STRATEGY 2022-2026

UPDATE FOR NATIONAL

FEDERATIONS

OCTOBER 10, 2025

QUARTERLY UPDATE Q3-2025

1. ELEVATE & INSPIRE

YOUTH ENGAGEMENT - INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL FEDERATION - GYMNASIADE 2025

United World Wrestling partnered with the Serbian Wrestling Federation and the Serbian School Sports Federation to deliver a unique blend of sport and education.

Zlatibor (13 April) – United World Wrestling partnered with the International School Sports Federation (ISF) to provide a coaching education seminar for Serbian coaches at the ISF Gymnasiade that was held in Zlatibor, SRB. The ISF Gymnasiade took place from 4-12 April. The wrestling competition was held early in the event from 6-8 April. Wrestling has been a part of each of the Gymnasiade events which was previously conducted in Bahrain last October.

As part of the Gymnasiade events, ISF focuses on providing education to coaches and PE teachers. UWW was fortunate to provide a training session for Serbian coaches at this event. The training was led by UWW Educators Georgi Sredkov (BUL), Neven Zugaj (CRO), and Nenad Zugaj (CRO). The seminar, on 6 April, was attended by a total of 23 coaches over the two sessions. The morning session focused on good strategies for coaching and better understanding the rules of wrestling. The afternoon session was a practical session on the mats that focused on sharing wrestling techniques and implementing interactive games.

Zugaj brothers, UWW Educators delivering a training session to the PE teaches and coaches.

Georgi SREDKOV (BUL) UWW Educator at the ISF FORUM

2. GENDER EQUALITY, DIVERSION, AND INCLUSION

ICHO and OBURUDU athlete career transition to coaching

This was the first-ever coaching course held in India under the partnership that UWW signed with IIS in 2024 to help develop wrestling in India. The Level 2 coaching course was led by July and was lead by Ahmed KHEDHRI (TUN)."

The group was distinguished by a wide diversity of experiences and backgrounds, which added a special richness to the discussions and allowed for fruitful exchanges of ideas and practices," Khedhri said.

Blessing OBURUDU (NGR) Olympic silver medallist and multiple African Champion, attended the course as she transitioned her career to coaching to lead the next generation of female wrestlers.

The course covered various topics including seven basic skills of wrestling, introduction to performance analysis, designing effective practice sessions, risk management, mental development, Anti-Doping, environmental impact and included technical sessions. During the course, the coaches actively practiced and developed their skills through practical evaluations.

While the training camp gathered many performing teams, including Japan with the leading coach, Kaori ICHO (JPN) 4 time Olympic gold medallist and 10x World Champion, top female wrestlers of all time. She is currently coaching at the Nippon University leading the new generation of Japanese wrestlers including the recent World Champions, ONISHI 59 kgs and MORIKAWA 65 kgs.

Kaori ICHO (JPN) and Latin American team

3. ASSOCIATED STYLES

ASSOCIATED STYLE - Beach Wrestling before the 2026 Youth Olympic Games

The scenic Katerini Beach, under the shadow of Mount Olympus, became the center of global beach wrestling in September 2025, hosting both the U17 and U20 World Championships. Nearly 300 athletes from 30 countries competed in a festival of sport, with the U17 event serving as the main criteria for the 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Dakar.

The championships featured eight weight categories for men and women, drawing athletes from more than 100 National Wrestling Federations. Countries like Ukraine, the USA, Greece, Georgia, and Moldova sent large contingents, reflecting the growing international enthusiasm for beach wrestling. The event was streamed live on United World Wrestling’s YouTube channel, reaching a global audience.

The Katerini Championships were part of a broader wave of international competition in 2025. Earlier, the African Beach Wrestling Championships in Casablanca showcased young talent from across the continent, and the excitement continued at Katerini with record participation in both the U17 and U20 events. Iran’s return to competition after an eight-year absence, along with strong teams from Ukraine, the USA, and host nation Greece, underscored the sport’s widening global appeal.

Immediately following the World Championships, Katerini hosted the Beach Wrestling World Series, marking the largest participation of the 2025 season. The series will conclude in Alexandria, Egypt, continuing the momentum for this rapidly growing sport.

Overall, the 2025 Katerini events highlighted beach wrestling’s dynamic expansion worldwide, the incredible engagement of athletes and nations, and the excitement of fans both on-site and online, making it a milestone for the sport on the road to the 2026 Youth Olympic Games.

4. STAY ENGAGED - SHAPE THE FUTURE OF WRESTLING

IMAGE OF WRESTLING

The 2025 Senior World Championships in Zagreb were a resounding success for United World Wrestling, achieving record visibility across all media channels. The event generated more than 946 broadcast hours and reached over 1.3 billion people worldwide. On social media alone, UWW doubled its reach compared to 2023, engaging over 20 million fans and amplifying wrestling’s global presence. To crown these achievements, UWW also celebrated a major digital milestone during the Championships: surpassing 1 million subscribers on YouTube, strengthening its position as one of the fastest-growing Olympic sports communities online.