#development

Pan-Am training camp wrestlers win 24 medals in Acapulco

By United World Wrestling Press

MEXICO CITY (May 21) -- Before the Senior Pan-American Championships in Acapulco, United World Wrestling and Mexico Wrestling Federation held a training camp from April 1 to May 2 in Mexico City.

A total of 74 wrestlers from eight different Pam-Am countries participated in the month-long camp. Wrestlers from Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, and Puerto Rico were at the camp and supported by UWW's Development Department Technical Assistance program.

Out of the 74 wrestlers who participated in the training camp, 24 stepped up on the podium at the 2022 Pan-Am Championships in Acapulco, and 14 won a quota for their countries for the 2023 Pan-American Games to be held in Santiago, Chile.

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The wrestlers were housed at the Mexican Olympic Sports Center (CDOM) for 23 days of the camp and were provided with all the necessary facilities for optimal performance. They had three meals, planned according to the nutritional needs of high-performance athletes, per day in the CDOM dining room.

All participants had access to the different facilities of the CDOM including the mat sessions which were held in the recently inaugurated Olympic Wrestling Gymnasium, a facility that has three official mats, a sauna, showers, physical conditioning equipment, ice machine, among other amenities for the athletes. They also had training sessions in the physical conditioning gymnasium and the athletics track of the CDOM.

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For recreation, the wrestlers had access to different amenities, such as television, board games, foosball, and movie projection, among others.

All the coaches for the different countries had an active role in the development of the training sessions, making this training camp enjoyable for all the participants and creating partnerships between countries.

Medical, psychological, and physiotherapeutic care to all participants who required it was also provided by Dr. Jacques Rogge of the Center of Medicine and Applied Sports Sciences. 
Medical specialists were available 24-hours a day and an ambulance was available in case of an emergency.

#development

Olympic champ Ghasemi now UWW Educator

By United World Wrestling Press

CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (May 1) -- Komeil GHASEMI, an Olympic champion in 2012 and silver medalist from Rio 2016, expanded his career horizons by pursuing a United World Wrestling (UWW) educator certification. In Cambodia's Southeast Asian Championships last year, Ghasemi took his first step by appearing for the certification test.

As the coach of Cambodia's national team for two years, Ghasemi sought to enhance his skills and knowledge. After acing the Level 1 Coaching, Training, and Introduction to Refereeing course, conducted by Olympic Solidarity in collaboration with UWW, Ghasemi was invited to the Coaches Course in Thailand in March.

"I am thrilled to share my experience and my expertise with all the participants," said Ghasemi in December. "UWW remains committed to its affiliated members and is always concerned for their development and is committed to working with all the partners concerned towards this objective of sustainable development while keeping the course of the 2022-2026 strategy."

Komeil GHASEMI

Hailing from the wrestling hotbed of Juybar, Iran, Ghasemi has achieved several accolades in his career. He won two gold medals at the U20 Asian Championships and bronze medals at the U20 World Championships. Ghasemi's notable achievements also include a world silver medal in addition to his two Olympic medals, making him the most successful Iranian heavyweight wrestler.

After retiring in 2019, Ghasemi transitioned to coaching and joined the Cambodian wrestling team. His expertise bore fruit at the Southeast Asian Wrestling Championship held in 2021, where Cambodian wrestlers achieved their most significant tournament success since joining a few years ago, earning a total of 19 medals, including three golds, three silvers, and 13 bronzes, under Ghasemi's coaching.