#development

Maier completes the IOC MEMOS, Executive Master in Sport Management Organisation

Friday, September 27, 2024 - 01:27 By United World Wrestling Press

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CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (September 26) -- Yuri MAIER (ARG), a United World Wrestling Sports and Development Officer, completed the IOC MEMOS, Executive Master in Sport Management Organisation.

Yuri is among the few from IFs who have completed the programme. His research paper focuses on enhancing the administration of UWW National Federations of the Americas to implement it worldwide in the next quadrennial towards LA 2028.

The mission of the MEMOS (Executive Masters in Sports Organisation Management) programme is to help professionals working in national or international sports bodies develop the knowledge required to better manage their organisations. This programme is offered in several languages through the National Olympic committees.

“We are pleased with Yuri’s accomplishment as we focus on strengthening our national federations administration in the next years. We highly encourage our members to enroll in this programme and collaborate closely with their National Olympic Committees,” said Mr. Nenad Lalovic, UWW President, IOC Executive Committee Member and Member of the Olympic Solidarity Commission.

#development

South Africa completes phase one of UWW DNSS Program

Monday, November 17, 2025 - 08:24 By United World Wrestling Press

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PRETORIA, South Africa (November 17) --  The South African Wrestling Federation successfully completed the first phase of the United World Wrestling National Development and Support Strategy (DNSS) from October 17 to 26.

Under the supervision of Vincent AKA, UWW International Development Officer for Africa, and the coordination of Markus DEKKER, member of the SAWF Coaches Council, a nationwide development mission was undertaken. The UWW-SAWF team visited provincial associations, conducting technical assessments, talent identification sessions, and workshops for coaches.

South Africa

Using the UWW National Federation Assessment Tool (NFAT), the mission provided a detailed overview of the current state of wrestling in South Africa -- from grassroots participation to elite athlete preparation.

The tour covered major provinces including Western Cape, Eastern Province, Free State, Northern Cape, Gauteng North, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, and North West, engaging hundreds of athletes, coaches, and local administrators.

The assessment revealed strong technical potential among the U15 and U17 categories, as well as a growing passion for wrestling across communities and schools.

The mission also identified the need for stronger governance structures and more consistent communication between SAWF, provinces, and clubs to unify efforts under a national development plan.

Both teams will continue to work towards second phase of the program which will include establishing two regional pilot centers [Pretoria and Western Cape] to act as training and coordination hubs, launch a "School Integration" program linking PE teachers, schools, and wrestling clubs, developing a national athlete database to monitor and support emerging talents.

It will also aim to organize governance and compliance workshops to reinforce management capacity, implementing UWW coaching courses nationwide, forming a National Technical Committee to coordinate DNSS implementation and introducing measurable evaluation indicators to ensure accountability and progress tracking.