OBORUDUDU (NGR) was announced as one of the 36 Athlete Role Models for the 2026 Dakar Youth Olympic Games.

Oborududu, a silver medalist at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, has been a stalwart in Nigerian sports and represented the country for close to two decades. In Tokyo, she made history by winning silver medal at 68kg in Women's Wrestling, becoming Nigeria’s first‑ever Olympic medallist in the sport.

The four-time Olympian was also a 14-tim African champion, a record that still stands. She compete at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games and finished fifth.

The Athlete Role Models will provide mentoring and workshop training to young athletes on site during Dakar 2026. They will be on the ground in Senegal to engage with competing athletes, providing support and advice around competition and taking part in educational workshops. These workshops cover topics such as career management, injury prevention and mental preparation, among many other things.

The group will also attend training sessions, engage with the local community, support the athletes from the sidelines and be there to congratulate them at victory ceremonies.

The Dakar 2026 YOG will take place from October 31 to November 13, 2026, bringing together around 2,700 young athletes aged up to 17 across three host zones: Dakar, Diamniadio and Saly.