#WrestleBirmingham

Commonwealth Games prove pivotal for women referees

Thursday, August 11, 2022 - 13:42 By United World Wrestling Press

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BIRMINGHAM, England (August 11) -- Under the leadership of Edit Dosza and Antonio Silvestri, wrestling at the 2022 Commonwealth Games broke barriers and continued to push United World Wrestling's objective to achieve gender equality. 

The two-day competition at the Games was an important stage in UWW's continued development of women officials. It was a pivotal moment in herstory, as it was the first time female referees were the majority at a wrestling competition.

Of the 21 officials in attendance, 16 female referees participated in Birmingham, seven of which have the highest category (IS). At the same time, nine were participants from the first women‘s course which was held in in Antalya earlier this year.

The Commonwealth Games were a great success for female referees and an excellent experience for everyone involved. The matches went smoothly, giving a lot of hope for the future of female referees. The Games have undoubtedly inspired future girls and women to find their path in wrestling as an official.

The next step for the female referees of the women‘s developmental program is the World Championships. Next year, the work will continue, and the schedule will be published soon.

#development

South Africa completes phase one of UWW DNSS Program

Monday, November 17, 2025 - 08:24 By United World Wrestling Press

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PRETORIA, South Africa (November 17) --  The South African Wrestling Federation successfully completed the first phase of the United World Wrestling National Development and Support Strategy (DNSS) from October 17 to 26.

Under the supervision of Vincent AKA, UWW International Development Officer for Africa, and the coordination of Markus DEKKER, member of the SAWF Coaches Council, a nationwide development mission was undertaken. The UWW-SAWF team visited provincial associations, conducting technical assessments, talent identification sessions, and workshops for coaches.

South Africa

Using the UWW National Federation Assessment Tool (NFAT), the mission provided a detailed overview of the current state of wrestling in South Africa -- from grassroots participation to elite athlete preparation.

The tour covered major provinces including Western Cape, Eastern Province, Free State, Northern Cape, Gauteng North, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, and North West, engaging hundreds of athletes, coaches, and local administrators.

The assessment revealed strong technical potential among the U15 and U17 categories, as well as a growing passion for wrestling across communities and schools.

The mission also identified the need for stronger governance structures and more consistent communication between SAWF, provinces, and clubs to unify efforts under a national development plan.

Both teams will continue to work towards second phase of the program which will include establishing two regional pilot centers [Pretoria and Western Cape] to act as training and coordination hubs, launch a "School Integration" program linking PE teachers, schools, and wrestling clubs, developing a national athlete database to monitor and support emerging talents.

It will also aim to organize governance and compliance workshops to reinforce management capacity, implementing UWW coaching courses nationwide, forming a National Technical Committee to coordinate DNSS implementation and introducing measurable evaluation indicators to ensure accountability and progress tracking.