#WrestleZagreb

WATCH: Tumur-Ochir's underhook supremacy

Tuesday, February 14, 2023 - 09:51 By Vinay Siwach

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ZAGREB, Croatia (February 13) -- When Tulga TUMUR-OCHIR (MGL) walked back to the center after winning the bout against Evan HENDERSON (USA), he made it look rather casual.

The World Championships bronze medalist had performed a classy underhook throw for four points and won the quarterfinal 12-1 at the Zagreb Open Ranking Series last week. The bout had a lot of setups and transitions but one that stood out, perhaps in the whole tournament, was that underhook.

Hassan YAZDANI (IRI) and Rahman AMOUZAD (IRI) are at the top among underhooks. It's typical Iran style to attack and defend using the same setup. But Tumur-Ochir's underhook is very underrated.

An epic throw still fresh in the memory was against Bajrang PUNIA (IND) in the bronze medal bout at the 2019 World Championships which Punia survived after a long bridge position.

In Zagreb, Tumur-Ochir was more relaxed and after leading 8-1 at the break, he got into a dominant position. He put the underhook in place and snapped Henderson. Realizing that Henderson was ready for it, Tumur-Ochir quickly moved to grab for the inside leg and score a pushout. It was a little too far to control and Henderson defended with force.

Henderson pounced on an off-balance Tumur-Ochir and tried to get his arms around the Mongolian's back and almost got it. However, the underhook was still intact.

As Henderson tried to push his opponent to the mat, Tumur-Ochir flung a massive throw using the set underhook and power from his hips. The toss was worth four and victory.

And if the follow-through is a thing in wrestling, Tumur-Ochir perfected that as well. The grip was strong and the ties controlled. Tumur-Ochir made sure that Henderson lands on his back and not land on his arms which would have resulted in only two points for Tumur-Ochir.

Henderson was disappointed in losing that position as he slammed the mat after the bout. But there is little one can do when Tumur-Ochir gets going with those near-perfect underhooks.

Perhaps that was the reason Ismail MUSUKAEV (HUN) franticly moved away from Tumur-Ochir in the semifinals. But as Musukaev's conditioning worsened, TUmur-Ochir got his hands in the perfect place, scoring via stepouts and a takedown to win 6-1.

Then Joseph MCKENNA (USA) faced the wrath in the final. The first takedown scored by Tumur-Ochir in the second minute was a fake. He got an underhook on McKenna and as the latter defended it, Tumur-Ochir bent and hit a double-leg. In the second period, he once again put McKenna on the spot and hit the single leg using a similar setup.

With Tumur-Ochir becoming a big threat in 65kg, it would be a big test for veterans who have dominated this weight class so far.

But one bout that will test Tumur-Ochir will be against world champion Amouzad who is exceptional with his underhook, a move which made him the Asian and the world champion last year.

With the Asian Championships around the corner, this bout is more than a mere possibility.

#development

UWW Women in Wrestling Global Forum concludes in Paris

Thursday, December 7, 2023 - 14:26 By United World Wrestling Press

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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.