Fair Play

Lalovic Reaffirms Wrestling’s Commitment to Olympic Charter, Fair Play

By United World Wrestling Press

IOWA CITY (April 8) – United World Wrestling president and IOC executive board member Nenad LALOVIC today reasserted wrestling’s commitment to open and fair play in sport.

“Like many federations we face problems with countries allowing their politics to interfere in competition,” said Lalovic. “For wrestling, this problem has been visible among our stakeholders. No longer can we allow political problems to enter the field of play. We must fight against any opponent of our sport community with all the means we have.”

Lalovic is currently in Iowa City, United States attending the 2018 Men’s Freestyle World Cup, a dual meet competition featuring the top eight wrestling nations in the world.

“If every international political conflict is transferred to the field of play, and we fail to respond, then all of sport would be in jeopardy. Every nation and every sport on the Olympic programme must respect the Olympic charter and the nature of their sport in general.”

“We will never allow any disrespect to our nations, nor will the IOC.”

United World Wrestling is reviewing all host cities and national federations to ensure they have no outstanding political disputes which might conflict with the idea of open and fair competition. Also, nations who do not allow for entrance of other nations will not be considered for hosting future events.

#development

UWW Donates Mats to Mauritius for Regional Development Project

By United World Wrestling Press

MAURITUS (April 27) -- United World Wrestling has donated wrestling mats to the Mauritius National Wrestling and Allied Games Association. The mats were provided through UWW’s partner and sponsor, Taishan Sports, in support of the Olympic Solidarity/ UWW Regional Development Program.

The mats will be used as part of the OS/UWW regional program, which aims to strengthen wrestling development in Mauritius and create a lasting impact across the East Africa region. By improving access to quality training facilities and equipment, the initiative seeks to support athletes, coaches, and youth participation while helping national federations raise standards across the region.

The regional program is scheduled to take place from October 9 to 18, 2026 and will combine athlete training camps, coaches’ education, referees’ courses, and a regional competition to conclude the activities. Olympic Solidarity will soon send invitations to all National Olympic Committees in East Africa to participate in the program.

The President of the Mauritius National Wrestling and Allied Games Association Joel ANTOINETTE highly appreciated the donation.

“We are incredibly grateful for the generous donation of these wrestling mats," Antoinette said. "This contribution is more than just equipment; it’s the foundation for a new era. We promise to honor this gift by working tirelessly to revolutionize the Wrestling sport, pushing boundaries, and elevating our athletes to heights."

Thanks to the support of the Mauritius National Olympic Committee, this is not the first time that the Mauritius National Wrestling Association has organized such educational events. Over the past years, they have successfully delivered several Olympic Solidarity/UWW development activities at both national and regional levels.

Mauritius has increased its presence on the international wrestling stage in recent years, with athletes competing more regularly at major events thanks to the continued support of the Mauritius National Olympic Committee and the Mauritius Wrestling federation. This progress reflects the growing ambition of the federation and the country’s commitment to advancing the sport.