#development

UWW Hosts Educator Course in Guatemala

Wednesday, February 9, 2022 - 12:39 By United World Wrestling Press

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PETEN, Guatemala (February 7) --- The first of two UWW Educator Courses was conducted in Peten, Guatemala, from 2-4 February. The course included 14 UWW Educators. The educators were mostly from Central and South America but also included a few educators from Europe.

This course was designed to help provide professional development and improve the skills of the educators.

During the course, they participated in activities to help them better understand adult learning principles, the use of formative assessments, and strategies to give proper feedback. The educators also conducted micro-leadership sessions where they had to teach the other educators some topics that are within the UWW education courses. The training was conducted by Vincent AKA (CIV) and Zach ERRET (USA).

“The course was great! The educators were very professional and were actively participating throughout the course. It was great to see them apply some of the principles that were covered in the course.”  Said Zach ERRET, UWW Education Manager.

GUA
14 UWW Educators from Central and South America and Europe came together for the first of two UWW Educator Courses. (Photo: United World Wrestling)

“Seeing these educators literally integrate the process of professionalism through training is heartwarming. And I have total confidence in their ability to train our future coaches and referees with regard to what they have demonstrated during their training. They can always count on our department to support them in their mission for the coming years.” said Vincent AKA, UWW Development Officer.

This course also included an opportunity to experience and learn the culture and history in Guatemala. At the conclusion of the course, the educators had an opportunity to visit and tour Tikal National Park. This was one of the sites of the ancient Mayan civilization.

This experience allowed the educators to build stronger relationships with each other. 

“Visiting Tikal National Park was amazing! We do not often get a chance to see historical sites and learn about the culture of the country. To have an opportunity to learn about this ancient civilization and see it firsthand was outstanding. Hosting the course and providing this experience is just another great example of the vision that President Lee has to not only raise the level of wrestling in the Americas but to provide an incredible experience for those attending events.” Said Zach ERRETT, UWW Education Manager.

This course and tour were organized by Mr. Francisco LEE LÓPEZ (President of UWW Americas) and his team. They did an amazing job of organizing the entire event and provided a top environment for a lifetime's training and cultural experience.

#WrestleBratislava

Gatsalov: Satisfied with Euros, will prepare for tougher World Championships

Thursday, April 24, 2025 - 13:29 By United World Wrestling Press

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BRATISLAVA, Slovakia (April 22) -- Khadzhimurat GATSALOV was in Bratislava, Slovakia for the European Championships as the coach if the UWW wrestlers and returned with five gold, two silver and one bronze medals in 10 weight classes.

United World Wrestling caught up with Gatsalov after the tournament and he reflected on the performance of the wrestlers and his plans for the World Championships which will be held in September in Zagreb, Croatia.

Excerpts:

- On the performance of his wrestlers

Gatsalov: Overall, we are satisfied with the results. We haven’t had a performance like this in a long time -- five gold medals out of ten, plus two silver and one bronze. That means eight out of ten athletes came home with medals. Both the coaching staff and the athletes did a great job and prepared well for this European Championships.

We were counting on four or five gold medals. The guys wrestled really well and followed the instructions. For us coaches, that’s the most important thing that the wrestler steps on the mat and follows the game plan.

- On competition with Iran and the United States

Gatsalov: I believe there’s still room for improvement. This will help strengthen both our technical and physical foundations. When I look at Iranian and American wrestling, they put a lot of emphasis on physical conditioning. We’ve never really focused on that. We’ve always prioritized technique. But moving forward, we’ll also be physically prepared to endure tough matches and handle heavy loads without wearing out.

- On Sidakov's return and performance at 74kg

Gatsalov: Sidakov just couldn’t make it happen this time, maybe it’s because they know each other so well. [Chermen] VALIEV had a very strong motivation to win. You could feel it, it was clear on the mat. But as a coach, I believe this loss will serve as a driving force for Sidakov's future wins. It’s a significant psychological moment. Honestly, it’s better to experience this now than at the World Championships or the Olympics. I think once he recovers from his injury, we’ll get back to training and keep moving forward.

- On former world champion Baev winning gold

Gatsalov: Since 2019, he hadn’t shown any results on an international level. But today, he was better than anyone. He’s been working towards this moment for a long time, training hard, and he showed solid, confident wrestling. He wrestled like a true master — precise, and without mistakes. We were genuinely very happy for him.

- On the 65kg champion Ibragim IBRAGIMOV

Gatsalov: Ibragimov demonstrated a strong performance, despite losing at the Ranking Series in Albania less than a month ago. Today, he came in well-prepared. He was in good form physically, technically, and mentally. That previous loss likely became a stepping stone toward this victory.

Khadzhimurat GATSAKOVKhadzhimurat GATSALOV at the European Championships in Bratislava. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

- On preparations for World Championships

Gatsalov: We have a clear understanding of how we’re going to prepare. I can’t reveal all the secrets of our training plan, but we know exactly who we’re preparing for. That’s why we’ll be focusing on targeted, individual work against specific opponents. Our coaching staff is strong. We have real professionals on board, including experienced coaches from the old Soviet school and younger ones who are stepping up and bringing fresh energy.

I think our wrestlers are also friendly with each other, which is very important. The atmosphere in the team is productive. We are waiting for the World Championships. We want competition on the mat with big countries like Iran, America. The Japanese have also improved a lot. Therefore, we want to compete with the strong ones, and we want to settle things on the mat.

(The interview was conducted by Karina MIRZOIAN)