#TurkiyeWrestling

UWW mourns death of nine wrestlers 

Friday, February 10, 2023 - 18:32 By United World Wrestling Press

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COSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (February 11) -- Five days after multiple earthquakes hit the Kahramanmaraş province in southwest Turkiye, nine wrestlers were confirmed dead on Friday.  

In the aftermath of the earthquake which measured 7.8 on the Richter scale, people were stuck under the rubble and large-scale efforts are still continuing to save lives.

The following are the nine wrestlers that we have lost:

Mehmet ESKISARILI
Ahmet TAS
Ali GURSOY
Eray SIMSEK
Halil EDIRNE
Hasan SARITURK
Ozan TATLI
Ahmet DURMAN
Aslan EKIZ

United World Wrestling mourns their death.

"It is with a heavy heart to report we have lost nine wrestlers in the earthquakes that took place on February 6,” Nenad LALOVIC, UWW President, said “I ask that we remember these wrestlers, say their names aloud and pray for them and their families. The whole entire wrestling community is devastated by the loss of these young men who had a bright future ahead of them.”

More than 25,000 people have died so far as the earthquake hit Kahramanmaraş, affecting southwest Turkiye and northwest Syria.

A U20 wrestling tournament finished hours a night before the earthquake struck. Teams from France, Uzbekistan, Kosvo and Turkiye were participating in it. All the international wrestlers were sent home safely the next day. However, with the wrestling club demolished, a few Turkish wrestlers were stuck under the rubble.

On the first day, 21 wrestlers were saved immediately and others were subsequently rescued from under the rubble.

Olympic champion Taha AKGUL (TUR) was among the first ones to call for help and save the "30-40 wrestlers" stuck under the rubble. Four-time world champion Riza KAYAALP (TUR), Kerem KAMAL (TUR) and many others have volunteered and reached the earthquake-affected areas. They have joined hands to help and rescue the victims. The wrestling community around the world has shown support and donated to help Turkiye.

President of the Turkish Wrestling Federation Seref EROGLU, who belongs to Kahramanmaras, has been present at the site from the first day and joined the rescue operations.

Development

Wrestling with Excellence: Armenia Upskills Coaches and Referees

Friday, April 18, 2025 - 11:59 By United World Wrestling Press

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YEREVAN, Armenia (April 18) – Looking for ways to improve their coaches and referees is very important to the Armenia Wrestling Federation. As a result, they organized a coaching and referee course around their national championships. The course was done in conjunction with Olympic Solidarity and United World Wrestling. The courses were organized between March 22-31 in Yerevan at the Olympic Centre. This was the second time that the Armenian Wrestling Federation organized education courses. Previously, they had organized a Level 1 Coaching Course and the Introduction to Referee Course.

The referee course was organized before their National Championship and started on March 22.  This course was the Level 2 – Referee Foundations Course and was led by Mr. Alexey BAZULIN (RUS). The first three days of the course focused on the theoretical content and included some practice on the mat.  This was held before the start of the championships. The 19 referee participants spent three days practicing their skills in actual competition.  “The seminar participants worked as one team, helping each other and were involved in the work process, analyzing and applying the knowledge gained,” said Mr. Bazulin. Following the competition, the referees and coaches worked together in a joint session led by both UWW Educators.

The Level 2 coaching course started on March 27, following the competition, and was led by Mr. Sergei KOVALENKO (RUS). The course had 14 participants, who covered numerous practice planning concepts in both theoretical and practical sessions. The seminar participants expressed the opinion that such seminars should be held regularly. This provides an opportunity to consolidate previously acquired knowledge, learn something new, share experiences, and analyze advanced teaching methods and other activities.