#development

Sri Lankan Wrestling Federation Hosts National Referee Course

By United World Wrestling Press

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (October 25) – The Sri Lankan Wrestling Federation and Sri Lanka NOC organized an Introduction to Referee Course around their U20 National Championships. The course was held from 15-17 October and the competition was on 16 October.  Sri Lankan Wrestling Federation took an active part to make the course successful. Mr. Sarath Hewavithrana, president of Sri Lankan Wrestling Federation was present himself throughout the course.  Mr. Gopinath and Mr, Dinesh, both from Sri Lanka NOC, were also present during course.

The Introduction to Refereeing course was conducted by Mr. Ashok Kumar – UWW Educator, IS and Olympic Referee.  This course had 16 participants (14 men and 2 women).  Each day they had a theoretical session from 09h00 to 13h00 and a practical session form 14h30 to 18h00.  The referee participants focused on skills that would provide a solid foundation as a referee.  The areas they focused on were evaluation of holds, starting and ending matches, referee mechanics, positioning, safety of the athletes, and controlling the bout. During the course, they were asked to referee simulated matches before and after the competition.  All of the candidates took part in the U20 National Competition. These activities allowed the referees to apply the skills that they learned directly from the course. “The candidates were very enthusiast to under this course. All participants were happy to learn the course information.” said Mr. Kumar.

#development

UWW More Than Medals Camp: Fun, wrestling, friendship in Serbia

By United World Wrestling Press

ZRENJANIN, Serbia (July 12) -- The UWW More Than Medals Europe U17 Training Camp was held in Zrenjanin, Serbia, from June 30 to July 6, with the support of the Serbian Wrestling Federation and the local wrestling club.

This event brought together 45 wrestlers and coaches from nine different countries. The week-long camp, led by Marty HAUCK (USA), was fully funded by United World Wrestling, reflecting its commitment to developing young talent.

The camp aimed to enhance the athletes' technical skills while providing exposure to different coaching styles and training partners. Wrestling was a common ground, helping participants overcome language barriers and fostering new friendships.

An important aspect of the camp was the Anti-Doping education session held on July 2, led by Gorica MILOVANOVIC from the Anti-Doping Agency of Serbia. This session emphasized the importance of fair play and clean sport and provided practical information on Anti-Doping procedures to the young athletes. Additionally, safeguarding sessions by Lei LIANG from UWW Development helped raise awareness and ensure the well-being and safety of the young athletes.

Beyond the intense wrestling training on mats, the camp also offered various recreational activities. The athletes enjoyed the swimming pool, engaging games, and a guided tour of Belgrade, Serbia's vibrant capital city. A brief tennis session added to the fun, providing a welcome break from their regular wrestling routines.

The camp received lots of positive feedback from the participants. Michele RAUHUT, the coach from Germany, expressed his gratitude, stating, “The German team would like to thank you very much for this exceptionally great training camp. Many thanks to Lei for the perfect organization and for your help. Thanks a lot to Marty for the great training. It was perfect.”