#CARDA

Azimi Tabbed to Head Guatemala's CARDA

By United World Wrestling Press

GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala (March 9) --- The "High Performance and Development Center for the Americas" recently reopened in the Guatemalan capital after the facility was temporarily closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Upon the center's highly-anticipated reopening, United World Wrestling named 44-year-old Reza AZIMI as the CARDA's (Spanish acronym) new head coach.

Azimi, who originally hails from Iran, brings loads of high-level experience as a coach and a competitor into Guatemala. He had an outstanding career as an athlete from 1993-'97, winning medals at the U17, U20, and U23 World Championships.

Azimi's success followed into his coach career. He successfully performed his duties in Iran, Nicaragua and India.
•    Coached Iran's National Team from 2013-'15.
•    Coached Nicaragua's National Team in 2017.
•    Coached India's National Team and Punjab's Team in 2020-'21.

Mr. Francisco Lee, President of UWW Americas, welcomed Azimi to Guatemala with open arms. Upon Azimi's arrival. Mr. Lee highlighted the sports cooperation between the National Federations of Iran and Guatemala and wished the new coach success.

Obituary

Tragic Accident Claims Life of Russia's Zhiletezhev

By United World Wrestling Press

MOUNT ELBRUS, Russia (July 26) --- On Tuesday (July 24), Russian Wrestling Federation wrestler Ahmed ZHILETEZHEV (RWF) tragically passed away after falling off a cliff while hiking in the Buka-Bashi Mountains. 

The accident occurred in the vicinity of Mountain Elbrus, where the Russian Junior Freestyle Wrestling team is currently at a training camp (July 14-31).

On their day off, Zhiletezhev, a bronze medalist of the Russian U20 Championship 2022, and two friends Anton Suchkov and Shukhrat Rasulov, went to Buka-Bashi Mountain. Their route was not registered with the Ministry of Emergency Situations. At 20:07 on July 24, a group member was reported to have fallen into the canyon. Later, it was determined that Zhiletezhev tragically passed after falling off a cliff.

United World Wrestling expresses its deepest sympathies to the Russian Wrestling Federation and the Zhiletezhev family.