Obituary

UWW mourns death of Bureau member Lucio Caneva

Friday, July 22, 2022 - 07:41 By United World Wrestling Press

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CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (July 22) -- With great sadness, United World Wrestling has learned of the death of Lucio Caneva, a UWW Bureau Member, manager of the Italian national team, and Vice-President of the Mediterranean Committee of Associated Wrestling Styles. He was 61 years old.

Mr. Caneva, who attended the U15 European Championships in Croatia last weekend, dedicated his entire life to wrestling, making significant contributions first as a wrestler, then as a coach, followed by a successful tenure as an administrator.

"Mr. Caneva's passing is a big loss to the UWW family," Nenad LALOVIC, UWW President, said. He was a prominent figure in our sport. His role as a wrestler, coach and administrator was inspiring. My deepest condolences to the Caneva family."

Born on October 16, 1960, Mr. Caneva started as a young wrestler in his birthplace Genoa. He went on to become the trainer of one of Italy’s biggest wrestling clubs, Polisportivo Mandracci and became the president of the Liguria Regional Committee.

Mr. Caneva leaves behind his wife, Edit Dozsa -- a Hungarian international referee, who took part in the 2008 Beijing Olympics – and two children, both a part of the Army military sports group.

He coached his daughter Dalma, 28, who recently won the bronze medal in the 68kg category at the Mediterranean Games and has also finished on the podium at the European Championships in 2020 and 2021. His younger son, Aaron, is an Italian national champion and also competed in the Mediterranean Games.

In 2017, he moved to Rome with his family to assume his duties as the manager of the Italian wrestling team. Mr. Caneva and his family played an important role in welcoming two-time world champion and Rio Olympics bronze medallist Frank Chamizo Marquez to Italy. Mr. Caneva’s confidence in the wrestler's abilities, who also received support from the National Federation, FIJLKAM, became the face of Italian wrestling.

Last year, Mr. Caneva was elected as the Bureau Member of the UWW. His outstanding contributions to wrestling were recognized after he was honored with the Star of Sporting Merit.

The UWW expresses its deepest sympathies to the Caneva family.

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Lalovic attends WADA Conference, completes development visits in Asia

Tuesday, December 9, 2025 - 12:45 By United World Wrestling Press

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CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (December 8) -- United World Wrestling President Nenad LALOVIC, who serves on the WADA Executive Committee as an IOC representative, attended the 2025 WADA World Conference held from December 1 to 5 in Busan, Korea.

The conference brought together the global anti-doping community for high-level discussions on the World Anti-Doping Program, with a key focus on approving the 2027 World Anti-Doping Code and International Standards. The revision process, launched in September 2023, has allowed stakeholders to contribute to strengthening and modernizing the global anti-doping system.

Nenad LALOVIC

Development visits

President Lalovic also completed wrestling-related visits to China, Korea, and Kyrgyzstan, reinforcing UWW’s commitment to supporting National Federations and expanding the sport across the region.

In each country, Lalovic emphasized UWW’s ongoing efforts to deepen cooperation with National Federations, increase engagement, and grow wrestling at the elite and grassroots levels. He encouraged federations to integrate wrestling programs into schools, offering more opportunities for young athletes to enter the sport.

Nenad LALOVIC

A key area of discussion was UWW’s development strategy leading into the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic cycle, including updates on Olympic qualification, the Pro Series, and opportunities available to National Federations.

In China, meetings were held with Vice Minister of General Administration of Sport of China Lixin TONG and Vice President of National Olympic Committee of China Jinqiang ZHOU.

UWW also recently announced the addition of Raul TRUJILLO DIAZ, longtime coach of Olympic champion Mijain LOPEZ (CUB) and recipient of the 2025 IOC Coaches Lifetime Achievement Award, to support global development of Greco-Roman. Lalovic highlighted that such initiatives strengthen the sport and promote valuable exchanges of expertise among federations and coaches.

MoU

MoU signed in Kyrgyzstan

During the visit to Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan inaugurated a new wrestling arena and academy, marking a significant step forward in its cooperation with UWW.

A Memorandum of Understanding was also signed between UWW and Izabekov Wrestling Academy to expand development programs and training opportunities in the country.

Accompanied by UWW Asia President Mohammad Al-AWAMLEH and Secretary General Carlos ROY, Lalovic met with representatives of the Kyrgyzstan federation to discuss regional initiatives and long-term development plans.

On December 6, Lalovic was received by Sadyr JAPAROV, President of the Kyrgyz Republic, to whom he presented the UWW medal in recognition of his support for wrestling.