Development

UWW Conducts First-Ever Referee and Coaches Education Week

Monday, November 27, 2017 - 14:17 By United World Wrestling Press

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MANCHESTER, England (November 27) -- United World Wrestling hosted its first-ever Referee and Coaches Course last week in Manchester, England. The course was held in collaboration with British Wrestling and the event paired current 1S-ranked referees with high-performance coaches from 23 countries across all five continents.

The first three days of the education week was the educator course for the referees and coaches, which sought to teach both how to transmit their knowledge to others in the most effective way.

The classroom teachings were then followed by a mat session day where officiating bodies and coaches discussed the interpretation of the rules along with practical sessions.

The last three days of the course were dedicate to delivering an introduction to refereeing and Level 1 Coaches Course to British Wrestling novice referees and coaches. The course was the first of its kind in England and the coaches enjoyed the opportunity to enhance and develop wrestling across Great Britain.

“It was a thrill to be in Manchester for the course," said Olympic and world champion Daniel IGALI. "It afforded coaches and referees the opportunity to meet so many wonderful people.”

UWW Development Department will conduct similar courses in the coming years with collaboration from each Continental Council.

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Lalovic Attends WADA Conference, Completes Development Visits in Asia

Tuesday, December 9, 2025 - 12:45 By United World Wrestling Press

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CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (December 8) -- United World Wrestling President Nenad LALOVIC, who serves on the WADA Executive Committee as an IOC representative, attended the 2025 WADA World Conference held from December 1 to 5 in Busan, Korea.

The conference brought together the global anti-doping community for high-level discussions on the World Anti-Doping Program, with a key focus on approving the 2027 World Anti-Doping Code and International Standards. The revision process, launched in September 2023, has allowed stakeholders to contribute to strengthening and modernizing the global anti-doping system.

Nenad LALOVIC

Development visits

President Lalovic also completed wrestling-related visits to China, Korea, and Kyrgyzstan, reinforcing UWW’s commitment to supporting National Federations and expanding the sport across the region.

In each country, Lalovic emphasized UWW’s ongoing efforts to deepen cooperation with National Federations, increase engagement, and grow wrestling at the elite and grassroots levels. He encouraged federations to integrate wrestling programs into schools, offering more opportunities for young athletes to enter the sport.

Nenad LALOVIC

A key area of discussion was UWW’s development strategy leading into the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic cycle, including updates on Olympic qualification, the Pro Series, and opportunities available to National Federations.

In China, meetings were held with Vice Minister of General Administration of Sport of China Lixin TONG and Vice President of National Olympic Committee of China Jinqiang ZHOU.

UWW also recently announced the addition of Raul TRUJILLO DIAZ, longtime coach of Olympic champion Mijain LOPEZ (CUB) and recipient of the 2025 IOC Coaches Lifetime Achievement Award, to support global development of Greco-Roman. Lalovic highlighted that such initiatives strengthen the sport and promote valuable exchanges of expertise among federations and coaches.

MoU

MoU signed in Kyrgyzstan

During the visit to Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan inaugurated a new wrestling arena and academy, marking a significant step forward in its cooperation with UWW.

A Memorandum of Understanding was also signed between UWW and Izabekov Wrestling Academy to expand development programs and training opportunities in the country.

Accompanied by UWW Asia President Mohammad Al-AWAMLEH and Secretary General Carlos ROY, Lalovic met with representatives of the Kyrgyzstan federation to discuss regional initiatives and long-term development plans.

On December 6, Lalovic was received by Sadyr JAPAROV, President of the Kyrgyz Republic, to whom he presented the UWW medal in recognition of his support for wrestling.