event, calendar, 2018 events, tournaments, 2019 events, wrestling, Women's Wrestling, freestyle, Greco-Roman

United World Wrestling Announces 2018 Host Cities and Dates

By United World Wrestling Press

CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY (September 8) – United World Wrestling today announced the finalized list of host cities and dates for the 2018 season along with a handful of locations for 2019 championships in Europe and Africa.

As released during the world championship, the international calendar is highlighted by the Senior European Championships in wrestling-rich city of Kaspiisk, Russia and the fast-rising Nigerian Wrestling Federation hosting the Senior African Championships in Port Hartcourt.

Added to the calendar, Istanbul will host the popular U23 European Championships in mid-June and Zagreb was confirmed for the Cadet World Championships.

The 2019 calendar is also starting to take shape with the African Championships awarded to Tunis (TUN), the Senior European Championships to Bucharest (ROU), the Junior European Championships to Pontevedra (ESP) and the Cadet European Championships to Faenza (ITA).

The Greco-Roman World Cup, U23 World Championships and Junior Pan-American championships location and dates will be finalized soon.

World Cups

Women’s Wrestling World Cup         Takasaki (JPN) // March 17-18
Freestyle World Cup                           Iowa City (USA) // April 7-8

African Championships

All Styles and Age Groups                  Port Harcourt (NGR) // February 7-11

Asian Championships

Senior Asian Championships              Bishkek (KGZ) // February 28- March 4
Junior Asian Championships               New Delhi (IND) // July 19-22
Cadet Asian Championships               Tashkent (UZB) // May 3-6

European Championships

Senior European Championships        Kaspiisk (RUS) // March 20-25
U23 European Championships           Istanbul (TUR) // June 5-10
Junior European Championships        Roma (ITA) // July 31- August 5
Cadet European Championships         Kiev (UKR) // May 8-13

Oceania Championships

All Styles and Age Groups                  Yigo (GUM) // May 17-20

Pan American Championships

Senior Pan-American C’Ships             Lima (PER) // April 27-29
Cadet Pan-American C’Ships              Guatemala (GUA) // May 25-27

World Championships

Cadet World Championships              Zagreb (CRO) // July 3-8
Junior World Championships              Trnava (SVK) // September 18-23
Senior World Championships             Budapest (HUN) // October 22-28

GR Veteran World Championships    Perm (RUS) // TBD
FS Veteran World Championships     Skopje (MKD) // TBD

#development

Road to Dakar 2026 Continues with Successful Central Africa Programme in Brazzaville

By United World Wrestling Press

BRAZZAVILLE, Republic of Congo (June 21) -- The second stop of the United World Wrestling (UWW) Africa Regional Educational Development Programme, Road to Dakar 2026, concluded successfully in Brazzaville after a week combining athlete preparation, education, technical development and competition in Olympic and Beach Wrestling.

Held from June 8 to 14 in the Republic of Congo, the Central Africa phase brought together National Olympic Committees and National Federations from across the region under a unified objective: strengthening wrestling ecosystems and creating more accessible pathways toward the Youth Olympic Games Dakar 2026.

As the second of four regional tournaments scheduled within the continental Road to Dakar programme, the event represented another important milestone on the road to the first Olympic event to be hosted on African soil.

Africa REDT

The UWW Africa Regional Educational Development Programme was designed as a comprehensive and sustainable model that extends beyond competition. The initiative combines athlete development camps, coach and referee education, and practical competition opportunities.

By decentralising activities across regions and consolidating training and competition into one structure, the programme aims to reduce financial barriers for national federations and increase opportunities for athletes and technical officials.

Throughout the week, athletes participated in intensive daily training sessions, as coaches attended the UWW Technical Course - Level 2, focused on improving technical knowledge, athlete development methodologies and long-term performance planning.

Africa REDT

Simultaneously, referees took part in dedicated education sessions covering Beach Wrestling and introductory officiating pathways, preparing them for selection to undertake the International Category III referee examination in the future.

The programme concluded with the Regional Tournament, followed by the Beach Wrestling Regional Tournament, giving participants the opportunity to apply lessons learned during the educational phase directly into competition conditions.

The programme specifically prioritised youth development, with participating athletes largely drawn from the U17 age group and encouraging the involvement of emerging coaches across Central Africa. Support mechanisms jointly delivered by UWW and Olympic Solidarity helped facilitate participation through travel, accommodation, training access and tournament organisation.

Africa REDT

More than just a standalone event, Brazzaville demonstrated the long-term vision behind Road to Dakar 2026 by building stronger national structures, expanding participation and creating sustainable development opportunities well before the final qualification stages for the Youth Olympic Games.