#development

UWW holds second educator course in Istanbul

By United World Wrestling Press

ISTANBUL, Turkey (March 25) – United World Wrestling hosted their second course for Educators in Istanbul, Turkey, March 16-20. The course focused on improving and developing the participants skills as an educator.  The Educators that attended participated in interactive activities to learn the principles of adult education, strategies for formative assessments, how to give feedback, and modern educator characteristics.  Each participant was required to deliver a Micro-Leadership session on one of the course topics to further practice and develop their skills. “The Educator Course was a success. The participants were highly engaged and are now committed to advancing the development of wrestling agenda. We will definitely see great progress in next Olympic cycle” – Deqa Niamkey (UWW Development Director)

Of the participants that attended, 12 of them were new educators to UWW.  They were required to attend 2 additional days to learn the foundation of educator skills.  After their initial training, they were joined by the remaining educators to participate in the rest of the course. 

The course was conducted by Mr. Vincent Aka (CIV/FRA) and Mr. Zach Errett (USA).  Mr. Aka is a the development officer and educator trainer for UWW.  Mr. Errett is the Education Manager for UWW.  They led a group of participants from every continent. “Today, after completing the training of our educators, we have taken a very important step towards the vision of professionalizing our national structures. From now on, our educators represent for us a bridge thrown from United World Wrestling to support the development of our national federations. Our educators, inhabited by the new approach of United World Wrestling, are the seeds that we launch in the fertile ground of the federations to energize the much-desired development of our basic structures. I am very proud to participate in this new stage. And we must continue this work for future generations of the wrestling family.” said Vincent Aka.  “It was a fantastic course!  The participants were openminded and worked very hard to apply the skills that they learned during the course.  This made for an enjoyable and productive course.  There is no doubt that these educators will help grow and develop wrestling around the world,”  said Zach Errett.

The organization of the course was assisted by the Turkish Wrestling Federation and the Associated Wrestling Styles – Istanbul Office.  “The course would not have been possible without the hard work by these groups! A special thanks to Mr. Seref Erouglu, President of Turkish Wrestling Federation and Mrs. Rodica Yaksi, Mr. Onur Simsek, and Farnaz Panahizadeh for all of their efforts to organize and provided a fantastic hotel and environment for the course,” said Deqa Niamkey.

TURAttendees participated in interactive activities to learn the principles of adult education, strategies for formative assessments and how to give feedback, among many other skills. (Photo: United World Wrestling)

Comments from some of the participants.

“I can see the change from Old Coach's mentality as a Power dictator to coach's try to learn new things every day to be a better coach more flexible and open mind.  I feel UWW is moving in the right direction to grow wrestling around the world, and We saw the United of Wrestling World form all educators around the world.  All educators from Different cultures, traditions, Languages, even music, and dance are different, but Everyone comes together Unites on the love of wrestling.” – Mohammed Abdelfattah (EGY/USA)

“This course has empowered us to spread wrestling coaching and refereeing skills using practical, contemporary and fun techniques to deliver our message to grow the sport.”  - Stefan Rudevics (AUS)

"I am going home from this educator's course filled with positive emotions and very happy that I was able to learn a lot of new things and new ways on how to improve as an educator.  This course has given us, UWW educators, an amazing opportunity and new skills which will help us deliver our future courses to NF's on a much higher level, and that by doing so we will be able to contribute to UWW Development department and its mission of helping our sport of wrestling evolve worldwide!" – Davor Petanjek (CRO)

“Thank you to the UWW Development Team and the Turkish Wrestling Federation for the opportunity to work and learn with coaches and referees from around the world!  The Educators Course was an invaluable experience!  I gained knew knowledge and ideas for educating athletes and coaches for success in competitive environments.  The Educators Course also helped reinforce a global network of coaches and referees that can share ideas across borders.” – Clarissa Chun (USA)

It was a very good course and I learned new experiences. I held training classes in my country for many years, but I always felt that my training courses were boring. Now I have learned that with good planning, active and happy training classes can be held. During this period, I met trainers and educators from other countries, and we had a good and intimate relationship with each other. All in all the course was great and caused changes in my behavior, thoughts and performance in my work life as well as my daily life in the future. I hope to be able to help develop my favorite sport, wrestling.  – Mohammad Mosalaeipour (IRI)

#WrestleTirana

Mirzazadeh dominates his way to Tirana gold; Shiotani impresses

By Vinay Siwach

TIRANA, Albania (March 2) -- There is nothing extraordinary in the 130kg Greco-Roman final in Tirana. World champion Amin MIRZAZADEH (IRI) controls the proceedings for six minutes and wins the gold medal.

In Tirana for the Muhamet Malo Ranking Series, Mirzazadeh returned to the mat for the first time since winning bronze medal at the Paris Olympics at 130kg where he lost only to eventual champion Mijain LOPEZ (CUB).

Amin MIRZAZADEH (IRI)Amin MIRZAZADEH (IRI) defends a par terre position against Hamza BAKIR (TUR). (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

On Sunday, all four matches Mirzazadeh wrestled followed a similar pattern. He will get the first passivity and score the turn from par terre before defending the par terre in the second period. His winning score in quarterfinal, semifinal and final read 3-1. Only in his first match against Heiki NABI (EST) did Mirzazadeh get both par terre advantages to win 4-0.

Wrestling Paris Olympian and Turkiye's next big hope at 130kg Hamza BAKIR (TUR), Mirzazadeh turned Bakir from par terre for a 3-0 lead before defending the lead and winning 3-1.

While beating Bakir, who has all three age-group world titles, did not take a toll on Mirzazadeh, the same cannot be said about another age-group world champion that Mirzazadeh is preparing domestically.

Although he will not feature in the Asian Championships, Mirzazadeh will be keen on defending his world title in Zagreb in September.

In his path for that are Fardin HEDAYATI (IRI) and Aliakbar YOUSOFI (IRI). Hedayati has been rising in the ranks and seen as the biggest threat to Mirzazadeh's place on the Iran team.

Yousofi, the 2021 world champion, returned after a sabbatical and won the Zagreb Open gold medal three weeks ago to enter the selection process. Now, teh Iran team will be clear by the third Ranking Series in Mongolia in June.

Yu SHIOTANI (JPN)Yu SHIOTANI (JPN) performing his signature reverse lift move. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

Yu SHIOTANI (JPN), a world bronze medalist from 2022, returned to international wrestling after three years and secured the gold medal at 60kg.

"It's been a long time since I last competed, but I'm happy that we were able to finish with gold [today]," Shiotani said.

In his elements, Shiotani launched massive reverse lift throws in all his bouts, barring the final. And he only gave up points in his first bout -- against U20 and U23 world champion Ali AHMADI VAFA (IRI).

"I wasn't moving much," he said of the match against Ahmadi Vafa. "I think that's why the match turned out like that. I was probably a little nervous. Of course, the opponent was also strong, but I think I was a little nervous and couldn't play the match as well as I wanted."

Shiotani wrestled Amiran SHAVADZE (GEO) in the final and did not wait for any passivity warnings. He scored a takedown and went for his signature reverse left, exposing Shavadze's back on the mat for two more points. Just before the break, he scored a takedown to make it 6-0.

Just over a minute in the second period, Shiotani pressured Shavadze who stepped backwards till he was out of the zone. One point for stepout and another for fleeing resulted in Shiotani winning 8-0. Georgia challenged the fleeing but lost, giving one more point to Shiotani.

Yu SHIOTANI (JPN)Yu SHIOTANI (JPN) defeated Ali AHMADI VAFA (IRI) in the opening bout at 60kg. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

In his first match against Ahmadi Vafa, Shiotani was in forced par terre in the first period but he didn't let give up any points. The referees were about to give Ahmadi Vafa the second par terre as well but Shiotani scored a takedown.

A reversal in the same sequence was scored one point for Ahmadi Vafa. But Shiotani with a big lift and throw for two points. Shiotani challenges and gets two more points for a foul from Ahmadi Vafa to lead 6-2. From par terre, Shiotani would score three more points and lead 9-4 with 35 seconds on the clock.

Shavadze was one of the five wrestlers to reach the finals Sunday but only one -- Iuri LOMADZE (GEO) -- managed to win the gold medal.

Lomadze wrestled four bouts and never looked in any trouble. In his first match, he defeated former world champion Ali ARSALAN (SRB) 5-1, before a 13-2 win over Kristupas SLEIVA (LTU).

Lomadze then defeated fellow countryman Otar ABULADZE (GEO) 6-3 in the semifinals, the win more or less confirming his European Championships spot on the Georgian team.

In the final, Lomadze got the better of Mehmet SAHIN (TUR), beating him 6-3 for the gold medal.

Former European champion Kiril MILOV (BUL) denied Georgi MELIA (GEO) and Georgia another chance to win a gold medal after he defetaed the Georgian 4-0 in the 97kg final bout.

Milov scored a beautiful takedown and transitioned into a gut wrench to get a 4-0 lead. There were no par terre positions in the match and Milov's move remained as the only scoring action.

Turkiye won two gold medals as Emre MUTLU (TUR) and Burhan AKBUDAK (TUR) finished on the top at 55kg and 82kg.

Mutlu denied Vakhtang LOLUA (GEO), 7-4 in the 55kg final while Akbudak won the gold medal after Gela BOLKVADZE (GEO) injury defaulted in the 82kg final.

RESULTS

55kg
GOLD: Emre MUTLU (TUR) df. Vakhtang LOLUA (GEO), 7-4

BRONZE: Yerassyl MAMYRBEKOV (KAZ) df. Andi MUCA (ALB), 9-0
BRONZE: Yersin ABYIR (KAZ) df. Ulan MURATBEK UULU (KGZ), via fall (9-1)

60kg
GOLD: Yu SHIOTANI (JPN) df. Amiran SHAVADZE (GEO), 9-0

BRONZE: Haodong TAN (CHN) df. Iskhar KURBAYEV (KAZ), 9-0 
BRONZE: Ali AHMADI VAFA (IRI) df. Akyl SULAIMANOV (KGZ), 12-3

72kg
GOLD: Iuri LOMADZE (GEO) df. Mehmet SAHIN (TUR), 8-3

BRONZE: Yryskeldi KHAMZAEV (KGZ) df. Ivo ILIEV (BUL), 10-0
BRONZE: Ali ARSALAN (SRB) df. Otar ABULADZE (GEO), 4-3

82kg
GOLD: Burhan AKBUDAK (TUR) df. Gela BOLKVADZE (GEO), via inj. def.

BRONZE: Svetoslav NIKOLOV (BUL) df. Beksultan NAZARBAEV (KGZ), 10-1
BRONZE: Erik SZILVASSY (HUN) df. Ramon BETSCHART (SUI), 3-2

97kg
GOLD: Kiril MILOV (BUL) df. Giorgi MELIA (GEO), 4-0

BRONZE: Alex SZOKE (HUN) df. Lucas LAZOGIANIS (GER), 8-2
BRONZE: Markus RAGGINGER (AUT) df. Beytullah KAYISDAG (TUR), 8-0

130kg
GOLD: Amin MIRZAZADEH (IRI) df. Hamza BAKIR (TUR), 3-1

BRONZE: Iakobi KAJAIA (GEO) df. Yuta NARA (JPN), 4-1 
BRONZE: Heiki NABI (EST) df. Wenhao JIANG (CHN), 2-2