stadiums

China Builds 47 Million Euro Wrestling Stadium in Senegal

Thursday, July 26, 2018 - 15:46 By BBC News

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DAKAR, Senegal (July 26) -- Senegalese President Macky Sall and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, inaugurated a national wrestling arena in Dakar this week in a project funded by the Chinese government.

The first arena dedicated to this popular sport in Senegal, located in the city of Pikine, near Dakar, was inaugurated Sunday, the second day of the visit of the Chinese leader in the Senegalese capital.

Xi Jinping, on a state visit to Senegal, symbolically handed Macky Sall the keys of the national arena of Pikine wrestling, during a ceremony marked by a wrestling matches and dancing.

The new arena, built in 28 months by the Chinese, cost 48.7 million euros and was paid for by the Chinese government. The stadium has a capacity of more than 20,000 places.

"The national arena fills a gap for wrestling," Senegalese Sports Minister Matar Ba was quoted by Agence France-Presse as saying.

According to Mr. Bâ the arena can accommodate other sports such as boxing and martial arts, but also socio-educational activities, such as concerts.

The national arena was always a point of concern for Senegalese wrestling professionals, who were forced to organize their competitions in football stadiums.

Lutte Senegalese is the most popular sport in the nations and often broadcast live on television, mobilize thousands of spectators and sponsors, with payment to wrestlers often reaching tens of thousands of euros for a single match.

(This story originally ran in French on the BBC, here)

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Lalovic attends WADA Conference, completes development visits in Asia

Tuesday, December 9, 2025 - 12:45 By United World Wrestling Press

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CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (December 8) -- United World Wrestling President Nenad LALOVIC, who serves on the WADA Executive Committee as an IOC representative, attended the 2025 WADA World Conference held from December 1 to 5 in Busan, Korea.

The conference brought together the global anti-doping community for high-level discussions on the World Anti-Doping Program, with a key focus on approving the 2027 World Anti-Doping Code and International Standards. The revision process, launched in September 2023, has allowed stakeholders to contribute to strengthening and modernizing the global anti-doping system.

Nenad LALOVIC

Development visits

President Lalovic also completed wrestling-related visits to China, Korea, and Kyrgyzstan, reinforcing UWW’s commitment to supporting National Federations and expanding the sport across the region.

In each country, Lalovic emphasized UWW’s ongoing efforts to deepen cooperation with National Federations, increase engagement, and grow wrestling at the elite and grassroots levels. He encouraged federations to integrate wrestling programs into schools, offering more opportunities for young athletes to enter the sport.

Nenad LALOVIC

A key area of discussion was UWW’s development strategy leading into the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic cycle, including updates on Olympic qualification, the Pro Series, and opportunities available to National Federations.

In China, meetings were held with Vice Minister of General Administration of Sport of China Lixin TONG and Vice President of National Olympic Committee of China Jinqiang ZHOU.

UWW also recently announced the addition of Raul TRUJILLO DIAZ, longtime coach of Olympic champion Mijain LOPEZ (CUB) and recipient of the 2025 IOC Coaches Lifetime Achievement Award, to support global development of Greco-Roman. Lalovic highlighted that such initiatives strengthen the sport and promote valuable exchanges of expertise among federations and coaches.

MoU

MoU signed in Kyrgyzstan

During the visit to Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan inaugurated a new wrestling arena and academy, marking a significant step forward in its cooperation with UWW.

A Memorandum of Understanding was also signed between UWW and Izabekov Wrestling Academy to expand development programs and training opportunities in the country.

Accompanied by UWW Asia President Mohammad Al-AWAMLEH and Secretary General Carlos ROY, Lalovic met with representatives of the Kyrgyzstan federation to discuss regional initiatives and long-term development plans.

On December 6, Lalovic was received by Sadyr JAPAROV, President of the Kyrgyz Republic, to whom he presented the UWW medal in recognition of his support for wrestling.