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Road to Dakar 2026 Continues with Successful Central Africa Programme in Brazzaville

Monday, June 22, 2026 - 08:50 By United World Wrestling Press

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BRAZZAVILLE, Republic of Congo (June 21) -- The second stop of the United World Wrestling (UWW) Africa Regional Educational Development Programme, Road to Dakar 2026, concluded successfully in Brazzaville after a week combining athlete preparation, education, technical development and competition in Olympic and Beach Wrestling.

Held from June 8 to 14 in the Republic of Congo, the Central Africa phase brought together National Olympic Committees and National Federations from across the region under a unified objective: strengthening wrestling ecosystems and creating more accessible pathways toward the Youth Olympic Games Dakar 2026.

As the second of four regional tournaments scheduled within the continental Road to Dakar programme, the event represented another important milestone on the road to the first Olympic event to be hosted on African soil.

Africa REDT

The UWW Africa Regional Educational Development Programme was designed as a comprehensive and sustainable model that extends beyond competition. The initiative combines athlete development camps, coach and referee education, and practical competition opportunities.

By decentralising activities across regions and consolidating training and competition into one structure, the programme aims to reduce financial barriers for national federations and increase opportunities for athletes and technical officials.

Throughout the week, athletes participated in intensive daily training sessions, as coaches attended the UWW Technical Course - Level 2, focused on improving technical knowledge, athlete development methodologies and long-term performance planning.

Africa REDT

Simultaneously, referees took part in dedicated education sessions covering Beach Wrestling and introductory officiating pathways, preparing them for selection to undertake the International Category III referee examination in the future.

The programme concluded with the Regional Tournament, followed by the Beach Wrestling Regional Tournament, giving participants the opportunity to apply lessons learned during the educational phase directly into competition conditions.

The programme specifically prioritised youth development, with participating athletes largely drawn from the U17 age group and encouraging the involvement of emerging coaches across Central Africa. Support mechanisms jointly delivered by UWW and Olympic Solidarity helped facilitate participation through travel, accommodation, training access and tournament organisation.

Africa REDT

More than just a standalone event, Brazzaville demonstrated the long-term vision behind Road to Dakar 2026 by building stronger national structures, expanding participation and creating sustainable development opportunities well before the final qualification stages for the Youth Olympic Games.

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Wrestlers, coaches successfully complete ITA anti-doping seminars

Thursday, June 26, 2025 - 01:28 By United World Wrestling Press

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CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (June 25) -- In it's aim to empower wrestlers and others to play clean, United World Wrestling was of the leading International Federations in the International Testing Agency's IF webinar series on anti-doping.

After the completion of the series, a total of 1906 certificates were delivered to wrestlers, coaches and support staff related to wrestling.

The ITA webinar series consisted of three sessions, held every Wednesday from April 9, moderated by either anti-doping specialists or former Olympians.

UWW made it mandatory for all wrestlers participating in the U17, U23, and Senior World Championships, as well as for wrestlers included in the Registered Testing Pool [RTP] list.

This was a significant jump for UWW in the sheer number of participants of the webinars. Last year, for the first season of the ITA IF webinar series in collaboration with UWW, participation was mandatory for wrestlers competing at the World U20 Championships in Pontevedra.

This was also the first time that UWW asked the athletes participating in Grappling and Pankration/Amateur MMA styles to attended the webinars, another leap in guiding, educating and informing the community on anti-doping rules and responsibilities.

All National Federations were made aware of these webinars through a circular from UWW.

"Clean sport education is a cornerstone for clean sport. UWW is bound by the World Anti-Doping Code to plan, implement and promote education, and it remains committed to safeguarding athletes’ health and the integrity of its sport. As part of the global anti-doping movement led by WADA, UWW is also part of a collaborative worldwide movement for doping-free sport. In line with this, all associated Grappling & Pankration Federation must understand and recognize their role and put into place the rules, policies and systems necessary to fulfil their duties under UWW Anti-Doping Rules. UWW Associated Grappling & Pankration Federations are also responsible for providing anti-doping education to ensure that athletes receive proper guidance on clean sport," the circular read.