Development

Aline Silva Awarded United World Wrestling’s Women in Sport Award

Tuesday, April 3, 2018 - 17:27 By Tim Foley

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CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY (April 2) -- Aline SILVA (BRA) has been awarded United World Wrestling’s 2018 Women in Sport Award.

Silva, a 2014 world silver medalist 2016 Olympian, has spent much of the past 12 months creating an outreach program in her home city of Cubatã, Brazil, which provides educational and wrestling opportunities for girls.

"We are very proud of Aline," said United World Wrestling president Nenad Lalovic. "She is the type of female leader we want in our sport. She has taken her victories on the mat and is making a big impact with younger girls. We are honored to present her this award."

Silva will receive $10,000 from United World Wrestling and is expected to hire a coach and English teacher to help instruct 60 public school girls in Cubatã. The outreach program will also include weekly empowerment teachings with themes like leadership, personal development, and sexual and reproduction rights. 

“I think it’s important to want something big for yourself and others,” said Silva. “And for these girls I want to show them what it means to have a goal and how to strive for it everyday. I know that striving to reach a goal every day means you will make your dreams come true!”

Aline SILVA (r) became Brazil's first-ever world finalist in wrestling, earning silver at the 2014 World Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan (Photo: Gabor Martin, United World Wrestling)

Silva kickstarted her to-be-named outreach program with a trip to the Global Sports Mentoring Program at the University of Tennessee's Peace, Sport and Society Program. During her six weeks on-site, Silva created a plan of action to empower Brazilian women through sports and sought advice on ways to improve her new program.

“I want to thank President Lalovic and everyone at United World Wrestling for all their great work in promoting women’s wrestling and gender equality.”

Though busy with outreach and instruction, Silva isn’t slowing down on the mats. She is still training full-time and expects to compete at this year’s world championships in Budapest. Her goal is to medal at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.

Other applicants included Power Club (ESP), Johanna KIKAS (EST), Elham HEIDARI (IRI/CAN), Yevheniia PAVLOVA (UKR) and Fédération Française de Lutte who each showed commitment to advancing the gender equality through wrestling.

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UWW and Inspire Institute of Sport host first-ever coaching course

Tuesday, July 8, 2025 - 13:22 By United World Wrestling Press

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VIJAYANAGAR, India (July 9) -- United World Wrestling hosted a international coaching course at Inspire Institute of Sport in India from June 27 to July 1.

This was the first-ever coaching course held in India under the partnership that UWW signed with IIS in 2024 to help develop wrestling in India. The Level 2 coaching course was led by July and was lead by Ahmed KHEDHRI (TUN).

"The group was distinguished by a wide diversity of experiences and backgrounds, which added a special richness to the discussions and allowed for fruitful exchanges of ideas and practices," Khedhri said. "The coaches’ enthusiasm and commitment to enhancing their knowledge and skills to serve wrestling in their respective countries were clearly evident. This positive interaction added a dynamic and engaging spirit to the course, making it a truly rich and effective educational experience."

The Level 2 coaching course focused on the designing and implementing of practice plans and had nine coaches from three countries namely India, Singapore, and Nigeria that participated in the course.

The course covered various topics including seven basic skills of wrestling, introduction to performance analysis designing effective practice sessions, risk management, mental development, Anti-Doping, environmental impact and included technical sessions. During the course, the coaches actively practiced and developed their skills through practical evaluations.

"The course was very successful and impactful. It was truly excellent, characterized by clarity, depth, and practical application that added real value for all participants. I feel deeply grateful and very excited, as this was our first education clinic, through which we have already seen many promising potentials and future opportunities," Rishabh CHAUHAN, Head of Sports Excellence Program at IIS, said.

INDParticipants at the  Level 2 coaching course work through designing and implementing a wrestling practice plan. (Photo: United World Wrestling)

Quotes from some of the participants:

Timothy Loh Yu (SGP)

“Completing the UWW Coaching Course Level 2 was an enriching experience that deepened my technical knowledge and coaching philosophy. The course focused on athlete-centered development, advanced planning, and effective communication. Key takeaways included structuring training cycles, integrating strength and conditioning, and applying sports science for better athlete management. Practical sessions improved my technical instruction and feedback skills. Overall, the course strengthened my confidence and commitment to continuous learning. The venue, facilities, accommodation, and the facilitation by Mr. Ahmed were also excellent and supported the success of the program.”

Gurpreet Kaur (IND)

“I would like to express my gratitude for facilitating the UWW Level 2 Coaches Course. The course was highly informative, engaging, and practical, covering key topics such as basic wrestling skills, training phases and periodization, video analysis, practice planning, nutrition and weight management, and athlete management. It has deepened my perspective as a coach and equipped me with practical tools to use in my training sessions. To further enhance learning, incorporating more case studies, video breakdowns of real matches, and live or recorded athlete demonstrations could strengthen technical and tactical understanding. Overall, the course struck a good balance between theory and real-life application.”

Blessing Oborududu (NGR)

“The UWW Level 2 Coaching Course has been a game-changer for me. I’ve gained practical skills to enhance my coaching, including analyzing and correcting techniques, planning effective training programs, and applying strength & conditioning and nutrition to optimize athlete performance. I’ve also developed leadership and communication skills to foster a supportive training environment. This course has truly elevated my coaching abilities and will help me better support my athletes’ growth and success.”