#development

Niamkey elected to Advisory Board of the International Council for Coaching Excellence

Friday, February 2, 2024 - 14:28 By United World Wrestling Press

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CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (February 2) -- Deqa NIAMKEY, United World Wrestling's Development Director, has been elected as a Board Member of the International Council for Coaching Excellence (ICCE) by the ICCE General Assembly during the 14th ICCE Global Coach Conference in Singapore.

"I am honored to join such a distinguished organization, working to enhance the coaching education pathways with renowned experts. UWW is working to establish a coaches certification program in collaboration with worldwide universities. Being a member of the ICCE advisory board will provide me with the tools to implement this exciting project," said Niamkey. "I would like to thank our President, Mr. Nenad Lalovic, for his trust and endorsement and ASOIF for their continued support."

Niamkey will serve in office for two years (2024-2025), with an option to be re-elected by the General Assembly in Athens in 2025.

More information on ICCE:
The mission of the ICCE is to lead and support the development of sport coaching globally.

The ICCE is a not-for-profit, global organization that aims to lead and develop sport coaching globally. ICCE members seek to enhance the quality of coaching at every level of sport.

The International Council for Coaching Excellence (ICCE) was established on September 24, 1997, by delegates representing 15 countries during the second International Coach Education Summit held at Wingate Institute, Netanya, Israel. The idea of creating an international body to represent coaches and coaching was discussed by Uri Schaefer from Israel, Jurgen Kotzel from Germany and Sue Campbell from UK at the 1994 meeting marking the 20th anniversary of the Trainerakademie in Cologne, Germany.

#development

South Africa Advances National Wrestling System with DNSS Phase 2

Thursday, April 9, 2026 - 07:25 By United World Wrestling Press

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PRETORIA, South Africa (April 8) -- South Africa has reached a decisive milestone in its long-term wrestling development strategy with the successful implementation of Phase 2 of the Development of National Sport System (DNSS) programme, delivered in collaboration with United World Wrestling (UWW) and supported by Olympic Solidarity.

Following the diagnostic and mapping phase conducted earlier, Phase 2 marks a clear transition from analysis to structured implementation, laying the foundation for a sustainable and internationally aligned wrestling system.

Led by UWW Development Officer Vincent AKA, in close cooperation with the South African Wrestling Federation (SAWF), the National Head Coach, Markus DEKKER and Provincial Coordinators, the programme was deployed across multiple provinces through a structured 10-day intervention from March 2 to 13. 

Activities were conducted in key locations including:

· LPWA (Ion Bachu)
· CGWA (Ruiter)
· NGWA (Menlo Park Hall)
· Frank Joubert Tournament (Menlo Park Hall)

This nationwide approach ensured direct engagement with provincial structures, strengthening alignment between national leadership and local associations while promoting inclusive development across the country.

From Talent Identification to System Building

Unlike traditional training camps, DNSS Phase 2 focused on identifying talent and building long-term development systems. Wrestlers and coaches from all age categories -- U13, U15, U17, U20, and Senior -- were actively involved, ensuring a complete pathway approach.

Provincial visits and stakeholder meetings played a key role in assessing facilities and operational structures, strengthening coordination between SAWF and provinces, and identifying emerging wrestlers.

Building Athlete Pipeline

A training camp for different provinces brought together wrestler to consolidate talent identified during Phase 1 and introduce standardized training methodologies.

The training camp included technical sessions, physical conditioning, match simulations and wrestling. The initiative contributed to the creation of an updated national prospect and the foundation of a structured athlete monitoring system.

South Africa

Beach Wrestling Gains Momentum

As part of the DNSS activities, a Beach Wrestling training session in Roodepoort highlighted the programme’s expanding impact.

During the visit, Aka led a specialized session, sharing advanced technical insights adapted to beach wrestling. It included stance and balance adjustments, grip and control techniques, and movement adaptation on sand.

The training programme comes at a crucial time, as South African athletes prepare for African Beach Wrestling Championships in Alexandria, Egypt and other international tournaments.