Obituary

UWW Hall of Famer, Two-Time Olympic Champ Andiyev Passes Away

Tuesday, November 27, 2018 - 18:08 By United World Wrestling Press

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United World Wrestling Hall of Famer Soslan ANDIYEV, a two-time Olympic champion, passed away on Thursday, Nov. 22, in a hospital in Moscow. He was 66. 

Andiyev was born on April 21, 1952, in Vladikavkaz, North Ossetia. He graduated from Gorsky State University, majoring in economics. 

He helped the Soviets win a World Cup title in 1973 by defeating Olympic medalist Chris Taylor of the United States in the final match. That same year Andiyev earned a spot on the Soviet Union's freestyle wrestling team. He went on to claim seven titles at the Soviet Championships (1973-78, 1980), four world championships (1973, 1975, 1977-78) along with a silver at the 1974 World Championships, and three European Championships (1974-75, 1982).

Andiyev won gold medals at the 1976 Montreal Olympics and the 1980 Moscow Olympics competing in the superheavyweight division. He did not compete at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games because of the Soviets' boycott. 

Between 1985 and 1989 he worked as a national wrestling coach. Andiyev later became a Minister of Sports of North Ossetia before serving as Vice President of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC). He was also a member of the Executive Committee of the ROC.

A memorial service was held on Nov. 24, in Vladikavkaz, North Ossetia. 
 

#development

South Africa completes phase one of UWW DNSS Program

Monday, November 17, 2025 - 08:24 By United World Wrestling Press

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PRETORIA, South Africa (November 17) --  The South African Wrestling Federation successfully completed the first phase of the United World Wrestling National Development and Support Strategy (DNSS) from October 17 to 26.

Under the supervision of Vincent AKA, UWW International Development Officer for Africa, and the coordination of Markus DEKKER, member of the SAWF Coaches Council, a nationwide development mission was undertaken. The UWW-SAWF team visited provincial associations, conducting technical assessments, talent identification sessions, and workshops for coaches.

South Africa

Using the UWW National Federation Assessment Tool (NFAT), the mission provided a detailed overview of the current state of wrestling in South Africa -- from grassroots participation to elite athlete preparation.

The tour covered major provinces including Western Cape, Eastern Province, Free State, Northern Cape, Gauteng North, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, and North West, engaging hundreds of athletes, coaches, and local administrators.

The assessment revealed strong technical potential among the U15 and U17 categories, as well as a growing passion for wrestling across communities and schools.

The mission also identified the need for stronger governance structures and more consistent communication between SAWF, provinces, and clubs to unify efforts under a national development plan.

Both teams will continue to work towards second phase of the program which will include establishing two regional pilot centers [Pretoria and Western Cape] to act as training and coordination hubs, launch a "School Integration" program linking PE teachers, schools, and wrestling clubs, developing a national athlete database to monitor and support emerging talents.

It will also aim to organize governance and compliance workshops to reinforce management capacity, implementing UWW coaching courses nationwide, forming a National Technical Committee to coordinate DNSS implementation and introducing measurable evaluation indicators to ensure accountability and progress tracking.