Japan Wrestling

Legendary Icho Joins Japan National Team Staff in Run-Up to Paris Olympics

Tuesday, December 28, 2021 - 15:14 By Ken Marantz

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TOKYO (December 28) -- If anyone knows how to deal with pressure, it would be the only woman to win four gold medals in the same event in Olympic history.

That was behind the decision of the Japan Wrestling Federation to add Kaori ICHO to its performance enhancement team in the run-up to the 2024 Paris Olympics, appointing her to the newly established position of "entourage coach."

The federation announced the appointment following a meeting of its board of directors on December 19 at the recent Emperor's Cup All-Japan Championships.

Two-time Olympic medalist Kosei AKAISHI was named the director of performance enhancement for the national team.

"I think that athletes have worries before matches and other times," Akaishi said. "Ms. Icho has been to the Olympics, and can (provide support) from both mental aspect and technical aspect."

Icho, 37, was named along with former world silver medalist and two-time Olympian Takahiro WADA as entourage coaches, whose main responsibility will be to provide mental support for national team members and coordinate those around them to ensure the best possible training environment.

The Japan Olympic Committee (JOC) defines the position as "those involved in developing a competitive environment and collaborating so that athletes can maximize their performance."

Icho reportedly had to think hard about accepting the offer. Akaishi said he offered the position to Icho in early November and she only recently made her decision to accept.

Tokyo Olympic gold medalist Yui SUSAKI is among those who are glad she did. "It is a great plus for such a renowned predecessor to become a coach," Susaki told Nikkan Sports. "I'm really looking forward to it."

Susaki, who did not compete at the Emperor's Cup but was there to support her Waseda University teammates, foresees getting advice from Icho in her bid to defend the Olympic 50kg title in Paris. "I want to learn what it takes to win consecutive titles, and I'll start thinking about what to ask," she said.

Icho secured a legendary place in sports history when she became just the fifth athlete, and the first woman, to win gold medals in the same event at four Olympics. (Greco wrestler Mijain LOPEZ (CUB) joined the elite group at Tokyo 2020). Icho struck gold at Athens 2004, Beijing 2008, London 2012 and Rio de Janeiro 2016, the first three at 63kg and the last at 58kg.

Her bid for a fifth Olympic title ended when she lost a playoff at 57kg with fellow Rio champion Risako KAWAI in 2019. She did, however, make an appearance at the Tokyo Olympics, wearing a blue kimono instead of a singlet as she presented Susaki with the bouquet at the medal ceremony.

Although not officially retired, Icho, also a 10-time world champion, has been serving as a women's coach at Nippon Sports Science University and helped Miwa MORIKAWA win a silver medal at the 2021 World Championships at 65kg.

Akaishi won a silver medal at freestyle 62kg at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics and a bronze at 68kg at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. He also competed at the 1988 Seoul Olympics.

Shoko YOSHIMURA, Susaki's coach at the JOC Elite Academy who still sits in her corner during matches, was named as one of two assistant directors of performance enhancement, along with former Olympian and Greco national team member Masatoshi TOYOTA.

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Kingdom of Saudi Arabia holds series of UWW activities

Tuesday, March 14, 2023 - 13:22 By United World Wrestling Press

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MAKKAH, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (4 March, 2023)  - A series of UWW activities were organized in Makkah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from February 26 to 02 March, 2023 prior to the 2023 U17-U23 Arab Championships. The activities included an Introduction to Refereeing Course, a Coaching Course Level 2, and a Training Camp for Athletes. A total of 94 participants, including athletes, coaches and referees took part in the events. The educators were Ibrahim Ciciouglu (TUR), Hadi Hasan Ismael (IRQ), Juan Luis Maren Delis (CUB), Ahmed Khedhri (TUN), Hassan Madany (EGY) and Sherif Halawa (EGY).

These courses were held with the support of the Olympic Solidarity, Saudi Olympic Committee, United World Wrestling and Saudi Wrestling Federation. “I would like to express my sincere appreciation to the UWW Development Team and Saudi Wrestling Federation for their outstanding work in organizing the Olympic Solidarity Courses," said Kamel Bouaziz, President of the Arab Wrestling Federation and Vice-President of UWW Refereeing Commission. "The success of these activities has been crucial to the development of wrestling in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. I commend the educators who have worked tirelessly to provide the participants with a world-class education. We look forward to continued collaboration with the Development Department in the future, as we work together to advance the sport of wrestling in KSA and across the region."

RefParticipants for the Introduction to Refereeing Course pose for a photo after the competition of the course.(Photo: United World Wrestling)

Introduction to Refereeing Course, 26-28 February 2023
The course was conducted by UWW Educators Ibrahim Ciciouglu (TUR) and Hadi Hasan Ismael (IRQ) and was designed to introduce participants to the fundamentals of refereeing in wrestling. The course covered the rules and regulations of wrestling, scoring and timing, and the role of referees in maintaining fairness and safety in the sport. They also studied evaluation of holds, referee mechanics, the start and end of matches, and referee positioning during the bout. The course was attended by 14 participants who participated in both theoretical and practical sessions on the mat. “One of the nice things about the course was that participants were very eager to learn. Interactive participation was at a high level for both theoretical and the practical parts. The questions they asked and their willingness to participate actively made the course very productive. They were trying to add to the improvement of wrestling in their country with their efforts in refereeing,” said UWW Educator Mr. Ibrahim Cicioglu.

CoachA group of coaches work together to plan a practice during the Level 2 Coaching Course. (Photo: United World Wrestling)

Coaching Course Level 2, 26 February – 02 March 2023
The coaching course was conducted by Juan Maren (CUB) and Ahmed Khedhri (TUN). The Level 2 Course focused on the Introduction to Practice Planning. The coach participants worked together in groups and individually to learn many aspects of practice planning. These included: how to plan practices for the week, determine the number of practice and the appropriate time for each age group, determine the type and number of training days, determine the objectives, and how to determine the drills for each practice. The course was attended by 44 coaches from different parts of Saudi Arabia. “ I wanted to emphasize the importance of practice planning. Throughout the course, we encouraged participants to engage in reflective learning methods and emphasized the value of teamwork to help them develop practical skills while receiving feedback. The course included both theory sessions and practical sessions on the mat, where participants learned Long-Term Athlete Development, technical performance analysis, risk management strategies, strength and conditioning planning, weight management, nutrition, athlete mindset, athlete safety, athlete safeguarding, anti-doping, and environmental impact. Overall, I believe that the course was highly informative and provided participants with a comprehensive understanding of coaching principles,” – said UWW Educator Ahmed Khedhri (TUN).

KSATwo athletes spar during the four-day training camp in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. (Photo: United World Wrestling)

Training Camp for Athletes
The Training Camp for Athletes was also held from February 26 to March 2, 2023. Training sessions were also led by UWW Educators Juan Maren (CUB), Ahmed Khedhri (TUN), with assistance of Hassan Madany (EGY). The camp covered technique, conditioning, and mental preparation. The camp was attended by 36 athletes. “Throughout the camp, we focused on developing the fundamentals of wrestling, including technique, strength, and conditioning. We also emphasized the importance of mental toughness, discipline, and sportsmanship, " said UWW Educator Juan Maren (CUB). "As a coach, I have a strong passion for the development and growth of wrestling in KSA, and I am excited to see the progress that these athletes will continue to make in the future.”

Words of participants
“Introduction to refereeing course was very useful for me. This course provides us with an overview of the wrestling rules, scoring system, and basic officiating techniques. Also we have learned referee mechanics, the start and end of the match, as well as respect and cooperation. I’m grateful for this opportunity to become an international referee,” – said Salem Mohammed Salem. 

“A distinguished course through which I was able to deepen my knowledge and acquire new knowledge and skills, theoretically and practically, in a pleasant atmosphere and teamwork. Thanks for Saudi Wrestling Federation and UWW for  giving this opportunity, and I hope for future participation in such courses,” - Magdy Rashad, Saudi national team coach.

“It was a good camp before the competition. The focus of the course was on the technical and tactical performance of each athlete.  This was done by training that was suitable for the pre-competition stage. Athletes also benefited from the presence of the Cuban coach Juan Maren.  I would like to thank United World Wrestling and Saudi wrestling federation,” – said U17 Saudi team athlete Manaf Mohamed Briek Elrashidy.