Development

Wrestling Hosts Virtual Educator Meeting

Thursday, February 11, 2021 - 16:51 By United World Wrestling Press

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CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (February 12) -- The United World Wrestling development department hosted three virtual educator meetings Tuesday with UWW educators conducting each meeting in a different language (French, English, Russian and Spanish).

The meetings were focused on informing attendees on how to use the new Academy platform and become familiar with its functions and how it will be used in future courses. The groups reviewed administrative requirements for conducting courses and discussed future training opportunities for educators over the course of the year.  

The meetings also provided an opportunity for the department to provide updates on Olympic Solidarity courses and NF courses.  

“This UWW Academy platform is a great tool which advances education of new generations of coaches and referees to a higher level, in line with trends of today’s modern world,” said UWW Referee Educator Davor Petanjek (CRO). “I look forward jumping into this train to a brighter future!”  

"The meetings were great," said UWW Education Manager Zach Errett. "It gave us an opportunity to connect with all the outstanding educators around the world and to hear the great projects they have been working on during the pandemic. Many of them are excited and hopeful to get back to conducting courses and helping to develop and improve wrestling around the world."  

It is also important to notify that despite the Covid 19 pandemic, educators have kept their motivation to develop the fight in their country, either through seminars during events, or through training organized spontaneously by their federations. They took advantage of the opportunities available to them to continue to make their contribution to our sport. 

To conclude Madam Déqa Niamkey Director of the Development Department to congratulate them and encourage them to continue on this positive side. And to say "we are a team, a family and I am proud to belong to this great family of wrestling."
 

Obituary

Franz Beckenbauer, football legend and wrestling's friend, passes away

Wednesday, January 10, 2024 - 14:33 By United World Wrestling Press

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CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (January 10) -- Franz BECKENBAUER was a football pioneer, a World Cup legend and one of the world’s biggest sporting heroes. A true global star, he was worshipped by millions across the globe. And it wasn’t just the football fans for whom he was a hero.

Beckenbauer, who passed away on Monday aged 78, held a special place in the wrestling family for his immense contribution to popularising the sport and bringing it back into the Olympic fold.

When the wrestling fraternity was leaving no stone unturned to return to the Olympics back in 2013, Beckenbauer famously lent his unwavering support. Fondly known as The Kaiser, he shared his thoughts on the future of wrestling, met UWW President Nenad LALOVIC to discuss ways to improve the sport’s visibility and campaigned for its inclusion in the Olympics after it was removed from the program 11 years ago.

For this, Beckenbauer was awarded wrestling’s highest honor, the Golden Necklace. It’s an award usually given to the heads of state.

Speaking at the ceremony, Lalovic had said: “Franz said he grew up wanting to be a wrestler but his coaches told him he was too skinny and to try another sport.  The world is pretty glad that he did.”

Indeed, world football is richer and in a better place today because of Beckenbauer.

FRANZFranz Beckenbauer was awarded wrestling’s highest honor, the Golden Necklace, by UWW Bureau Member Rodica YAKSI.

Gifted with grace that he combined with steely determination, the player who started as a forward before dropping back and starting as a defender until he eventually created an altogether new role – the libero - redefined football.

He is one of the three men to have won the FIFA World Cup as a player and a coach. On both occasions, he masterminded wins over two players hailed as the greatest to ever grace football.

At the 1982 World Cup, the West Germany team captained by Beckenbauer defeated the legendary Netherlands side led by Johan Cruyff, the father of ‘total football’ philosophy. Then, as a coach of the German team at Italia 1990, Beckenbauer halted Diego Maradona’s Argentina.

At club level, too, he tasted incredible success with Bayern Munich, whom he led to three consecutive European titles as a player before taking them to further heights as a manager and later as the club’s president.

In the later stages of his career, Beckenbauer had a successful spell with Bundesliga side Hamburger SV and went on to win three North American Soccer League titles with New York Cosmos.

The Kaiser had an oversized impact on world football. But his influence reached far beyond the football field, as the sport of wrestling experienced in 2013.

UWW mourns the passing away of one of the true sporting icons spanning generations and expresses its deepest sympathies to the Beckenbauer family.