United World Wrestling facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
United World Wrestling

Abbreviation	UWW
Formation	1921; 104 years ago (1921)
Type	Sports federation
Headquarters	Corsier-sur-Vevey, outside of Lausanne, Switzerland
Membership	Representatives from 176 national federations
President	Nenad Lalović
Revenue (2017)	US$5.12 million
Expenses (2017)	US$8.89 million

United World Wrestling (UWW) is the main group that runs the sport of Wrestling around the world. It makes sure wrestling competitions, like the World Championships and the Olympics, are fair and well-organized. UWW looks after many different types of wrestling. These include Greco-Roman, freestyle, and grappling. The biggest event UWW organizes is the World Wrestling Championships.

UWW has had a few different names over the years. From 1921 to 1952, it was called the International Amateur Wrestling Federation (IAWF). Then, it was known as FILA (Federation Internationale des Luttes Associees) until September 2014. That's when it changed to its current name, United World Wrestling.

Wrestling Styles and Rules

UWW creates the rules for many wrestling styles. They also organize international competitions for these styles.

Olympic Wrestling Styles

These are the wrestling styles you see at the Summer Olympics:

• Greco-Roman wrestling: Wrestlers can only use their upper bodies and arms.
• Freestyle wrestling: Wrestlers can use their whole body, including their legs. This style has both men's and women's competitions.

Other Wrestling Styles

UWW also supports other exciting wrestling styles:

• Grappling: This style focuses on holds and submissions. It has both Gi (with a special uniform) and no-Gi (without a uniform) versions.
• Beach wrestling: This is wrestling on sand, recognized by UWW in 2004.
• Amateur pankration: A mix of wrestling and striking, recognized in 2010.
• Traditional wrestling: Many countries have their own unique wrestling styles. UWW helps organize competitions for some of these, like:
  • Senegalese wrestling
  • Alysh belt wrestling (recognized in 2008)
  • Kurash belt wrestling
  • Pahlavani wrestling

Each country's wrestling group usually makes small changes to UWW rules for their own national competitions.

Major Wrestling Events

UWW organizes many important wrestling championships around the world.

Here are some of the main events:

Leaders of UWW

Here are the people who have led UWW (and its earlier names) as president:

• Einar Råberg (1921–1924)
• Alfréd Brüll (1924–1930)
• Viktor Smeds (1930–1952)
• Roger Coulon (1952–1971)
• Milan Ercegan (1971–2002)
• Raphaël Martinetti (2002–2013)
• Nenad Lalović (2013–present)

Wrestling Competitions and Training

Former FILA logo

UWW is in charge of wrestling at the Summer Olympics. This means they oversee the freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling events that happen every four years.

Besides the Olympics, wrestling is also a sport in other big international events. These include the Commonwealth Games and the Pan-American Games. There are also "Continental Championships" and "Continental Cups" held every year for different parts of the world.

The most important event is the World Championships. These happen every year for adult wrestlers, except in the years when the Summer Olympics are held. Many other international tournaments also take place between countries.

These competitions are for wrestlers of all ages and genders. There are different age groups like schoolboys/girls, cadets, juniors, and seniors. Some events are just for one gender, while others are for both.

UWW also helps train wrestlers. They have special training centers in countries like Finland, France, Italy, Japan, Spain, Turkey, and the United States. There's even an International Wrestling Hall of Fame in Stillwater, Oklahoma. It celebrates great wrestlers and officials in Greco-Roman, freestyle, and women's wrestling.

How UWW is Organized

UWW headquarters in Corsier-sur-Vevey.

UWW's main office is in Corsier-sur-Vevey, near Lausanne, Switzerland. The official languages they use are English and French.

UWW is run by a group called the Congress. This group is made up of people from 176 national wrestling groups (called federations). Each country's wrestling federation sends representatives. The Congress meets at least every two years, usually during the Olympic Games or the World Championships. During these meetings, they vote for the UWW Bureau members and the UWW President.

The UWW Bureau is like the main team that directs and manages UWW. It includes the president, four vice presidents, a secretary general, and other elected members. This Bureau makes important decisions for the organization.

The UWW President is the main leader. They manage the daily activities and represent UWW at international meetings, including with the International Olympic Committee. The current president is Nenad Lalović from Serbia. Presidents and Bureau members serve for six years and can be re-elected.

The Secretary General is chosen by the Bureau and helps the president run UWW. They make sure everyone communicates well, from national groups to different committees.

UWW also has other groups that help out. These include "Continental Committees" for each continent (like Africa, Asia, Europe). They organize events for their region. There are also "Commissions" that focus on specific areas, such as rules, refereeing, medical safety, and promoting the sport.

Wrestling Hall of Fame

The UWW International Wrestling Hall of Fame is a special place that honors great wrestlers. It's located within the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum and includes a Hall of Honors and the Hall of Fame.

See also

In Spanish: United World Wrestling para niños

• Wrestling World Cup
• World Wrestling Championships
• World Wrestling Clubs Cup
• World Beach Wrestling Championships
• List of World Championships medalists in wrestling (freestyle)
• List of World Championships medalists in wrestling (Greco-Roman)
• List of World Championships medalists in wrestling (women)
• List of World and Olympic Champions in Greco-Roman wrestling
• List of World and Olympic Champions in men's freestyle wrestling