U23 World C'ships

Szilvassy Wins Second Title, Turkey Bags Three Medals

By Taylor Miller

BYDGOSZCZ, Poland – Turkey claimed a gold and two bronze medals and Hungary’s Erik SZILVASSY won his second World championship in the first day of U23 World Championships in Bydgoszcz, Poland.

2016 University World champion Szvilassy won the World title at 85 kg, defeating Ivan HUKLEK (CRO) in the finals with a 4-0 win, highlighted by a first-period throw. The Hungarian controlled the match from there for his second world title in two years.

At 75 kg, Fatih CENGIZ (TUR) put an exclamation point on an impressive tournament, picking up a decisive 5-2 win in the gold-medal finals against Gela BOLKVADZE (GEO).

The match was tied, 1-1, at the break in favor of the Turkish wrestler. He pulled away in the second period, when Bolkvadze was hit with caution and two on the edge of the mat. Cengiz went on to win a 5-2 decision.

Other medalists from Turkey include bronze medalists Murat DAG at 71 kg and Fatih BASKOY at 98 kg.

Daniel CATARAGA (MDA), a past World silver medalist, handily won the 71 kg with a 5-0 win over Grand Prix of Paris winner Robert FRITSCH (HUN).

Overall, 11 countries won medals on the first day, including Azerbaijan, China, Croatia, Finland, Georgia, Hungary, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia and Turkey.

GOLD MEDAL MATCHES
71 kg: Daniel CATARAGA (MDA) dec. Robert FRITSCH (HUN), 5-0
75 kg: Fatih CENGIZ (TUR) dec. Gela BOLKVADZE (GEO), 5-2
85 kg: Erik SZILVASSY (HUN) dec. Ivan HUKLEK (CRO), 4-0
98 kg: Aleksandr GOLOVIN (RUS) dec. Matti KUOSMANEN (FIN), 5-3

BRONZE MEDAL MATCHES
71 kg
Murat DAG (TUR) dec. Rinat AKHMEDOV (RUS), 2-1
Farshad Mirahmad BELFAKEH (IRI) dec. Riccardo Vito ABBRESCIA (ITA), 2-1

75 kg
Esen Asanov (KGZ) dec. Nasir HASANOV (AZE), 1-0
Payam Abdeh Saleh BOVEYRI PAYANI (IRI) dec. Miras BARSHYLYKOV (KAZ), 6-2

85 kg
Islam ABBASOV (AZE) dec. Gurami KHETSURIANI (GEO), 2-1
Toni Heikki Herman METSOMAEKI (FIN) won by injury default Ruslan MAHOMEDOV (UKR)

98 kg
Abudourexiti ALIMUJIANG (CHN) dec. Bopembe Arsen SYCHEV (BLR), 3-0
Fatih BASKOY (TUR) dec. Michail IOSIFIDIS (GRE), 4-2

 

#development

UWW Women in Wrestling Global Forum concludes in Paris

By United World Wrestling Press

PARIS, France (December 7) --- The UWW Women in Wrestling Global Forum 2023, held in Paris from December 2nd to 4th, concluded on its third day with a sense of achievement and empowerment among all participants. This transformative event united leaders and experts in a collective effort to advance women in the world of wrestling.

 

Day 1: Opening Ceremony and Empowering Training

The first day commenced with a morning opening ceremony featuring welcome messages from key figures in the wrestling community. Mr. Nenad Lalovic, President of UWW, Mr. Fabien CANU, INSEP Director General, Mr. Lionel Lacaze, President of the French Wrestling Federation, Ms. Rodica Yaksi – UWW Bureau Member and Ms. Deqa Niamkey, UWW Development Director expressed their commitment to fostering an inclusive and supportive environment in wrestling on a global scale.

Three priorities for advancing women in wrestling for UWW:

  1. Sustain Elite-Level Participation Growth:

Ensure continuous growth in elite-level participation across all domains (athletes, coaches, and referees).

  1. Promote Gender Equality through National Federation Policies:

Implement gender equality policies, focusing on increased inclusion of women in leadership roles.

Initiate the first steps of experience and practice at a national level through commissions, continental councils, NOC, Continental Confederations, etc.

  1. Foster Education Opportunities:

Maintain a commitment to education by providing opportunities through programs such as the WW Forum, WISH, Refereeing Courses, Athlete Scholarships, etc.

Following the opening ceremony, the day was dedicated to Women Empowerment Training led by Gabriela Mueller, focusing on goal-setting, self-leadership, and a leader's unique value proposition.

Day 2: Skill-Building and In-Depth Discussions

The second day continued with Women Empowerment Training in the morning, and in the afternoon, the event shifted to an engaging panel discussion on leadership challenges in wrestling. This insightful session, featuring distinguished speakers like Rodica Yaksi (TUR) - UWW Bureau Member, Csilla Ali (HUN) - General Secretary of the UWW European Council, and Buyana Pelje (MGL) - General Secretary of the UWW Asian Council, explored 21st-century leadership skills and group presentations on contemporary challenges. Skill-building sessions covered influence and persuasion skills, adopting a growth mindset, and mastering leadership fundamentals.

Day 3: Crossing the Finishing Line of Empowerment

On this final day, all participants collectively "crossed the finishing line" as they completed their empowering journey at the UWW Women in Wrestling Global Forum.

The day began with discussions on women leading in wrestling part II, with panelists such as Lise Le Grand (FRA) - Vice-Président of FRA NF; Board Member of the French National Olympic and Sports Committee (CNOSF), Jaimie McNabb (USA) - Sr. Manager of Women’s Freestyle, Emerging Programs and National Teams Services, and Deqa Niamkey (SUI) - UWW Development Director; Chair of ASOIF Sports Development and Education Group; Member of ASOIF Gender Equality and Diversity sharing valuable insights and providing a toolkit for success.

The Leadership Training segment continued with a focus on the power of online presence in the social media era. Panelists, including Dragana Saveva (MKD) - Secretary General of Wrestling Federation of the Republic of North Macedonia, Tin Bregovic (CRO) - Secretary General of the Croatian Wrestling Federation, and Yuri Maier (ARG) - 13x Pan-American Medalist, UWW Sport & Development Officer, IOC Athlete365 Career+ Lead Educator, ACODEPA Sports Manager, emphasized the importance of establishing a strong online presence and improving communication through social media. AI expert Gabriela Muller provided insights into the intersection of leadership and AI in the digital space.

The forum concluded with a closing ceremony, expressing gratitude to participants, panelists, and experts. All participants were acknowledged for their active engagement and insightful contributions, leaving them empowered and ready to tackle the challenges that lie ahead.

The UWW Women in Wrestling Global Forum 2023 has undoubtedly served as a significant milestone in promoting gender equality, skill development, and leadership empowerment within the wrestling community. As the event wrapped up, the sense of accomplishment and readiness to face challenges marked the beginning of a new era for women making their mark in the world of wrestling.