#UnitedWorldWrestling

UWW Restructures Commissions, Adds Two New

By United World Wrestling Press

CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (March 4) -- United World Wrestling has announced two new commissions and renewed other as it enters a new Olympic cycle.

After it's latest Bureau meeting on February 5, UWW approved the addition of two new commissions:

- School and University Sports Commission
- Legacy & Sustainability Commission

The School and University Sports Commission will be chaired by Bureau member Peter BACSA while the Legacy and Sustainability will be co-chaired by UWW Vice-President Theodoros HAMAKOS and Bureau member Razvan PIRCALABU.

UWW also restructured other commissions with new members for a four-year term. All National Federations were invited to nominate candidates for different commissions.

Buyandelger PELJEE is the new chairperson of the Scientific Commissions, while Mikhail MAMIASHVIL will continue his role as chairperson of the Technical Commission which now has former Olympic champion Danial IGALI (NGR) as a member. Stan DZIEDZIC, who retired in 2024, is replaced by Don RYAN as the chairperson of the Coaches' Commission.

Akhroldjan RUZIEV will be continue to be incharge of the Media Commission. Likewise, Pedro GAMA FILHO will enter his second term as the chairperson of the Marketing Commission. Nataliya YARIGUINA will also continue to serve as head of Gender Equality Commission.

The Legal and Ethics Commission and Medical Commission will continue to be fronted by Belcho GORANOV and Dr. Babak SHADGAN respectively.

Zamel AL-SHAHRANI was announced as the new chairperson of the Sport for All Commission while Refereeing Commission got a new head in Levent SEN.

UWW set up a Refereeing Advisory Board which will have former Refereeing Commission chairperson Antonio SILVESTRI, veteran Kamel BOUAZIZ and Athletes Commission chairperson Arsen JULFALAKYAN as its members.

Ibrahim CICIOGLU (TUR) has been chosen as the Refereeing Education Coordinator while Carlos GARCIA (ESP) will be the Administrator for referees.

Newly elected Bureau member Bruce BAUMGARTNER will preside over the Hall of Fame & Historical Heritage Commission.

UWW rebranded two committees with the Belt Wrestling Committee now called Traditional Wrestling Committee. The Grappling Committee and Pankration Committee were merged to Grappling & Pankration Committee.

Cholpon SULTANBEKOVA was named chairperson of the Traditional Wrestling Committee while Grappling and Pankration Committee will be headed by Namig ALIYEV. The Associated Styles Committee is head by UWW Vice-President Rodica YAKSI.

Pedro SILVA will remain the head of the Beach Wrestling Committee.

For more details, refer to: UWW Commissions and Committees

Technical Commission

Chairperson: Mikhail MAMIASHVILI

Members

Daniel IGALI (NGR), Bureau Member
Ye ZHANG (CHN), Bureau Member
Peter BACSI (HUN)
Alin GRIGORE (ROU)
Milorad DOKMANAC (SRB)
Paul RAGUSA (CAN)
Rich BENDER (USA)
Alireza DABIR (IRI)
Salvatore FINIZIO (ITA)
Nikolaou EVANGELIA (GRE)
Taha AKGUL (TUR)

Scientific Commission

Chairperson: Buyandelger PELJEE

Members
Barbas IOANNIS (GRE)
José LOPEZ GULLON ESP
Funda ELMACIOGLU (TUR)
Georgiy KOROBEYNIKOV (UKR)
Edisher MACHAIDZE (GEO)
David CURBY (USA)
Bahman GHAZANI (IRI)
Mario BAIC (CRO)
Nabil ELSHORBAGY (EGY)
Pu ZENG (CHN)

Refereeing Advisory Board

Antonio SILVESTRI (GER)
Kamel BOUAZIZ (TUN)
Arsen JULFALAKYAN (ARM)

Refereeing Education Coordination

Ibrahim CICIOGLU (TUR)

Administrator/Coordinator

Carlos GARCIA (ESP)

Refereeing Commission

Head: Levent SEN

Members
Levent SEN (TUR)
Casey Goessl (USA)
Zvonko OCIC (CRO)
Vaclav SCHEINER (CZE)
Gyarmati FERENC (ROU)
Aleksei BAZULIN (RUS)
Marcia CHIASSON (CAN)
Sherif HALAWA (EGY)
Rafael GALVA LEBRON (PUR)
Koike KUNINORI (JPN)
Ji Woo LEE (KOR)

Legal Commission

Chairperson: Belcho GORANOV

Members
Ramon GONZALES PINEDA (GUA)
Belcho GORANOV (BUL)
David OHARA (USA)
Rouzbeh AHMADI (IRI)
Osamu SHIMIZU (JPN)

Coach Commission

Chairperson: Don RYAN

Members
Grégory FERREIRA (FRA)
Petr IUMSHANOV (RUS)
Terry STEINER (USA)
Hassan RANGRAZ (IRI)
Karntanov AMIRAN (GRE)
Ryszard WOLNY (POL)
Ashraf MOHAMED (EGY)
Kuniko TANIOKA (JPN)

Marketing Commission

Chairperson: Pedro GAMA FILHO

Members
Erica WIEBE (CAN)
Yury FEDOROV (RUS)
Michael FALLER (GER)
Jiayi WANG (CHN)
Danail GANCHEV (BUL)
Mutasem AL-SA'ID (JOR)
Manisha MALHOTRA (IND)

Media Commission

Chairperson: Akhroldjan RUZIEV

Members
Jörg RICHTER (AUT)
Anna GURIEVA (RUS)
Richard IMMEL (USA)
Ikuo HIGUCHI (JPN)
Amanpreet SINGH (IND)
Mohsen VAHDANI SEYDABAD (IRI)

Medical Commission

Chairperson: Dr. Babak SHADGAN

Members
Klaus JOHANN (GER)
Elena ABAEVA (UZB)
Saam FALAHATI (GBR)
Francisco LEE GUANDIQUE (GUA)
Szabolcs MOLNAR (HUN)
Stefan STRUGAROV (BUL)
Radivoj FILIPOV (SRB)
Mika LEHTO (FIN)
Konstantinou LOUKAS (GRE)
Dorsaf METAHNI (TUN)
Kohei NAKAJIMA (JPN)
BJ ANDERSON (USA)
Irina DULEPOVA (RUS)

Gender Equality & Diversity Commission

Chairperson: Natalia YARIGUINA

Members
Csilla ALI (HUN)
Dimitar CHIFUDOV (BUL)
Lise LEGRAND (FRA)
Claudia GONZALEZ (CHI)
Mustafa AMASHA (EGY)
Ruba MUSHA’SHA’ (JOR)
Tamara MEDWIDSKY (CAN)
Sheyda SHAHRIAN (IRI)
Papadaki ANTONIA (GRE)

Hall of Fame & Historical Heritage Commission

Chairperson: Bruce BAUMGARTNER

Members
Valentin JORDANOV (BUL)
Lee ROY SMITH (USA)
Hamid SORYAN (IRI)
Patrice MOURIER (FRA)
Mahmut DEMIR (TUR)
Elsayed GOMAA (EGY)

Sport For All Commission

Chairperson: Zamel AL-SHAHRANI

Members
Georgy BRYUSOV (RUS)
Pablo PINTOS FIGUEROA (ESP)
Andy BARTH (USA)
Milan PAVELIC (CRO)
Esraa JUMAA (JOR)
Riad HASSAN (PLE)
Nese GUNDOCAN (TUR)

Beach Wrestling Committee

Chairperson: Pedro SILVA

Members
Oyan NAZARIANI (AZE)
Marian BERBEC (ROU)
Rui MARTA (POR)
Jean BAHADERIAN (FRA)
Ed DUNCAN (USA)
Dimash SULTANOV (KAZ)
Papakonstantinou KONSTANTINOS (GRE)
Ibrahim MOUSTAFA (EGY)
Yasugay AKSAKAL (TUR)
Jian WANG (CHN)

Pankration and Grappling Committee

Chairman: Namig ALIYEV

Technical Director: Adrian Bakos

Members
Łukasz WINIARSKI (POL)
Justin BROWN (USA2)
Francisco PESSOA (BRA)
Vito PAOLILLO (ITA)
Koutras EVANGELOS (GRE)
Alvin AGUILAR (PHI)

Traditional Wrestling Committee

Chairperson: Choplan SULTANBEKOVA

Members
Robert CATE (USA)
Dong DAYONG (CHN)
Ali BAZYAR (IRI)
Damir BEKBOSSYNOV (KAZ)
Gaurav SACHDEVA (IND)
Edmar ABDOELAEV (NED)
Khalifa SOW (SEN)
Mehmet GULTEKIN (TUR)

#UnitedWorldWrestling

A decade since wrestling’s grapple back into Olympics

By United World Wrestling Press

From left to right: Jim SCHERR (USA), Daniel IGALI (CAN), Lise LEGRAND (FRA), Carol HUYNH (CAN) and UWW President Nenad LALOVIC at the press conference during the 125th IOC Session in Buenos Aires in 2013. (Photo: IMAGO/AFLOSPORT)

CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (September 8) -- Wrestling's World Championships enters the 102nd year next week and next year will mark another Olympic Games that will feature wrestling. But 10 years ago, wrestling was removed from the Olympic Programme.

In February 2013, the International Olympic Committee voted to remove wrestling from the 2020 Olympics. It took wrestlers from different nations coming together, led by Serbia's Nenad LALOVIC, to reverse an unthinkable result and to 'Save Olympic Wrestling'.

On September 8, 2013, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, the full IOC membership welcomed the sport back to the programme with a first-round vote that left no doubt that wrestling belonged in the Olympic Games.

Wrestling's journey of finding itself back in the Olympics was marked by twists and turns, and, fittingly, resiliency.

 

The Decision

One of the original sports in the ancient Olympic Games, wrestling faced the critical assessment of the IOC which had expressed concerns about the growing size of the Summer Games and aimed to cap the number of athletes at approximately 10,500. The IOC also wanted to attract younger viewers to broaden the international television audience. There was also discontent over the lack of gender equality, having only introduced women's freestyle competitions in 2004.

When the decision of wrestling being dropped from the Olympic Gamesheadlined, United World Wrestling, then FILA, put in all efforts to revamp the sport. In a FILA Bureau meetingin Phuket, Thailand, Raphael Martinetti resigned as president and after a vote of the Bureau members. The Bureau nominated Lalovic as acting President.

"The world of wrestling is understandably disappointed by the IOC Executive Board’s recommendation to remove wrestling from the 2020 Olympic Games Programme," Lalovic said. "We see this as an opportunity which could be a positive turning point for our sport. One thing is for certain: it is our responsibility alone to address the issues that led to this situation. We are listening to the IOC’s concerns and learning from their guidance. We must strive to improve our sport’s Olympic offering in order to retain our position on the Olympic Programme and evolve with the times.

The Fight

What followed was an immediate and impassioned campaign that stretched from the United States and Russia to Iran and Japan. 

Armen NAZARYAN (ARM) and Sagid MURTAZALIEV returned their gold medals in protest, with Nazaryan also engaging in a hunger strike. London gold-medallist Jordan BURROUGHS (USA) used numerous public speaking appearances, countless interviews, and his Twitter account to promote the cause.

To address the concerns, UWW removed two men's weight classes and introduced two new classes for women starting from the 2016 Rio Olympics. This adjustment led to six weight classes each for Freestyle and Women's Wrestling while maintaining six in Greco-Roman.

Rule changes were also implemented to make the sport more engaging and dynamic. Instead of the previous format of three two-minute rounds, matches now consist of two three-minute rounds. This new structure aims to reward aggressive wrestling; takedowns, for example, are now worth two points instead of one. Additionally, matches are decided based on accumulated points, further encouraging active competition.

Campaigns were held in Russia, Iran, the United States and Japan. The first three countries came to New York City, united and determined to prove to the world that Wrestling belongs in the Olympics. The three competed in the “Rumble on the Rails” in the world-famous Grand Central Station.

While in New York, Lalovic attended a press conference at the United Nations. “We are dedicated to reforming our sport and making FILA a more proactive and responsible organization. We will do everything we can to address the IOC’s concerns and ensure that wrestling remains a part of the Olympic Games," he said.

Wrestlers from around the world also took a trip to – Olympia, Greece – the birthplace of the Olympic movement. Wrestlers from Albania, Brazil, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Iran, Russia and the United States, competed in the international tournament, which was run under the new rules passed by FILA.

IOC took notice and in its session in Buenos Aires, Argentina, it confirmed wrestling's spot in the Olympics.

"I want to offer my sincere gratitude to each member of the International Olympic Committee that voted to save Olympic wrestling today," Lalovic said. "With this vote, you have shown that the steps we have taken to improve our sport have made a difference. I assure each of you that our modernization will not stop now. We will continue to strive to be the best partner to the Olympic Movement that we can be."

In Ten Years

In the decade since wrestling's reinstatement to the Olympic Games, the sport has seen remarkable progress in its structure and reach. The governance of the sport underwent significant changes, with rule amendments aimed at making matches even more dynamic and engaging.

In 2016, there were ten weight classes for women in wrestling, up from four in 2004. This was a major step forward for the sport and has helped increase the visibility and popularity of Women's Wrestling. Who can forget Kaori ICHO’s (JPN) historic accomplishment of being the first ever wrestler, women or men, to obtain four Olympic gold medals!

Over the years, many countries have emerged as the best performers in Women's Wrestling including Japan, Kyrgyzstan, China, Moldova, India, Estonia, Kazakhstan, Turkiye and even Pan-Am countries.

The focus on gender equality has extended beyond merely adding women’s weight classes, as witnessed by UWW's projects and programs, such as special funding for female coaches and wrestlers and quotas for female referees and women working in key administrative positions.

Off the mat, there has been a concerted effort to globalize wrestling, and marketing and social media campaigns have effectively changed the sport's image and engaged younger fans. High-profile wrestlers have taken on ambassadorial roles, visiting schools, appearing on talk shows, and participating in public events to promote the sport. Online platforms are being utilized for live-streaming events and tutorials, making the sport more accessible.

Wrestling's growth is further marked by the acceptance of Beach Wrestling and more than 100 countries participating in the World Championships.

The athlete-focused approach aligned with the IOC's vision of the Olympic movement has allowed fans to be more connected to the sport. Wrestling has established itself as a leader in terms of engagement and continues to be ranked within the top ten in social media amongst all other International Federations.

The 10-year journey from near-elimination to triumphant return is a microcosm of the sport: a physical and metaphorical tussle where resilience is the key to victory. As a wrestler grapples, twists, and turns to win, the sport has shown its mettle by overcoming near defeat, reforming, and returning stronger.

Here’s to wrestling — a sport as ancient as it is contemporary, as diverse as it is specialized, and, most importantly, as resilient as the athletes who partake in it. Wrestling knows how to fight back and fight back it did.

Wrestling’s reinstatement to the Olympic Programme was a collective effort of the wrestling family all across the world. The dedication and tremendous work of key individuals that went into this result will never be forgotten by the wrestling community and will forever live on in wrestling folklore as some of the greatest stewards the sport has ever seen. Thank you.