#development

Regional Tournament of Development and Education held within XXXI Pat Shaw Memorial

Tuesday, May 31, 2022 - 11:06 By United World Wrestling Press

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GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala (May 30) -- The Regional Tournament of Development and Education was held within the framework of the XXXI INTERNATIONAL Wrestling Tournament "PAT SHAW," IN MEMORIAM, a tournament of a long tradition that is held in memory of the North American coach Mr. William "Pat" Shaw, who in 1947 introduced Olympic Wrestling in Guatemala preparing the national team that participated in the VI Central American and Caribbean Games that took place in the capital city of Guatemala in 1950.

The development event consisted of a course for coaches, a course for referees, a previous training camp and fundamentally the tournament for the U15, U17, U20 and Senior categories.

The Official Opening Ceremony of the courses and camps took place at the facilities of the CARDA, with the presence of the president of the National Wrestling Federation of Guatemala Ramón Francisco GONZÁLEZ PINEDA, the president of the United World Wrestling Americas Francisco Eduardo LEE LÓPEZ and Yuri MAIER United World Wrestling Sports and Development Officer for America. All these three events took place from May 24 to 26.

GUA
The stage at the Teodoro Palacios Flores for the XXXI Pat Shaw Wrestling Tournament. (Photo: United World Wrestling)

For the Coaches Course a total of 14 trainers took part. The UWW Educators were Millie Mayola AGUILAR CANIZALEZ (VEN), Héctor Luis CAMACHO RODRIGUEZ (VEN). And for the Referee Course 10 referees participated and it was in charge of the UWW Educator Omar Fabricio MUÑOZ CARRIEL (ECU).

The Training Camp took place in the Center of High Performance and Development of the Americas (CARDA), where more than 60 athletes, coaches and educators participated, in addition to the support of coach Reza AZIMI from Iran. In addition to the training sessions, a series of motivational conferences were given to the participant by the lecturer José LABBÉ

The tournament was held from May 27 to 29 at the National Gymnasium “Teodoro Palacios Flores” in Guatemala City. Almost 200 wrestlers participated from six countries: MEX, ESA, HON, NCA, CRC and GUA and a total of 287 bouts were carried out.

The management of the competition was done with the Arena system and all the official implementations of the UWW, with the support of the IT team of America.

Development

Wrestling Enters a New Era in Southern Africa with Namib Storm and SADC Open Championships

Wednesday, August 13, 2025 - 13:57 By United World Wrestling Press

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WINDHOEK, Namibia — July 2025 The Namibian Wrestling Federation (NWF), in partnership with United World Wrestling (UWW) and Olympic Solidarity, launched a landmark initiative to boost wrestling development in Southern Africa: the Namib Storm Wrestling Week and SADC Open Championships, held from 30 June to 5 July 2025 at the Windhoek Showgrounds.

Speaking at the official launch in Windhoek, NWF President Colin Steytler emphasized the significance of this new chapter for the sport:

“This is where everything comes together — grassroots, elite, and development levels. It’s the most important step we’ve taken to date in bringing our strategic goals to life.”

A New Benchmark for Regional Wrestling Development

The week-long event featured two core components:

  • REDT – Namib Storm Training Camp (30 June – 3 July)
    This high-performance camp delivered Level 3 Coaching and Level 2 Refereeing Certification under the guidance of UWW instructors — a first for Namibia and a major milestone for the region.

“You can’t grow grassroots wrestling without qualified coaches,” Steytler noted.
Coaches and officials from multiple countries, including Zambia, Zimbabwe, South Africa, and Mauritius, took part in intensive technical sessions.

  • SADC Open Championships (4 July)
    This tournament gathered elite athletes from Angola, South Africa, Zimbabwe, and beyond — many of whom are continental medallists. Importantly, the SADC Open became the first UWW-rated event in Southern Africa, enabling both athletes and referees to earn international exposure without needing to travel abroad.

“This changes the game,” said Steytler. “We can now compete regionally and still gain global recognition — this saves costs and boosts participation.”

NAMAttendees go through the Level 3 Coaching and Level 2 Refereeing Certification under the guidance of UWW instructors. (Photo: United World Wrestling)

Beach Wrestling: Taking the Sport to New Shores

The week concluded on 5 July with a Beach Wrestling showcase, reinforcing UWW’s commitment to accessibility and outreach.

“Beach wrestling will be the only wrestling discipline featured at the 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Senegal,” Steytler reminded. “And we are proud to host Namibia’s first-ever beach wrestling event in Swakopmund on 7 December 2025.”

Beach wrestling, requiring only sand and a rope, offers a practical and inclusive way to expand the sport into rural and underserved communities — a cornerstone of UWW’s vision.

Towards a Self-Sustaining Wrestling Future

The REDT initiative and Namib Storm programme are part of the NWF’s five-year strategy to develop a self-sustainable wrestling ecosystem, bridging the gap between grassroots and elite competition and aiming for future Olympic qualification and medals.

“The Namib Storm Week and SADC Open pull all of our strategic elements together,” said Steytler. “From here, we take what we’ve built back to the regions and expand wrestling further than ever before.”

This event highlights Southern Africa’s growing role in the global wrestling community and reflects UWW’s dedication to regional empowerment, education, and international competition access.