Development

Financial Assistance Programs Boost Wrestling Nations in Olympic Year

By United World Wrestling Press

Augusto MIDANA (GBS) qualified for the Tokyo Olympic Games after receiving financial assistance to attend the qualification event in Tunisia. (Photo: UWW)

CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (June 1) -- As the COVID pandemic swept the globe and impacted lives and economies worldwide, United World Wrestling - led by president Nenad Lalovic and the UWW bureau - worked to create financial opportunities for small, heavily affected nations keen to continue in their Olympic journey even as financial opportunities dwindled.
 
In addition to existing programming, Lalovic and the bureau settled on direct assistance to support athletes and coaches in their quest to qualify for the Tokyo Olympic Games. Utilizing its established Technical Assistance program, UWW supported 121 athletes and coaches from 43 nations.

"We were determined to assist all our national associations and stay united through the most difficult challenges," said Lalovic. "These past 16 months have tested our resilience, but we've stayed united as a family and through the efforts delivered by the UWW Development Team, we saw great buy-in and five athletes who were able to qualify."

Georgios PILIDIS

Georgios PILIDIS (GRE) qualified during the World Olympic Qualifier in Sofia. (Photo: Kadir Caliskan)

Of the recipients, five athletes successfully qualified for the Tokyo Olympic Games via the program:

Augusto Midana (GBS) -- FS 74, African Olympic Qualifier
Zholaman SHARSHENBEKOV (KGZ) -- GR 60, Asian Olympic Qualifier
BAT-OCHIR Bolortuya (MGL) -- WW 53, World Olympic Qualifier
Georgios PILIDIS (GRE) -- FS 65, World Olympic Qualifier
Karen ASLANYAN (ARM) -- GR 67, World Olympic Qualifier

In addition to funds provided directly from UWW, the IOC also entered as a collaborator, under its ‘Youth Athlete Development, International Federation Training Opportunities’, which was built to support smaller NOCs in sending their teams to Continental Qualifications.

The total cost for the training assistance was EUR 180’000, with 40’000 to be reimbursed by Olympic Solidarity.

"The qualifications were burdensome on the athletes," said Deqa Niamkey, UWW Director of Development. "They faced uncertainty in their training routines, issues with travel, and of course their own experiences with the impact from COVID. But as we know, wrestlers are tough and always find a way to get the job done!"

Aker AL OBAIDI (AUT)

Aker AL OBAIDI (UWW) was a member of the refugee team funded by United World Wrestling that traveled to various qualification events. (Photo: Kadir Caliskan)

In addition to the OS program UWW's development department oversaw a myriad of success stories during Olympic qualification with UWW Africa, referee scholarships, female coach support and refugee athlete support all making an impact.

UWW African Center qualified four of its nine fully supported athletes at the Africa/Oceania Olympic Games qualifier in Tunisia. 

While they fell short of Olympic qualifications, logistical support was provided to Aker AL OBAIDI (who resides in Austria) and Amir ALAWAD (who resides in Egypt) to attend Olympic Game Qualification events under the flag of the UWW Refugee team.

The referee scholarship program was utilized to send Demetra KOUTSOPODIOTIS-GAUTHIER (CAN) to the World OG Qualifier in Sofia, while UWW also sent Van Zyl Esta (RSA) - one of the scholarship holders of the Women's Sport Leadership Academy for High Performance Coaches Program - to the African/Oceania OG qualifier as a coach.

Wrestling at the 2021 Olympic Games will be August 1-7 at the Makhuari Messe Arena in Tokyo.

#Grappling

Genge strikes double gold for Great Britain at U20 World Grappling Championships

By Vinay Siwach

ASTANA, Kazakhstan (October 10) -- Great Britain has not participated in the World Grappling Championships for the last 16 years. But Elizabeth GENGE (GBR) ended that trend and won double gold at the U20 World Grappling Championships in Astana.

Genge won gold medals in the 64kg weight class, both via submission. In Grappling, she defeated Adrianna MAZUR (POL) via submission, and in Grappling Gi, she defeated Veronika KARAKHONOVA (AIN) in the final.

Participating in her first Grappling World Championships, the 20-year-old Genge won all her bouts in two competitions via submission. Only Veronika KARAKHONOVA (AIN) could hold Genge to a decision victory.

Genge is the British champion in wrestling and has participated in the Faltz Open as well, finishing fifth this year.

Overall, Kazakhstan emerged as the best team in the U20 World Grappling Championships. Like the U17 event, Kazakhstan won all bout team titles -- two in men's and two in women's. 

RESULTS

Men's U20 Grappling Gi

58kg
GOLD: Iskander YULDASHEV (KAZ) df. Sargis VIRABYAN (ARM), via submission (2-2)

BRONZE: Bohdan CHORNEI (UKR) df. Alikhan KHAIRLIYEV (KAZ), 3-2
BRONZE: Ilia ABRAMENKO (AIN) df. Daniel GONZALEZ (ESP), 5-2

62kg
GOLD: Bekzat KAZTAYEV (KAZ) df. Emil VERDIYEV (AZE), 5-0

BRONZE: Magomed IUSUPOV (AIN) df. Wassim CHAINE (FRA), 4-4
BRONZE: Andrii TSVYK (UKR) df. Javier FRANCO (ESP), via submission (2-2)

66kg
GOLD: Nursultan KUSHTARBEK UULU (KGZ) df. Mani GRIMAUDO (FRA), 8-2

BRONZE: Vincenzo BUSSOLOTTI (ESP) df. Gafur UZHAKHOV (KAZ), 3-3
BRONZE: Nurassyl TURUSPEKOV (KAZ) df. Tigran GHAZAKHYAN (ARM), via submission (5-2)

71kg
GOLD: Said ZAIPULAEV (AIN) df. Elman ASGAROV (AZE), 7-5

BRONZE: Maksim KURZHONKOV (AIN) df. Vladyslav SIZOV (UKR), 13-7
BRONZE: Stefanos VAVILIS (GRE) df. Kacper GARCZYNSKI (POL), 5-2

77kg
GOLD: Natan SAP (POL) df. Denis SHELUKHANOV (AIN), via submission (0-2)

BRONZE: Suleiman MAMUTOV (UKR) df. Karim ADEM (FRA), 6-2
BRONZE: Imam AMAGAEV (AIN) df. Renat BOCHKARYOV (KAZ), 4-0

84kg
GOLD: Pawel JAWORSKI (POL) df. Dzhabrail ISRAPILOV (AIN), via submission (7-2)

BRONZE: Maxat TOLENDI (KAZ) df. Didar NURTASSOV (KAZ), via submission (2-0)
BRONZE: Arslan GADZHIEV (AIN) df. Lorinc NAGY (HUN), 2-0

92kg
GOLD: Stefan LOBODA (ROU) df. Aliiar NAGIEV (AIN), 2-1

BRONZE: Ilyas ABDULLAYEV (KAZ) df. Andrei LIASHKO (AIN), 0-0
BRONZE: Ivan POREMCHUK (UKR) df. Nurassyl UTEPOV (KAZ), via submission (0-2)

100kg
GOLD: Yevhenii MURADOV (UKR)
SILVER: Ibrahim MANARBEK (KAZ) 
BRONZE: Ruslan HRUSHEUSKI (AIN)

130kg
GOLD: Ivan BELIAEV (AIN)
SILVER: Arystan AITMOLDIN (KAZ)
BRONZE: Khalimalav BAZIKHOV (AIN)

Women's U20 Grappling Gi

49kg
GOLD: Zhibek KULUMBETOVA (KAZ) df. Yuliia ZASULSKA (UKR), via submission (0-2)

BRONZE: Arina ZHIGACHEVA (AIN) df. Gaukharay YERSEIIT (KAZ), 9-6

53kg
GOLD: Radomira OSTANINA (AIN)
SILVER: Zuzanna KOWALSKA (POL)
BRONZE: Evelina FLORIAK (UKR)

58kg
GOLD: Nuraiym MUNAITBAS (KAZ) df. Alva PANNWITZ (GER), via submission (2-0)

BRONZE: Nuraiym RUSLANBEKOVA (KGZ) df. Ailin SANTANA (ESP), 7-3
BRONZE: Maria BARNA (POL) df. Aruzhan MARATOVA (KAZ), via submission (10-2)

64kg
GOLD: Elizabeth GENGE (GBR) df. Adrianna MAZUR (POL), via submission (7-0)

BRONZE: Veronika KARAKHONOVA (AIN) df. Raushan ABDIGAZY (KAZ), via submission (9-0) 

71kg
GOLD: Aleksandra PLEMIASHOVA (AIN)
SILVER: Yerkezhan YERLANOVA (KAZ)
BRONZE: Maja SALAMON (POL)

90kg
GOLD: Vlada BOIAKHCHIEVA (AIN) df. Hanifa EIVAZI (IRI), 19-2

Men's U20 Grappling

58kg
GOLD: Sargis VIRABYAN (ARM) df. Ilia ABRAMENKO (AIN), via submission (4-2)

BRONZE: Illia SHTANKO (UKR) df. Sharah NADAKKAV (IND), via submission (2-0)
BRONZE: Bohdan CHORNEI (UKR) df. Bakdaulet AUYEZ (KAZ), 6-2

62kg
GOLD: Andrii TSVYK (UKR) df. Adil IKHLAZOV (FRA), via submission

BRONZE: Madiyar SERIKBAY (KAZ) df. Omar MEDZHIDOV (AIN), 3-0
BRONZE: Wassim CHAINE (FRA) df. Rakhat ZHAXYBAYEV (KAZ), via submission (2-1)

66kg
GOLD: Said ZAIPULAEV (AIN) df. Vincenzo BUSSOLOTTI (ESP), 6-1

BRONZE: Gafur UZHAKHOV (KAZ) df. Duta SETURIDZE (GEO), 10-2
BRONZE: Nursultan KUSHTARBEK UULU (KGZ) df. Tigran GHAZAKHYAN (ARM), via submission (11-0)

71kg
GOLD: Magomedrasul BOLOTSILAEV (AIN) df. Zhassulan ZHETPISBAY (KAZ), 6-0

BRONZE: Artem KHVAN (KAZ) df. Bilel BOULAMA (FRA), via submission (5-2)
BRONZE: Kacper GARCZYNSKI (POL) df. Ethan FORREZ (FRA), 6-4

77kg
GOLD: Daniil TSITSORIN (AIN) df. Andrii SOFRONII (UKR), 7-1

BRONZE: Ouassim ADREUACH (ESP) df. Ilyas SAIDULLAYEV (KAZ), 2-0
BRONZE: Natan SAP (POL) df. Doman VANCSIK (HUN), via submission

84kg
GOLD: Pawel JAWORSKI (POL) df. Dzhabrail ISRAPILOV (AIN), 9-4

BRONZE: Ilyas ABDULLAYEV (KAZ) df. Viktor SHEENKO (AIN), 5-4
BRONZE: Maxat TOLENDI (KAZ) df. Robert STOIAN (ROU), via submission (0-1)

92kg
GOLD: Alikhan TUFANOV (KAZ) df. Nikita BABAEV (AIN), 2-0

BRONZE: Stefan LOBODA (ROU) df. Patryk REKMAN (POL), 2-0
BRONZE: Ivan POREMCHUK (UKR) df. Andrei LIASHKO (AIN), 2-2

100kg
GOLD: Yevhenii MURADOV (UKR) df. Rodrigo BLANCO TERAN (ESP), 10-3

BRONZE: Dmitriy ROMANENKO (KAZ) df. Shyngyskhan TURSUNKHANOV (KAZ), 0-0 

130kg
GOLD: Arystan AITMOLDIN (KAZ)
SILVER: Ivan BELIAEV (AIN)
BRONZE: Dinmukhamed KUANGALIYEV (KAZ)

U20 Women's Grappling

49kg
GOLD: Zhibek KULUMBETOVA (KAZ) df. Yuliia ZASULSKA (UKR), via submission

BRONZE: Arina ZHIGACHEVA (AIN) df. Julia BELTRAN MARUENDA (ESP), 4-3

53kg
GOLD: Radomira OSTANINA (AIN)
SILVER: Zuzanna KOWALSKA (POL)
BRONZE: Evelina FLORIAK (UKR)

58kg
GOLD: Maria BARNA (POL) df. Nuraiym MUNAITBAS (KAZ), 10-8

BRONZE: Kenzhe UZBEKOVA (KAZ) df. Maya FLORIAN (ROU), 2-2
BRONZE: Varvara MASHKINA (AIN) df. Nuraiym RUSLANBEKOVA (KGZ), 6-2

64kg
GOLD: Elizabeth GENGE (GBR) df. Veronika KARAKHONOVA (AIN), via submission (11-0)

BRONZE: Adrianna MAZUR (POL) df. Victoria ISIDRO (ESP), via submission (8-0) 

71kg
GOLD: Aleksandra PLEMIASHOVA (AIN)
SILVER: Maja SALAMON (POL)
BRONZE: Yerkezhan YERLANOVA (KAZ)
 
90kg
GOLD: Vlada BOIAKHCHIEVA (AIN) df. Hanifa EIVAZI (IRI), 9-0