#development

Learn, Wrestle, Use youth camp organized in Croatia

Tuesday, May 6, 2025 - 11:29 By United World Wrestling Press

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POREC, Croatia (May 6) -- The Croatian Wrestling Federation, in cooperation with United World Wrestling and the Croatian School Sports Federation, successfully organized an international youth wrestling camp titled “Learn, Wrestle, Use”, held from April 14 to 19, 2025, in the renowned wrestling hub of sunny Porec.

The camp brought together 300 young athletes from four European countries -- Croatia, Czech Republic, Austria, and Germany -- in the U13, U15 and U17 age groups. In addition to intensive wrestling training, the camp included targeted educational sessions of learning English, proper nutrition, and digital safety, particularly regarding responsible behavior on social media.

This innovative project stands out for its integrated approach, combining athletic preparation with personal development. Through a balance of physical training and structured education, “Learn, Wrestle, Use” supports the holistic — both physical and psychological — development of young athletes. It encourages not only sporting excellence, but also intercultural exchange, communication skills, and lifelong healthy habits.

The camp was led by a team of distinguished Croatian coaches: Hrvoje SAVUK (U13 Boys Group), Eugen JAKOVLJEVIC, head coach of the Croatian U15 boys national team (U15 & U17 Boys Groups), and Women’s Wrestling national team coaches Dinko KREMIC and Nenad GREZINA (Girls Group). A total of 30 experienced coaches participated in the delivery of the training and educational components.

This international initiative is a strong example of how youth sport can go beyond competition — creating space for learning, connection, and empowerment across borders.

#wrestlemanama

World C'ships 2026 to be held in October; U20 Worlds in Bratislava

Monday, December 8, 2025 - 07:56 By United World Wrestling Press

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CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (December 8) -- United World Wrestling has officially confirmed the host city for the 2026 U20 World Championships and finalized the competition dates for the 2026 Senior World Championships.

In addition, the host for 2026 Asian Championships has also been shifted from Amman, Jordan to Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.

Bratislava, Slovakia, has been selected to host the 2026 U20 World Championships. Bratislava had successfully hosted the 2025 European Championships in April with sellout stadium. The U20 World Championships in 2026 are scheduled to take place from August 17 to 23 and a similar crowd is expected for the competition.

UWW also confirmed the competition window for the 2026 Senior World Championships to be hosted in Manama, Bahrain, which was announced as hosts during a ceremony held in Zagreb in September.

The World Championships are set to run from October 24 to November 1, providing nine days of action featuring the world’s top wrestlers.

No Arab country has ever hosted a World Championships but Bahrain will etch its name in history with the 2026 edition.

"Bahrain has a superstar in wrestling," UWW President Nenad LALOVIC had said. "They probably want to use this opportunity to promote the sport through this superstar [Akhmed] TAZHUDINOV (BRN). But he's not the only one.

"They also want to develop the local Bahrain born athletes to compete because they have the role model of the top achievement in wrestling. This is something that we considered and that is why we made this decision."

The Asian Championships, originally scheduled in Amman will now be hosted by Bishkek from April 6 to 12.

The 2026 U15 & U20 Asian Championships have been moved from Bangkok to Pattaya.

The U17, U20 and senior African Championships will be held in Alexandria, Egypt from April 28 to May 3. In addition, the dates for the 2026 Pan-American Championships were also modified. The competition will now be held from May 7 to 10 in Coralville, Iowa, United States.

For the full 2026 calendar, visit uww.org/events.