#development

Jordan hosts coaching and referee courses

Tuesday, August 30, 2022 - 17:19 By United World Wrestling Press

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AMMAN, Jordan (August 29) -- Jordan Wrestling Federation hosted a series of education courses for their coaches and referees between August 5-17 in Amman. These courses were conducted in conjunction with United World Wrestling, Olympic Solidarity, and the Jordan Wrestling Federation.

The coaching courses were led by Ahmed KHEDHRI (TUN) while the referee course was led by UWW Referee Commission vice-president Kamel BOUAZIZ (TUN).

The first course conducted was the Introduction to Referee Course from August 5-7. Forty participants participated in the course which included six women referees. The participants learned the foundations of what it takes to be a successful referee.

The areas covered during the course included: the safety of the athletes, evaluation of holds, referee mechanics, positioning, and controlling the bout. The participants were active during the course and were able to practice their skills through practical evaluations.

JordanThe coach's course in Amman. (Photo: United World Wrestling)

“It was an excellent training course as all the participants are happy with it and wish to repeat such courses," Bouaziz said. "Members of the Jordan Federation and Olympic Committee expressed their thanks to the International Olympic Committee, UWW and the IF's development department for their great contribution and keenness to develop wrestling in the Kingdom of Jordan.”

Following the referee course, Khedri led 40 participants in the Introduction to Coaching and Safety Course (Level 1). The course included nine women [coaches and athletes] and 31 men [coaches, PE teachers, and athletes].

All participants learned the foundations of being a successful coach. They focused on the following areas: discovery games, introducing a new technique, coaching skills, giving feedback, risk management, age and developmental stage characteristics. During the course, the coaches actively practiced and developed their skills through practical evaluations.

“The atmosphere was distinguished, based mainly on teamwork, involvement and practice of all participants individually and by group system,” Khedhri said.

JordanA competition was held after the completition of both the courses. (Photo: United World Wrestling)

Following the completion of the two courses, the Jordan Wrestling Federation hosted a competition that allowed the referees and coaches to practice the skills that they learned. This competition had 80 boys and 16 girls participating which allowed 87 bouts to be wrestled.

After the competition, Khedhri conducted the Introduction to Practice Planning Course (Level 2). This course had 45 coaches participating [nine women and 36 men].

During this course, the participants learned the foundations of planning effective training sessions. They discussed the general framework for practice plans, risk management strategies in planning, creating activities during practice, video analysis, and effective time management. The participants were able to create practice plans that they could use in upcoming training.

“They were outstanding courses and a convincing performance from all the participants," Khedhri said. "The participants expressed the improvement of their knowledge and their desire to continue to participate in such courses and along with a commitment of the Jordan Federation, which expressed their complete satisfaction and thanks to Olympic Solidarity, the Jordanian Olympic Committee, and the UWW Development department, confirming their continued hard work for the benefit of Jordanian wrestling."

#JapanWrestling

World Champs Morikawa, Ishii Set Up Clash in 68kg Final

Friday, May 22, 2026 - 12:40 By Ken Marantz

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TOKYO (May 22) -- The first of what could be several clashes of Japanese women titans was set up when reigning world champions Miwa MORIKAWA and Ami ISHII advanced to the 68kg final at the Meiji Cup All-Japan Championships in Tokyo on Friday.

Morikawa, the world champion at 65kg, had her hands full in grinding out a 3-2 win over world U20 champion Rey HOSHINO in their semifinal, scoring the decisive takedown off a counter in the final minute.

Ishii, the current 68kg world champ, had little trouble piling up the takedowns in a 10-0 victory over former world champion Masako FURUICHI.

Morikawa got the best of Ishii at the Emperor's Cup All-Japan Championships last December, winning 5-3 to earn a trip to the Asian Championships, where she had to settle for the silver medal.

This time there is more at stake in the final on Saturday, as the Meiji Cup is serving as the final qualifier for this year's Asian Games, to be hosted by Japan, and the World Championships.

Winners of both the Emperor's Cup and Meiji Cup automatically earn places on the national team; if they are different, a playoff is held between the two at the end of the day.

Given the stakes, Morikawa knows Ishii will be coming at her with all guns blazing, knowing she need to beat Morikawa twice to earn a national team berth.

"That [Emperor's Cup win] doesn't matter," Morikawa said. "In that match, I went all out to the end and came up with the victory. I think that tomorrow, she will really be coming after me. I have to show the willpower and guts to not give in. I will do my utmost to secure the national team place in one fell swoop."

Morikawa naturally would not reveal what strategy she has for Ishii, but says she will rely on what her coach, four-time Olympic champion Kaori ICHO, comes up with.

"She's really good with her attacks, and my strong point is defense," Morikawa said. "Kaori will devise a plan, and I'll just go along with that."

Yuka KAGAMI (JPN)Yuka KAGAMI (JPN) reached the 76kg final at the Meiji Cup. (Photo: wrestling-spirits.jp / Takeo Yabuki)

In other semifinals on the second day of the four-day tournament at Tokyo's Komazawa Gym, Paris Olympic champion Yuka KAGAMI moved a step closer to returning to the global stage by making the 76kg final.

Kagami posted a slim 2-1 victory over Ayana MORO, with all of the points scored on the activity clock, to set up a meeting with Yasuha MATSUYUKI, who dealt her a stunning loss in the final of the Emperor's Cup, which was her first competition since Paris.

"I came to realize that last time, the fighting spirit that I had at the Olympics was taking a nap," Kagami said. "For these five months, I have prepared to come here and definitely win the title, then the playoff."

At 53kg, world champion Haruna MURAYAMA outlasted longtime rival and former Olympic champion Mayu SHIDOCHI 2-1 -- with all points scored on the activity clock -- to set up a final against Moe KIYOOKA for the second straight year.

Murayama defeated Kiyooka, the world 55kg champion in 2024, twice last year -- 3-1 in the final, then again 4-1 in the playoff -- to make the team to the World Championships in Zagreb, where she claimed her fourth career gold.

Kiyooka came back to win the Emperor's Cup title in Murayama's absence, and will be looking to avenge last year's losses as she attempts to fill the void left when Olympic champion Akari FUJINAMI moved up to 57kg.

In a tragic incident, Taishi NARIKUNI's bid to repeat the Freestyle-Greco double that he accomplished at the Emperor's Cup ended when he suffered a serious eye injury in his Greco 70kg quarterfinal -- which he won nonetheless, but then was easily beaten in the semifinals.

Facing Takara FUKUZAWA in the last eight, Narikuni took a hard shoulder to the eye, which knocked him woozy for awhile. He managed to continue on, finishing up a 5-0 victory. But, wearing a patch over his right eye in the semifinals against Hajime KIKUTA, he went down 8-0 in 28 seconds.

Narikuni was scheduled to also take the mat later in the day in the Freestyle 72kg final, but would end up defaulting that match. Family members said he was taken to the hospital and was diagnosed with a broke cheek bone below his eye and would undergo surgery on Saturday.

As defending Freestyle 97kg champion Arash YOSHIDA awaited his final, it was a tough day for rest of his family, whose Iranian father runs the kids wrestling club where the siblings got their start in the sport.

Keivan YOSHIDA, Arash's older brother who preceded him as 97kg champion in 2024, was ousted in the semifinals at 125kg, losing 11-1 to Hosei FUJITA.

Just moments later on an adjacent mat, younger brother Ariya YOSHIDA was dealt a tough 10-9 loss at 79kg to Kanata YAMAGUCHI.

In the final, Yamaguchi will face another wrestler with Iranian heritage, newly crowned Asian champion Keyvan GHAREHDAGHI, a 10-0 winner over Kohei KITAMURA in the other semifinal.