#WrestleElJadida

#WrestleElJadida African Championships entry list

By Vinay Siwach

EL JADIDA, Morocco (May 12) -- When the African Championships begin in El Jadida, Morocco next week, all eyes will be on Nigeria's Blessing OBORUDUDU (NGR) and Marwa AMRI (TUN). They are the only Olympic medalist in the field of more than 200 wrestlers that will compete for the 30 gold medals on offer.

Oborududu, who won the silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics, will be eyeing her 11th straight African Championships gold. She is undefeated in the tournament since 2010. 

Other stars entered in the competition include world silver medalist and five-time African champion Odunayo ADEKUOROYE (NGR), Olympians Diamantino IUNA FAFE (GBS) and Fateh BENFERDJALLAH (ALG) and junior world bronze medalist Nicolaas DE LANGE (RSA).

In Greco-Roman, former U23 World bronze medalist Abdellatif MOHAMED (EGY) will be competing for the first time since wrestling at the Tokyo Olympics. More Olympians will be eyeing medals in El Jadida as Abdelkarim FERGAT (ALG), Lamjed MAAFI (TUN), Bachir SID AZARA (ALG), Adem BOUDJEMLINE (ALG) and Amine GUENNICHI (TUN) are registered.

Oborududu and Adekuoroye will be responsible for a new-look Nigerian team running for the women's team title. But they will be challenged by Tunisia which is bringing five Olympians to the competition.

Apart from Amri, Sarra HAMDI (TUN), Siwar BOUSETA (TUN) and Zaineb SGHAIER (TUN) are entered for the tournament. Khadija JLASSI (TUN), the young star from the country, will try to win her first senior African title.

Egypt's first-ever senior world medalist Samar HAMZA (EGY) will be looking for her fourth African title at 76kg.

Tokyo Olympian Fatoumata CAMARA (GUI) will wrestle a weight up at 59kg.

The African Championships for seniors begins May 21 with women's wrestling and Greco-Roman bouts on Saturday and freestyle on Sunday. All the live actions and highlights will be available on uww.org.

Diamantino IUNA FAFE (GBS)Diamantino IUNA FAFE (GBS), left, is a junior African champion and Olympian. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Freestyle

57kg
Salah KATEB (ALG)
Rabby KILANDI (COD)
Gamal MOHAMED (EGY)
Diamantino IUNA FAFE (GBS)
Simon WAINAINA (KEN)
Younes LACHGAR 
Romio GOLIATH (NAM)
Ebikewenimo WELSON (MGR)
Jakobo TAU (RSA)
Omar FAYE (SEN)
Fathi NASIR (SUD)

61kg
Abdelhak KHERBACHE (ALG)
Mdraman BILE (CIV)
Jordan KABONGO (COD)
Shehabeldin MOHAMED (EGY)
Kenneth KOECH (KEN)
Sofiane EL KHAMER (MAR)
Didier DIATTA (SEN)
Jafar FASHER (SUD)

65kg
Chouaib SAHRAOUI (ALG)
Rosian NGUIGAZA (CAF)
Christ NDRI (CIV)
Yehia HAFEZ (EGY)
Mbunde CUMBA MBALI (GBS)
Otmane EL BAHJA (MAR)
Jean BANDOU (MRI)
Jason AFRIKANER (NAM)
Reynhardt LOUW (RSA)
Saya KOKO (SUD)

70kg
Rami BRINIS (ALG)
Armando NTOYA (ANG)
Guy LAGO (CIV)
Anthony WESLEY (CPV)
Said ELGAHSH (EGY)
Bacar NDUM (GBS)
Abdelwahad BADRI (MAR)
Sampson CLACKSON (MGR)
Gaston DIATTA (SEN)
Fakhireldin SORIEN (SUD)
Mohamed ZORGUI (TUN)

74kg
Abdelkader IKKAL (ALG)
Francisco KADIMA (ANG)
Amr HUSSEN (EGY)
Caetano ANTONIO (GBS)
Abubakar ALHASSAN (GHA)
Brian OLOO (KEN)
Aime RAKOTONIAINA (MAD)
Mohammed MOUFRIJ (MAR)
Ogbonna JOHN (NGR)
Arno VAN ZIJL (RSA)
Mamadou DIOUF (SEN)
Mohamed SESAY (SLE)
Nasir OCBI (SUD)
Jacob NTUYO (UGA)

79kg
Chems FETAIRIA (ALG)
Kieto ACHECO (ANG)
Nziga ZOZO (CAF)
Assane BALLO (CIV)
Andy MUKENDI (COD)
Nasser SAYED (EGY)
Mathayo MAHABILA (KEN)
Totiana RAZAFINJATO (MAD)
Youssef AIT BOULAHRI (MAR)
Jean STE MARIE (MRI)
Donald MABUSELA (RSA)
Lamjed MAAFI (TUN)
Jamal ABDUL (UGA)

86kg
Fateh BENFERDJALLAH (ALG)
Donald BENSANH (BEN)
Drissa ZON (BUR)
Cedric ABOSSOLO (CMR)
Barthelemy TSHOSHA (COD)
Mohamed ABDELAAL (EGY)
Arices DJIAMO (GBS)
Mark ONGUYESI (KEN)
Eric BORKUAH (LBR)
Mohamed EDDAOUAHIRI (MAR)
Jean MARIANNE (MRI)
Ekerekeme AGIOMOR (NGR)
Edward LESSING (RSA)
Guma BASHIR (SUD)
Sabri MNASRIA (TUN)
Ivan MASAKWE (UGA)

92kg
Mohammed FARDJ (ALG)
Timothee TOE (BUR)
Noureldin HASSAN (EGY)
Maxwell AMEKUDZI (GHA)
John OMONDI (KEN)
Fandresena RAMALANJAONA RALITERASOLO (MAD)
Ahmed SEREHALI (MAR)
Machiel GROBLER (RSA)
Imed KADDIDI (TUN)

97kg
Abderrahmane BENACHA (ALG)
Amoussou CAKPO (BEN)
John FOLANE (BUR)
Ulrich MANOUAN (CIV)
Aron MBO (COD)
Mostafa ELDERS (EGY)
Dan CHEPTAI (KEN)
Moussa SALIH (MAR)
Nicolaas DE LANGE (RSA)
Mohamed SAADAOUI (TUN)

125kg
Youssif HEMIDA (EGY)
Anas LAMKABBER (MAR)
Hamza RAHMANI (TUN)

Abdellatif MOHAMED (EGY)Abdellatif MOHAMED (EGY) is a U23 world medalist and the defending champion at 130kg. (Photo: United World Wrestling)

Greco-Roman

55kg
Mohamed DRIDI (ALG)
Rabby KILANDI (COD)
Abdalla SHAABAN (EGY)
Kamal BENABBOU (MAR)
Romio GOLIATH (NAM)

60kg
Abdeldjebar DJEBBARI (ALG)
Ahmed BAGHDOUDA (EGY)
Simon WAINAINA (KEN)
Aymane LAKHFIF (MAR)
Jakobo TAU (RSA)
Salim HAMDI (TUN)

63kg
Abdelkarim FERGAT (ALG)
Jordan KABONGO (COD)
Moustafa ALAMELDIN (EGY)
Kenneth KOECH (KEN)
Fouad FAJARI (MAR)
Hamed TCHOUFON (RSA)

67kg
Ishak GHAIOU (ALG)
Ivu KISUNGU (ANG)
Abdelrahman OMAR (EGY)
Bilal EL BAHJA (MAR)
Jason AFRIKANER (NAM)

72kg
Walid GHAIOU (ALG)
Armando NTOYA (ANG)
Mohamed KHALIL (EGY)
Yassine FARAJ (MAR)
Shafaihuuna BENHARD (NAM)
Daniel DU TOIT (RSA)
Radhwen TARHOUNI (TUN)

77kg
Tarek BENAISSA (ALG)
Francisco de Deus KADIMA (ANG)
Emad ABOUELATTA (EGY)
Brian OLOO (KEN)
Aziz BOUALEM (MAR)
Johannes HATTINGH (RSA)
Sheku KASSEGBAMA (SLE)
Lamjed MAAFI (TUN)

82kg
Abd OUAKALI (ALG)
Jones MABUNGU (ANG)
Andy MUKENDI (COD)
Fares GHALY (EGY)
Mathayo MAHABILA (KEN)
Mohamed FAIQ (MAR)
Abdul TCHOUFON (RSA)
Hakim TRABELSI (TUN)

87kg
Bachir SID AZARA (ALG)
Barthelemy TSHOSHA (COD)
Noureldin HASSAN (EGY)
Mark ONGUYESI (KEN)
Reda MOUENISS (MAR)
Edward LESSING (RSA)
Guma BASHIR (SUD)
Mohamed MISSAOUI (TUN)

97kg
Adem BOUDJEMLINE (ALG)
Aron MBO (COD)
Mohamed GABR (EGY)
Dan CHEPTAI (KEN)
Hamza BOUMADIENE (MAR)
Pieter SWART (RSA)

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

Blessing OBORUDUDU (NGR)Blessing OBORUDUDU (NGR) is a silver medalist from Tokyo Olympics. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Women's Wrestling

50kg
Ibtissem DOUDOU (ALG)
Nde YAPI (CIV)
Nada MEDANI (EGY)
Imane BOUJNANE (MAR)
Christianah OGUNSANYA (NGR)
Sarra HAMDI (TUN)

53kg
Lamia CHEMLAL (ALG)
Nogona BAKAYOKO (CIV)
Shaimaa BARAKAT (EGY)
Emma WANGILA (KEN)
Wissal EL GNAOUI (MAR)
Mercy ADEKUOROYE (NGR)
Lobna ICHAOUI (TUN)

55kg
Louji YASSIN (EGY)
Zineb HASSOUNE (MAR)
Jumoke ADEKOYE (NGR)
Faten HAMMAMI (TUN)

57kg
Farah HUSSEIN (EGY)
Peruce OKOBA (KEN)
Nisrine HAMMAS (MAR)
Esther KOLAWOLE (NGR)
Helena VAN AS (RSA)
Francine DIATTA (SEN)
Zainab BARRIE (SLE)
Siwar LOUATI BEN ALI (TUN)
Veronica AYO (UGA)

59kg
Rayane HOUFAF (ALG)
Fatoumata CAMARA (GUI)
Atika EL ASLA (MAR)
Odunayo ADEKUOROYE (NGR)
Siwar BOUSETA (TUN)

62kg
Mastoura SOUDANI (ALG)
Françoise RASOARIMALALA (MAD)
Safietou GOUDIABY (SEN)
Marwa AMRI (TUN)

65kg
Berthe ETANE NGOLLE (CMR)
Sophia AYIETA (KEN)
Sunmisola BALOGUN (NGR)
Francine DIATTA (SEN)
Khadija JLASSI (TUN)

68kg
Houria BOUKRIF (ALG)
Blandine NGIRI (CMR)
Rosie TABORA (COD
Menatalla BADRAN (EGY)
Blessing OBORUDUDU (NGR)
Patricia ELNOUR (SUD)
Ranim SAIDI (TUN)

72kg
Ebi BIOGOS (NGR)
Anta SAMBOU (SEN)
Zaineb SGHAIER (TUN)

76kg
Yvette ZIE (BUR)
Amy YOUIN (CIV)
Samar HAMZA (EGY)
Jemima NYARKO OFORI (GHA)
Hannah RUEBEN (NGR)
Nour JELJELI (TUN)

#development

Strength Through Solidarity: Palestine, Jordan Partnership Strengthens Wrestling Development

By United World Wrestling Press

AMMAN, Jordan (February 10) -- A two-week wrestling development program aimed at strengthening wrestling in Palestine concluded on January 25, marking the completion of the first phase of the Development of National Sport System (DNSS) in Wrestling framework. 

The program, held from January 11 to 25 in Amman, Jordan, brought together 17 Palestinian participants, including athletes and coaches. The initiative was organized through a partnership between Olympic Solidarity and United World Wrestling, with logistical and technical support from the Jordan Wrestling Federation.

The coaching course and training camp were delivered by Hassan MADANY (EGY) and Ahmed KHEDHRI (TUN), both UWW-certified educators and wrestling experts in the region.

Palestine

The training course featured a combination of classroom instruction and on-mat technical training, designed to advance coaching standards while improving wrestling performance. The program also included practical teaching sessions, during which participants learned how to introduce and teach new skills using key factors and Discovery Games, supported by continuous evaluation to monitor learning progress.

Practical training emphasized foundational wrestling skills, including stance, movement, and level transitions. Participants practiced core offensive and defensive techniques, including single-leg and double-leg takedowns, grip control, sprawls, and pinning combinations.

The program also incorporated instructional methodology workshops, where participants practiced introducing new techniques using structured teaching models and game-based learning strategies, supported by continuous performance assessments.

The theoretical component covered wrestling fundamentals, including rules, terminology and technical principles, alongside broader athlete welfare subjects such as safety protocols, risk management, safeguarding measures and anti-doping education. Other sessions also explored coaching communication strategies and methods for identifying performance indicators critical to technical development, particularly for youth and beginner athletes.

Palestine

United World Wrestling Asia Council President Mohammad AWAMLEH and Palestine Wrestling Federation President Firas DOUDIN attended the program. 

"I express my sincere appreciation to Olympic Solidarity and United World Wrestling for their continued support of the Olympic Development Program," Doudin said. "It plays an important role in strengthening wrestling structures in Palestine. I thank the educators for their professionalism and commitment, as well as the Jordan Wrestling Federation and the UWW Asian Council leadership for their support and cooperation."

Participants described the course as a valuable learning experience, highlighting the quality of instruction, the balance between theory and practice, and the progressive on-mat training approach.

Palestine

The execution of the program marks a crucial step in developing coaching and wrestling in Palestine, demonstrates solidarity, and reflects UWW’s commitment to sustainable wrestling development worldwide.