#OffTheMat

What makes Amir Yazdani Olympic wrestling's next big super star?

Wednesday, June 29, 2022 - 14:04 By Eric Olanowski

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ISTANBUL, Turkey (June 29) --- In a country that’s birthed some of wrestling’s biggest stars, Amir YAZDANI (IRI) is on the cusp of becoming a household name. He has the perfect mix of attack-first style of wrestling, a massive smile and boatloads of energy – on and off the mat – which makes the 21-year-old a perfect candidate to be wrestling’s next big thing.

In our latest #OffTheMat special, we sat down with Yazdani to talk about his introduction into wrestling and how having one of wrestling’s most-famous last names impacted his path into the sport. He also walked us through his breakout performance at the 2021 World Championships where he reached the world finals.

Furthermore, Yazdani discussed the difficulties that came along with handing Iran their 65kg berth to the Tokyo Olympic Games but falling short in Iran’s Olympic wrestle off and how that impacted him in moving up to 70kg. He also talked about his #PathToParis and how 74kg is the likely destination over the next few years.

#development

Bulgaria hosts OLYMP to increase media literacy

Wednesday, October 15, 2025 - 09:49 By United World Wrestling Press

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BULGARIA (October 15) -- Bulgaria hosted a seminar on the OLYMP project, funded by the European Union's Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV) Programme, at Diana National Wrestling Hall on October 9. The project aims to improve the media literacy of athletes, coaches, and sports managers.

The seminar was led by Georgi BANOV, one of the doyens of Bulgarian sports journalism, who has covered 14 Olympic Games in winter and summer sports, as well as a number of world and European Championships in wrestling, weightlifting, athletics, biathlon, and more.

The seminar was organized for the athletes of the national wrestling teams. The event was hosted by Belcho GORANOV, Chairman of the Ethics and Legal Commission of the United World Wrestling (UWW) and project manager on behalf of the Bulgarian Olympic Committee (BOC).

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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The team emphasized that the seminar is part of a six-month cycle of informal training under the OLYMP project, which covers a total of 110 young athletes. The program includes weekly sessions in small groups focusing on media and information literacy, critical thinking and analytical skills, as well as developing the participants' confidence and ability to defend their positions with reasoned arguments.

The weekly classes will include readings and discussions on biographies, novels, sports magazines, as well as topics related to sports management and economics. Additional informal activities -- meetings with prominent athletes and film screenings -- will be held twice a month, with each event featuring moderated debates and practical challenges for “fact checking” and ethical behavior on social media.

Banov drew the athletes' attention to how to verify the information they receive through social media and other sources, how to recognize fake news, how to search for reliable information, and how to use social networks correctly, avoiding hate speech.

At the end of the media literacy program, a combined (formal and informal) assessment is planned – short tests and case studies, observation of group work, participant portfolios, and satisfaction surveys—to report on the specific results of the training and its impact on the engagement of young athletes in public life.

Read more on BOC website