Development

Wrestling's Niamkey Named Chair of ASOIF Sports Development and Education Group

Wednesday, May 29, 2019 - 19:26 By United World Wrestling Press

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Experts from 28 International Federations (IFs) governing summer and winter Olympic sports and representatives from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) gathered this week at the seventh edition of ASOIF’s Sports Development and Education Forum (ASDEG Forum). The event was held on 28 and 29 May 2019 at the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) headquarters in Mies, Switzerland, led by the ASOIF’s ASDEG Consultative Group.

The group shared best practices of their e-learning programmes for education of anti-doping, pathway to international competitions and athlete’s safeguarding and welfare. The International Judo Federation and International Tennis Federation provided updates of their online academies which offered extensive online resources to educate and support their athletes and coaches. The IFs also exchanged thoughts of how to help their National Federations (NFs) grow into their sports. The FIBA presented its dedicated project to transfer knowledge and optimise investment to the NFs.

With the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games on the horizon, the International Hockey Federation shared its approach to ensure a legacy for next year’s Games. The group explored a collective action plan to be implemented in this regard with close cooperation between the IOC, ASOIF and IFs. In view of the Youth Olympic Games 2022 to be held in Dakar, Senegal, a representative from OlympAfrica Foundation attended the meeting to share their activities of youth and grassroots development in African countries and proposed practical solutions to tackle logistic issues within Africa.

Organised annually, the forum facilitates a united approach of a large number of IFs in the implementation of their projects in the fields of development and education. This allows efficiencies in terms of human and financial resources, ensures a certain consistency across the sports and thereby maximises the impact of the related IF activities overall.

The newly appointed ASDEG Chair Deqa Niamkey, UWW Development Director said on the occasion of the Forum: “I am very pleased and happy to be appointed as the Chair of the ASDEG Consultative Group. The Forum has taken the direction I always anticipated, providing a unique opportunity for the IFs to network, exchange ideas and share best practices of their development activities.”

The forum also provided for productive exchanges about defining and quantifying development and progress achieved since the last meeting. A representative from Olympic Solidarity joined in to give an update on their current activities and discuss new project ideas.

About the ASOIF Sports Development and Education Group (ASDEG)

The ASDEG was created in 2012 and is responsible for giving expert advice in the area of Sports Development and Education. The group meets twice a year and organises an annual forum for all ASOIF member IFs to coordinate their approaches and share knowledge in sports development and education.

The next ASDEG Forum is foreseen for May 2020.

Article from ASOIF.com

#WrestleIstanbul

Spencer Lee one step closer to Olympic dream

Friday, May 3, 2024 - 12:37 By Vinay Siwach

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ISTANBUL, Turkiye (May 3) -- The world will finally see the return of Spencer LEE (USA) on a big stage. The one-time phenom is coming to Istanbul in a bid to qualify the United States for the Paris Olympics at 57kg.

Lee is a former U17 and U20 world champion and was primed to be the next superstar from the U.S. However, he could never get going at the international stage and only participated in an international tournament in 2024, eight years after his U20 world title. At the Pan-Am Championships this year, Lee won the gold medal at 57kg.

Despite his three NCAA titles and a college record a few can dream of, Lee hasn't returned to the international scene partly due to injuries and partly due to his college commitments. After two surgeries, battles with health, a heartbreaking loss in NCAAs, a long return and wins over former Iowa teammate Thomas GILMAN (USA) at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials, Lee is finally here.

"I’ve had such a tough time trying to stay healthy and trying to compete to the best of my ability,” Lee said after winning the trials. "I’m still not healthy but I’m healthy enough to wrestle hard against really, really good opponent.”

That's what he will have to do in Istanbul. In the 57kg bracket, Lee will be unseeded and can be drawn against any of the big names in the first round. Tokyo Olympian Georgi VANGELOV (BUL), former U23 world champion AMAN (IND), world silver medalist Alireza SARLAK (IRI) and local star Muhammet KARAVUS (TUR) are a few names he will have to keep an eye on.

The field also includes world bronze medalists Zanabazar ZANDANBUD (MGL) and Horst LEHR (GER) along with former European champion Vladimir EGOROV (MGL), Asian Games silver medalist Chong Song HAN (PRK) and Andrii YATSENKO (UKR).

If his opponents need a form check, Lee won four bouts at the trials, outscoring his opponents 35-11 with wins over Tokyo bronze medalist Gilman and Zane RICHARDS (USA). And his attacks are solid as ever as Gilman found out in the best-of-three series.

Three wrestlers in each Olympic weight class will receive Paris 2024 quotas in Istanbul, two being the winners of the semifinals and the third will be decided with a playoff between the two bronze medal winners. Lee would hope to secure it as the winner of the semifinal and avoid going, if fortunate, through repechage.

Apart from qualifying the U.S. in Istanbul, there is extra motivation for Lee to win in Istanbul. Lee's mother, Carry, is from France where she met Lee's father, Larry, both judokas. And, he can become the first Olympic champion for the U.S. in the lowest weight class since 2008.

Lee is aware that the road to Paris is still 'long and hard'. But the 25-year-old is ready.

"I have work to do."