Obituary

Rahim Jeddi, 'Golden Whistle' Winner, Dies at 77

Wednesday, November 11, 2020 - 15:44 By United World Wrestling Press

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CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (November 11) – Rahim Jeddi, a well-respected referee from Iran who was honored in 2006 with the 'Golden Whistle" has died at age 77.

The Golden Whistle is awarded annually to the best referee at a world championships or Olympic Games.

Jeddi worked for more than three decades as an international referee and worked several Olympic Games and world championships. Passionate for the sport of wrestling, Jeddi was was also the head of the Tehran Wrestling Association for a few years and was deeply involved in the Zurkhaneh Sports Federation helping to organize competitions and bring attention to the traditional Iranian sport.

United World Wrestling and the wrestling community offer its condolences to the family and friends of Mr. Jeddi and the Iranian Wrestling Federation.

2026 Dakar Youth Olympic Games

Oborududu Named Athlete Role Model for 2026 Dakar YOG

Monday, June 15, 2026 - 11:13 By United World Wrestling Press

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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.