#WrestleHammamet

Showdown Between Long-Time Rivals Amri and Adenity Brewing at 62kg

By Eric Olanowski

HAMMAMET, Tunisia (March 25) --- African stars Marwa AMRI (TUN) and Aminat ADENIYI (NGR) could renew one of the continent’s biggest women’s wrestling rivalries at next week’s Africa and Oceania Olympic Qualifier (April 2-4). The fellow Rio Olympians are entered at 62kg.

Armi has established herself as one of the greatest African women’s wrestlers ever and is looking to build on that legacy with a potential fourth Olympic berth. The Tunisian great made history in back-to-back years with a bronze-medal finish at the Rio Olympic Games and a silver medal at the ’17 World Championships. She became the first women’s wrestler from Africa to reach the podium at the Olympic Games, then became Africa’s first-ever world finalist.

But Amri’s road to a potential fourth Olympic Games will likely go through a pair of rising stars and the last African wrestler to beat her, Nigeria’s Adeniyi.

Since ’08, Amri has claimed 11/13 gold medals at African continental competitions and has only faced defeat on two occasions. She fell in the final of the ’08 African finals, but her latest loss came against Adeniyi in the opening round at the ’15 All African Games (4-1).

Since that loss, the pair of Rio Olympians have met for African gold in back-to-back years.

In the ’19 finals, Amri hit a sneaky counter-offensive dump in the opening period and pinned Adeniyi and won her tenth African gold. She claimed an 11th African title last year with another victory by fall over Adeniyi. The gold-medal match was scoreless after the first two minutes, but Amri caught Adeniyi off-balance with a single leg, then planted the Nigerian on her back for the fall.

Meanwhile, African rising stars and junior champs Amel HAMMICHE (ALG) and Zineb HASSOUNE (MAR) are also entered at 62kg. Last season, the Algerian made her fourth senior-level appearance and claimed a silver medal at the ’20 African Championships, while the African and Oceania Olympic Qualifier will be the Moroccan ’20 African junior champs second senior-level showing.

Wrestling at the Africa and Oceania Olympic Qualifier kicks off Friday (April 2-4) and can be followed live on www.uww.org.

62kg
Amel HAMMICHE (ALG)
Berthe Emilienne ETANE NGOLLE (CMR)
Zineb HASSOUNE (MAR)
Aminat Oluwafunmilayo ADENIYI (NGR)
Fatma INOUBLI (TUN)
Khouloud EL OUNI (TUN)
Marwa AMRI (TUN)

#WrestleZagreb, #development

Enhance Zagreb experience: Conferences, workshops, fan zones

By United World Wrestling Press

ZAGREB, Croatia (September 3) -- The World Championships in Zagreb will be another milestone for United World Wrestling and its promote wrestling.

From assistance to first-ever world conference, UWW is set to host numerous activities before and during the World Championships that enhance the experience of wrestlers, coaches, fans and other stakeholders.

As many 114 athletes and coaches from 41 countries will receive financial assistance from UWW's Technical Assistance Program for the World Championships. They will receive financial support to participate in the tournament for their respective nations. 

Continuing it's Elite Female Coaches Scholarships, UWW has awarded it to five coaches for the World Championships. Four-time Olympic champion Kaori ICHO (JPN) and Africa's first Olympic medalist in Women's Wrestling Marwa AMRI (TUN) will be two of the beneficiaries of this scholarships.

During the World Championships, UWW will host its first-ever World Conference, from September 17-19. The three-day event will bring together leaders from national federations and various commissions to discuss the future of wrestling. Key topics include athlete career transitions, anti-doping, sports nutrition, and the advancement of women's wrestling.

A workshop for the National Federations is also scheduled to be held on September 19 during the World Conference.

The Scientific Symposium will also held during September 17-19 to discuss scientific wrestling, weight management, data analysis among other topics.

The World Championships will also witness the UWW Athletes' Commission Elections. These will be held throughout the World Championships, September 13-21, with participating wrestlers able to vote for the nominees.

For the wrestlers, the Croatian Wrestling Federation, with the support of UWW will organize an acclimatization camp from September 5 to 16 in Porec, organized by the Croatian NF and financially supported by UWW.

During the acclimatization camp, an education booth will be set up by the Integrational Testing Agency (ITA), on September 8 and 9. The booth is set up to educate wrestlers, coaches and mangers about anti-doping programs.
 
The Zagreb Arena will have fan zones with activities as well throughout the September 13-21 World Championships.