#development

British Wrestling Association Hosts Two-Day Referee Conference

By United World Wrestling Press

MANCHESTER, United Kingdom – The British Wrestling Association (BWA) recently hosted an inaugural Referee Conference in Manchester, UK on April 9-10. This seminar was done in conjunction with the UWW Development Department and conducted by Mr. Carlos Garcia (ESP). The course had 16 participants from the BWA and included four current UWW referees and 12 national referees, with four of them being new. 

“With some of our UWW Officials seeking upgrades in the near future, the conference provided a fantastic opportunity to learn from Carlos Garcia who was a key feature in making the whole weekend a success. The conference was incredibly well received by our officials, and it is our intention to make this an annual activity following UWW's annual publication of rule changes," said Craig Anthony, CEO of the British Wrestling Association.

GBRParticipants of the British Wrestling Association's (BWA) two-day course go through a practical training session. (Photo: David Morgan)

The goal of the course was to provide training on the new rules and focus on some of the more challenging areas for referees. The referees participated in theoretical and practical sessions during the two-day course that included the work in the following areas:  the new 2022 rule changes, takedown and control, out of bound situations, risk vs no risk, passivity, fleeing the mat/hold, referee mechanics, positioning during a bout, and mat chairman responsibilities.

“All participants showed great interest and commitment during the course. They asked many great questions and collaborated with the other participants.  All in all, it was very pleasant to work with them” said Carlos Garcia.

"British Wrestling's inaugural Referee Conference was an important step in our continued growth and efforts to build back better from the Coronavirus pandemic. After such a long time off the mat for many of our domestic referees, it was important for us to schedule an update on rule changes as well as to continue their development and raise officiating standards as a key part of the competition experience,” said Craig Anthony.  This seminar is part of their 2021-'25 strategic plan to “Develop the wrestling workforce to deliver the best combat sport experience in the UK.” 

This is just one of the many activities that have helped BWA grow over the past few years. “Since British Wrestling started its new strategic plan 2021-'25, everybody seems to be fully committed to further developing wrestling in the UK.  And you can see it and feel it in the way everybody performs and collaborates with the same goal:  compete at the highest level,” said Carlos Garcia.

Photos were taken by David Morgan (On the Mat | Flickr/On The Mat (@onthematuk) • Instagram)

#development

India Organizes a Level 1 Coaching Course

By United World Wrestling Press

New Delhi, India (August 22) – The Wrestling Federation of India organized a Level 1 Coaching Course from July 28-31. The course was led by UWW Certified Educators Mr. Ahmed Khedhri (TUN) and Mr. Hassan Madany (EGY). 

The course had 65 official participants.  During the 4 days of training, they learned foundational skills to help them develop as coaches.  Topics included identifying key factors, coaching skills, and risk management. The course was organized over two sessions per day for a total of 32 hours of work.  The participants not only learned theoretical knowledge but also participated in practical sessions.  “The environment in the course was very good because of each participant's dedication and effort along with outstanding teamwork amongst the participants,” said Mr. Khedhri.