Obituary

UWW mourns death of Bureau member Lucio Caneva

By United World Wrestling Press

CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (July 22) -- With great sadness, United World Wrestling has learned of the death of Lucio Caneva, a UWW Bureau Member, manager of the Italian national team, and Vice-President of the Mediterranean Committee of Associated Wrestling Styles. He was 61 years old.

Mr. Caneva, who attended the U15 European Championships in Croatia last weekend, dedicated his entire life to wrestling, making significant contributions first as a wrestler, then as a coach, followed by a successful tenure as an administrator.

"Mr. Caneva's passing is a big loss to the UWW family," Nenad LALOVIC, UWW President, said. He was a prominent figure in our sport. His role as a wrestler, coach and administrator was inspiring. My deepest condolences to the Caneva family."

Born on October 16, 1960, Mr. Caneva started as a young wrestler in his birthplace Genoa. He went on to become the trainer of one of Italy’s biggest wrestling clubs, Polisportivo Mandracci and became the president of the Liguria Regional Committee.

Mr. Caneva leaves behind his wife, Edit Dozsa -- a Hungarian international referee, who took part in the 2008 Beijing Olympics – and two children, both a part of the Army military sports group.

He coached his daughter Dalma, 28, who recently won the bronze medal in the 68kg category at the Mediterranean Games and has also finished on the podium at the European Championships in 2020 and 2021. His younger son, Aaron, is an Italian national champion and also competed in the Mediterranean Games.

In 2017, he moved to Rome with his family to assume his duties as the manager of the Italian wrestling team. Mr. Caneva and his family played an important role in welcoming two-time world champion and Rio Olympics bronze medallist Frank Chamizo Marquez to Italy. Mr. Caneva’s confidence in the wrestler's abilities, who also received support from the National Federation, FIJLKAM, became the face of Italian wrestling.

Last year, Mr. Caneva was elected as the Bureau Member of the UWW. His outstanding contributions to wrestling were recognized after he was honored with the Star of Sporting Merit.

The UWW expresses its deepest sympathies to the Caneva family.

#WrestleHammamet

African Championships entry list

By Vinay Siwach

HAMMAMET, Tunisia (May 12) --  Next week's African Championships, set to begin on May 15 in Hammamet, Tunisia, will feature two Olympic medalists from Tokyo 2021 among its 202 registered wrestlers.

Mohamed ELSAYED (EGY) and Blessing OBORUDUDU (NGR) will be competing as they begin another journey to the Olympic podium. The continental championships also offers them the opportunity to bounce back from their lackluster performance at the World Championships in Belgrade, where they failed to win a medal.

World silver medalist Samar HAMZA (EGY) will also be defending her 76kg women's wrestling title she won in Morocco. Unlike Elsayed and Oborududu, Hamza has already competed this year, finishing 10th and ninth at the Zagreb Open and Ibrahim Moustafa Ranking Series events respectively.

In freestyle, Algeria is returning with all their gold medalists from 2021. It won four golds, the same as Egypt, but will hope to beat Egypt this time as the latter is returning with only two of their four gold medalists.

For Algeria, Abdelhak KHERBACHE (ALG), Chems Eddine FETAIRIA (ALG), Fateh BENFERDJALLAH (ALG) and Mohammed FARDJ (ALG) are in the line-up while Egypt only has Gamal MOHAMED (EGY) and Amr Reda HUSSEN (EGY).

Women's wrestling should have seen the return of Tokyo Olympian Odunayo ADEKUOROYE (NGR) after her marriage, but the three-time world medalist has decided to skip the tournament.

Nigeria won four gold medals last year and three of them are returning in Oborududu, Jumoke ADEKOYE (NGR) and Mercy ADEKUOROYE (NGR), Odunayo's sister who has jumped from 53kg to 57kg, a weight class frequently represented by Odunayo.

Rio Olympic bronze medalist Marwa AMRI (TUN) will also be in action at 62kg as she hopes to defend her title in front of the home crowd. For Tunisia, Khadija JLASSI (TUN) at 65kg and 
Zaineb SGHAIER (TUN) at 72kg will also be big hopes for the gold medal.

Amr Reda HUSSEN (EGY)Amr Reda HUSSEN (EGY) will defend his title at 74kg. (Photo: UWW / Bayrem Ben Mrad)

Freestyle

57kg
Salah KATEB (ALG)
Bofenda KALUWEKO (ANG)
Gamal MOHAMED (EGY)
Diamantino IUNA FAFE (GBS)
Mohamed CAMARA (GUI)
Davies ORIWA (KEN)
Younes LACHGAR (MAR)
John LEOPOLD (MRI)
Alexandro HAININGA (NAM)
Ebikewenimo WELSON (NGR)
Jakobo TAU (RSA)
KHALIL BARKOUTI (TUN)

61kg
Abdelhak KHERBACHE (ALG)
Filipe SEBASTIAO (ANG)
Yanisse MADI (COM)
Shehabeldin MOHAMED (EGY)
Kenneth KOECH (KEN)
Yassine JAA (MAR)
Seitonkumo RICHARD (NGR)
Ibrahim BUNDUKA (SLE)
Firas KHALIFA (TUN)

65kg
Zohier IFTENE (ALG)
Omar MOURAD (EGY)
Simon WAINAINA (KEN)
Levi NYONGESA (KEN)
Otmane EL BAHJA (MAR)
Frederik NORTJE (RSA)
Farouk JELASSI (TUN)

70kg
Yahia El Hadi GACEM (ALG)
Armando NTOYA (ANG)
Anthony WESLEY (CPV)
Said ELGAHSH (EGY)
Julio TCHAMI (GBS)
Brian OLOO (KEN)
Abdelwahad BADRI (MAR)
Pieter ROETS (RSA)
Sylvio DIATTA (SEN)
Mamudu MARAH (SLE)
Mohamed ZORGUI (TUN)
Rodgers MUKYEDA (UGA)

74kg
Abdelkader IKKAL (ALG)
Amr Reda HUSSEN (EGY)
Bacar NDUM (GBS)
Mathayo MAHABILA (KEN)
Yassine FARAJ (MAR)
Arno VAN ZIJL (RSA)
Mamadou DIOUF (SEN)
Mohamed BEN JAAFAR (TUN)
Jamal ABDUL (UGA)

79kg
Chems Eddine FETAIRIA (ALG)
Francisco de Deus KADIMA (ANG)
Matteo Alcidio Louis MONTEIRO FURTADO TRESSE (CPV)
Ahmed MAHMOUD (EGY)
Caetano Antonio SA (GBS)
Sofiane PADIOU BELMIR (MAR)
Ebikeme NEWLIFE (NGR)
Johannes HATTINGH (RSA)
Kaireddine BEN TELILI (TUN)
Ivan MASAKWE (UGA)

86kg
Fateh BENFERDJALLAH (ALG)
Roberto NSANGUA (ANG)
Saifeldin ELKOUMY (EGY)
Mark ONGUYESI (KEN)
Roman MANITRA RAHARISON (MAD)
Adil JORF (MAR)
Jean MARIANNE (MRI)
Edward LESSING (RSA)
Sabri MNASRIA (TUN)

92kg
Mohammed FARDJ (ALG)
Artunes PEDRO (ANG)
Mahmoud IBRAHIM (EGY)
Dan CHEPTAI (KEN)
Wadii OUALAL (MAR)
Machiel GROBLER (RSA)
Imed KADDIDI (TUN)

97kg
Mohamed MOSTEFAOUI (ALG)
Mostafa ELDERS (EGY)
John OMONDI (KEN)
Oussama ASSAD (MAR)
Nicolaas DE LANGE (RSA)
Mohamed SAADAOUI (TUN)

125kg
Abderrahmane BENACHA (ALG)
Diaaeldin ABDELMOTTALEB (EGY)
Joel TUKAI (KEN)
Anas LAMKABBER (MAR)
Hamza RAHMANI (TUN)

Blessing OBORUDUDU (NGR)Blessing OBORUDUDU (NGR) is returning to competition since the World Championships. (Photo: UWW / Bayrem Ben Mrad)

Women’s Wrestling

50kg
Cheima CHEBILA (ALG)
Emma WANGILA (KEN)
Imane BOUJNANE (MAR)
Miesinnei GENESIS (NGR)
Chaima RAOUAFI (TUN)

53kg
Ibtissem DOUDOU (ALG)
Mbuka CAROLINA (ANG)
Shaimaa ABDELZAHER (EGY)
Elisa RASOANANTENAINA NOMENJANAHARY (MAD)
Wissal EL GNAOUI (MAR)
Christianah OGUNSANYA (NGR)
Abir ZARROUKI (TUN)

55kg
Achouak TEKOUK (ALG)
Zineb HASSOUNE (MAR)
Jumoke ADEKOYE (NGR)
Lobna ICHAOUI (TUN)

57kg
Rayane HOUFAF (ALG)
Louji YASSIN (EGY)
Mercy ADEKUOROYE (NGR)
Helena VAN AS (RSA)
Faten HAMMAMI (TUN)
Veronica AYO (UGA)

59kg
Chaimaa AOUISSI (ALG)
Farah HUSSEIN (EGY)
Mary NALIAKA (KEN)
Atika EL ASLA (MAR)
Siwar BOUSETA (TUN)

62kg
Mastoura SOUDANI (ALG)
Gharam ASKAR (EGY)
Fatoumata CAMARA (GUI)
Emily WANYAMA (KEN)
Zineb JAMOUS (MAR)
Esther KOLAWOLE (NGR)
Marwa AMRI (TUN)

65kg
Eunice MBURU (KEN)
Ebipatei MUGHENBOFA (NGR)
Khadija JLASSI (TUN)

68kg
Samah ABDELLATIF (EGY)
Winrose ALIVISA (KEN)
Jessy ANDRIANANTOANDRO (MAD)
Nassma ESSATOURI (MAR)
Blessing OBORUDUDU (NGR)
Nour JELJELI (TUN)

72kg
Menatalla BADRAN (EGY)
Ebi BIOGOS (NGR)
Hannah RUEBEN (NGR)
Zaineb SGHAIER (TUN)

76kg
Arianna XAVIER (CPV)
Samar HAMZA (EGY)
Anta SAMBOU (SEN)
Ranim SAIDI (TUN)

Greco-Roman 

55kg
Mohamed Yacine DRIDI (ALG)
Bofenda KALUWEKO (ANG)
Davies ORIWA (KEN)
Mouad JAHID (MAR)
Given SIKHOSANA (RSA)
Adem LAMLOUM (TUN)

60kg
Sefiane GUEZZANIA (ALG)
Fernando MATONDO (ANG)
Latuf MADI (COM)
Haithem MAHMOUD (EGY)
Kenneth KOECH (KEN)
Ismail ETTALIBI (MAR)
Romio GOLIATH (NAM)
Riehan BOTHA (RSA)
Ibrahim BUNDUKA (SLE)
Mohamed HKIRI (TUN)

63kg
Abdeldjebar DJEBBARI (ALG)
Reginaldo da SILVA (ANG)
Ahmed BAGHDOUDA (EGY)
Simon WAINAINA (KEN)
Yassine JAA (MAR)
Oussama NASR (TUN)

67kg
Ishak GHAIOU (ALG)
Mohamed ELSAYED (EGY)
Levi NYONGESA (KEN)
Bilal EL BAHJA (MAR)
Franscoies DU TOIT (RSA)
Mohamed BEN ALI (TUN)

72kg
Abdelmalek MERABET (ALG)
Armando NTOYA (ANG)
Yehia ABDELKADER (EGY)
Gilbert KABOCHE (KEN)
Yassine FARAJ (MAR)
Radhwen TARHOUNI (TUN)

77kg
Akrem BOUDJEMLINE (ALG)
Francisco KADIMA (ANG)
Mohamed KHALIL (EGY)
Rabii REGANI (MAR)
Emmanuel NWORIE (NGR)
Sami SLAMA (TUN)

82kg
Abd OUAKALI (ALG)
Mahmoud IBRAHIM (EGY)
Herinirina ANDRIAMALALA (MAD)
Elias CHIGUER (MAR)
Solomon ULABO (NGR)
James HOLDER (RSA)
Mohamed MALHI (TUN)

87kg
Bachir SID AZARA (ALG)
Roberto NSANGUA (ANG)
Emad ABOUELATTA (EGY)
Adil JORF (MAR)
Mohamed JABRI (TUN)

97kg
Adem BOUDJEMLINE (ALG)
Mohamed GABR (EGY)
John OMONDI (KEN)
Oussama ASSAD (MAR)
Wissam KOUAINSO (MAR)
Christiaan BURGER (RSA)
Mohamed MISSAOUI (TUN)

130kg
Hichem KOUCHIT (ALG)
Abdellatif MOHAMED (EGY)
Daniel MOSETI (KEN)
Anas LAMKABBER (MAR)
Amine GUENNICHI (TUN)