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Tanzania eye continental wrestling supremacy
Source:: Daily News
Story by: Correspondent BERTRAM LENGAMA
Date: 10.05.2006
THE national amateur wrestling squad is expected to leave tomorrow for Pretoria, South Africa, to participate in the 25th Africa Amateur Wrestling Championship which commenced on Friday.
According to reports from the National Amateur Wrestling Association (AWATA), the provisional 19-strong squad was picked soon after the National Clubs Championship held last month in Dar es Salaam.
The wrestlers forming the squad in the free style category are Said Mluya, Khamis Ally from 831KJ Mgulani, Godwin Damian and Bartholomew Clemence, Abdallah Zinu (Ngome) Elisafi Msemo, Seif Mohamed and Chesco Maulage (Magereza), Thomas William (JKT)and Charles Bundala.
Jamila Isalwa, Salome Mnena, Rehema Deo and Grace Mkengele all from JKT are the only female wrestlers in squad in the freestyle category.
In the Greco Romano style are Modern Mwakakango (Ngome), Method Augustino, Mohamed Kumwembe (Magereza), Rajab Nassor, Juventi Andrew (JKT), Kassim Rajab, Ally Abdallah, Kihanza Nassor (Ngome) and Omar Issa (831KJ)
The squad’s chief coach who is also the Vice-Chairman of AWATA, Aloyce Melchior, said the team, which trained at Makando camp at Mwenge was in good shape for the event.
The Pretoria event is schedule to take place from May 12 to19, where the country which will emerge the winner will be crowned Africa Wrestling Champion.
Melchior said that the initial squad of 22 players trained for over three weeks before being trimmed to 9 wrestlers to make the final team.
The team is also expected to represent the country in the World Wrestling championship slated for China from October 25 to November 4, this year
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www.matlocktoday.co.uk 5/10/06
Middleton and Wirksworth Olympic Wrestling Club members were on a quest for British Championship titles last Saturday.
And the return leg of the 600 mile round trip was all smiles for the young dales squad.
The awesome Kelvin Hall, in Glasgow, famous for more conventional sports was an excellent venue for the youngsters to get on with the job in hand.
First on the mat was Jack Lawley and after losing the title last year he fought hard and professionally in every bout.
On reaching the final, he found his opponent to be stablemate and fast improving rookie Arran Hales.
After a close first round, Lawley, although giving two years away, relied on his experience and speed to nail his challenger to the floor and regain the title for the third time.
Ben Bellamy showed dominance and stature to take gold to go with his English title, hammering home the fact that he really is the number one in the UK at this weight.
In only his second year, teenager John Bell yet again had to fight far more established wrestlers and did himself justice to add silver to his fast growing collection of trophies.
Arran Morley lost his first bout, but with coach Trevor Hoskins firmly at the helm and following further thrilling bouts, the newcomer earned silver.
Abbi Lawley made the choice of giving up her chance of an easy title in the female category and chose to wrestle against the lads.
As she fought her way to the final, she was to find fellow MWOWC young gun Daniel Watson waiting to put the girl firmly in second spot.
With new FILA rules extending each round to two minutes, the pair did battle in a exciting and tiring match.
In the end, Watson's greater strength put Abbi's shoulders firmly on the canvas to claim gold.
With hardly enough time to unpack, the Welsh Open awaits the triumphant squad next weekend.
Wrexham being a much closer venue will allow MWOWC to take a larger team to compete, and every one will be trying hard to repeat the magnificent seven's success in Scotland.
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Hedin named TheMat.com Wrestler of the Week
Craig Sesker USA Wrestling
05/10/2006
Dany Hedin (Honolulu, Hawaii/U.S. Olympic Education Center) has been named TheMat.com Wrestler of the Week for the week of May 2-8.
Each week, TheMat.com will select an Athlete of the Week, based upon performance within wrestling for that week. The selection committee will consider any level of wrestling, from youth programs through the Senior level. The announcement will be made each week on Wednesday.
Hedin was named Outstanding Wrestler at the FILA Junior Nationals on May 6. She won the 121-pound title during the Body Bar Women’s Nationals at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs.
Hedin, who competes for the New York Athletic Club, rolled to a 6-0, 6-0 technical fall over Samantha Schuman of Missouri Valley College in the finals of the FILA Junior Nationals.
Hedin won FILA Junior Nationals for the third straight year. She also was Outstanding Wrestler of the event in 2004.
Note: To nominate a wrestler for TheMat.com Wrestler of the Week, send the athlete's name, accomplishments for the week and career accomplishments to Craig Sesker at csesker@usawrestling.org
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Work ethic, aggressive style drives Jacobson to the top
Craig Sesker USA Wrestling
05/10/2006
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COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Match time is approaching and Sharon Jacobson patiently waits for her turn in the spotlight.
Wearing a bright orange warmup jacket over her singlet, Jacobson lightly bounces up and down on both feet with a serious look in her eyes as she focuses on the task at hand at the U.S. Olympic Training Center.
She’s all business as the wrestlers walk to the center of the mat. The whistle blows and Jacobson immediately explodes toward her opponent. Her physical, attacking style is readily apparent as she eventually launches her opponent into the air with a textbook headlock.
Just 35 seconds into the match, the referee slaps the mat. Mission accomplished. Jacobson has captured the University Nationals freestyle championship at 55 kg/121 pounds. She is named Outstanding Wrestler.
The talented 22-year-old, who only has been wrestling for six years, has rapidly emerged as a threat to make the U.S. World Team in women’s freestyle this year. Fresh off winning the U.S. Nationals in Las Vegas, Jacobson hopes to parlay that momentum into a title at the World Team Trials for women June 30 in Colorado Springs.
“I like to come out real aggressively and put the pressure on my opponent right away. Why hold back?” Jacobson said. “I’m just trying to gain as much experience as I can right now and compete in as many big events as possible. I have made a lot of improvement since last year.”
The powerful, 5-foot-1 Jacobson, who competes for the Gator Wrestling Club, has made significant gains since placing fifth at the 2005 World Team Trials.
Jacobson, from El Cajon, Calif., is a member of the U.S. Olympic Education Center program at Northern Michigan. She didn’t mess around in the finals of the U.S. Nationals either, pinning Malinda Ripley just 47 seconds into the second period.
Jacobson was named Outstanding Wrestler in women’s freestyle in Las Vegas and she became the first USOEC woman to win a U.S. Nationals title.
“Sharon is very determined and she has a really strong desire to win,” said Tony DeAnda, the assistant women’s coach at the USOEC. “She is real receptive to coaching, real eager to learn and she’s made some changes technically that have really helped her. She has a never-say-die attitude. She’s probably the hardest worker on our team. I wish there were more like her.”
Jacobson was seeded second for the U.S. Nationals, but she never faced No. 1 seed Tina George of the U.S. Army in Vegas. George, a two-time World silver medalist, was upset in the first round at Vegas. George was caught and pinned one minute into her match against Leigh Jaynes of the Gator Wrestling Club. George came back to take third.
Marcie Van Dusen, ranked second behind George entering this season, did not compete in Las Vegas because of a knee injury. Van Dusen, who competes for the Sunkist Kids, placed second to George in the 2005 U.S. Nationals and lost a special wrestle-off to George for a spot on the World Team last year.
“Winning in Vegas gave me a real big boost,” Jacobson said. “But I still haven’t faced the top women yet this year. Marcie is out with a knee injury and I didn’t face Tina in Vegas. Once I face them, I will have a lot better idea where I really stand.”
Nevertheless, Jacobson will enter the World Team Trials with high hopes. The World Championships are Sept. 26-Oct. 2 in Guangzhou, China.
“The competition will definitely be stronger at the Trials than it was in Vegas,” Jacobson said. “I just have to keep doing what I’ve been doing. I need to stay focused, keep hitting my moves and stay strong on defense. I’m wrestling with a lot of confidence right now.”
Before she competes at the World Team Trials, Jacobson will wrestle at the World Cup on May 20-21 in Nagoya, Japan, and she will compete at the University World Championships in Ulan Bator, Mongolia, on June 15-20.
“My long-term goal is not just making a World team – I want to be No. 1,” Jacobson said. “I’m just taking it step by step right now. I want to make the National team and then go from there.”
Jacobson has proven she has potential to excel on the international level after she threw and pinned four-time World champion and Olympic bronze medalist Anna Gomis of France at the Dave Schultz Memorial Open in February. Jacobson also won a silver medal at the Alexander Medved International in late March in Belarus.
“Beating Gomis was a huge turning point for Sharon,” said Shannyn Gillespie, head women’s coach at the USOEC. “She knows now that she’s capable of beating some of the best wrestlers in the world. She’s gaining some international experience and that’s made a big difference for her.”
Gillespie is impressed with the progress Jacobson has made.
“In Sharon’s last 25 matches, each time out she’s gotten better. That’s pretty incredible and amazing when you think about it, but you can notice the difference,” Gillespie said. “She has improved by leaps and bounds. With each win, you can see her confidence continue to grow. She works extremely hard. She’s very dedicated and committed to being the best.”
Jacobson’s entry into wrestling didn’t come until she was 16. She played T-ball when she was younger and tried basketball for a year in junior high while growing up in San Diego. Her older sister, Sarah, competed in wrestling and encouraged Sharon to try the sport. She was hooked virtually from Day 1.
“I’m very grateful my sister got me involved with wrestling,” Sharon said. “I’ve always been very strong and that’s something I use to my advantage in wrestling. I like the fact that it’s one-on-one and you don’t have to depend on other people to win. It’s very rewarding when you win and have success because you’re doing it yourself.”
Jacobson plans to move to the U.S. Olympic Training Center this summer and train full time in Colorado Springs after spending time in the USOEC program in Marquette, Mich.
“Training at Northern Michigan has been a great experience,” she said. “The wrestlers are real focused and want to be the best. I’m looking forward to coming out to Colorado Springs and working with all the great athletes and coaches out there. There’s a great group of girls to train with who have different styles.”
The ultimate goal for Jacobson is competing in the Olympics. Women’s wrestling became an Olympic sport in 2004 at the Athens Games.
“Growing up, I watched on TV when the gymnasts and all the other athletes competed in the Olympics. I always envied those athletes and wanted to be like them,” she said. “It’s really exciting that women’s wrestling is an Olympic sport now. Now I have a chance to become an Olympian. That really drives me.”
DeAnda said Jacobson has a “real good upside.”
“Sharon is strong, she’s in excellent shape, she wrestles hard the whole time, and she doesn’t mess around out there,” DeAnda said. “She definitely has the potential to make it to the Olympics and become an Olympic champion.”
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West Islanders win big in weekend competitions
BY MICHAEL PIASETZKI
The Chronicle 5/10/06
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Both were prestigious athletic events that unfolded April 28-30, though each sport quite different in origin. Yet, both shared two important factors.
First off, the Provincial Espoir Diving Championships, which took place in Laval, and the Eastern Canadian Wrestling Championships, which unfolded in Mississauga Ont., featured amateur athletes, West Island-style. The divers represented the Pointe Claire Diving Club (PCDC) the wrestlers the Pierrefonds-based Riverdale Wrestling Club.
Secondly, when all was said and done, each competition resulted in plenty of silverware lugged onto cars and buses for the ride back home.
“The kids were amazing and never lost sight of their objectives. The results surpassed our expectations,” said PCDC coach Luc Fillion, named Quebec Development Coach of the Year last year. “Having eight out of 10 kids obtain their standard for the upcoming provincial age-group championships was a tremendous accomplishment as well.”
PCDC medallists included Samantha Maiorino, who captured gold and silver respectively in the girls’ 8-9 age category’s one- and three-metre events as well as bronze in the 10-11 three-meter, and Sydney Legaré, who won gold in the girls’ 9-10 three-metre.
On the boys’ 10-11 side, Alexis Trudel earned gold in the one- and three-metre events while teammate Bryan Staric captured silver in both the one- and three-metre. In boys’ 12-13, first-year diver Philippe Leduc captured gold and silver respectively in the one- and three-metre while in boys’ 14-15, Matthew Taal captured gold in the one- and three-metre.
“This has been our most successful outing this season, and is a direct reflection of the quality of our development diving program,” said PCDC coach David Bedard, a four-time Olympian.
Whether any of the seven Riverdale under-14 grapplers who hit the mat at the Eastern Canadian championship will ever reach as prestigious an international event as the one Bedard competed in is a question of time, fate and commitment. In the meantime though, their performance at Eastern Canadian, a meet that featured about 300 amateur wrestlers, was nothing less than creditable. Six returned home with medals.
“I was very proud of all the kids who made the trip down,” said Riverdale coach Nick Pirocacos. “We’re a small club, but this proves we’re a quality club. I expect to see great things in the future from all these kids.”
That includes in the novice boys’ category, Jing Eng-Michell, who captured gold in the 28.3-kilogram class and in novice girls, Lana Gampell, who earned bronze in the 35-kilogram novice class. In kids’ boys’ class, Anthony Pirocacos and Angus Cowell respectively earned gold in the 33.5-kilogram and 54-kilogram classes while Kevin Gampell won bronze in the 47.5-kilogram class. Finally, in boys’ bantam, Kristopher Pirocacos walked away with gold in the 60.4-kilogram class.
“Gampell started wrestling a few years ago but stopped. He picked up the sport again this year, and we’re proud of him,” said Pirocacos. “It was also nice to see his little sister Lana pick up a bronze. Eng-Michell is a young kid, but has the energy of a small sun burning inside him. That being said, all of them, even Leung Eng-Michell, who competed in the boys’ kids 39.8-kilogram but did not medal, put forth tremendous efforts.”
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SHHS freshman wins national wrestling title
Published: May 10, 2006
Sweet Home's Laura Gourley won the FILA cadet national girls freestyle 70 kilogram (154.25 pounds) wrestling title in the Cadet division Sunday in Colorado Springs.
Gourley, 14, who wrestled as a freshman at Sweet Home High School this year, beat Jancey Hall of Kansas with a technical fall and pinned Katrina Wilborn of California en route to her second national FILA title.
She was the only girl from Oregon or Washington to take a first place in the junior or cadet categories. Amy Bloom of Lebanon placed second in the 43 kg. (94.75 pounds) cadet division, losing 2-0, 2-0 to C.C. Weber of Michigan.
Gourley's father Jim Gourley said that the victory allows Laura fullaccess to the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, where the event was held.
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Community Notebook: Ridgefield wrestler second at women's junior nationals
Tuesday, May 9, 2006
The Columbian Advertisement
Melissa Simmons from Ridgefield placed second to Ali Bernard on Saturday at the Fila Body Bar Junior Nationals women's wrestling tournament in Colorado Springs, Colo.
Bernard, a junior world champion last year, pinned Simmons 20 seconds into the championship match in the 158.5-pound weight division.
Simmons won two matches to reach the finals. The tournament was her second competition since recovering from knee surgery in October.
Last month, Simmons placed sixth at the U.S. Senior Nationals in Las Vegas, which qualified her to compete at the World Team Trials which will be held June 29-30.
Simmons is currently in the United States Olympic Education Center at Northern Michigan University.
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Wrestlers grope in the dark
- As officials fight among themselves...
OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT 5/10/06
New Delhi: As athletes of all other disciplines in India are presently gearing up to meet the challenges of the Asian Games to be held in Doha in December, for wrestlers, there is nothing but darkness at noon.
Caught between the infighting among the officials, there seems to be little hope for top wrestlers like Ramesh Gulia or Palwinder Chima to show their mettle at the international level.
Known as one of the most happening sports in India till a year ago, activities have nearly come to a standstill in wrestling since July last year when the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) decided to disband the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) and appointed an ad hoc committee to run the sport and conduct fresh elections in the faction ridden WFI.
The ad hoc committee, comprising Lalit Bhanot of athletics and Baljit Sethi of shooting, also could not hold the elections as it lead up to cases in the Delhi High Court.
So much so, India is unlikely to send a team in a series of international events in the next few months leading up to the Asian Games.
There was no Indian representation in the senior Asian Championships at Kazakhstan last month and there is little chance of a team going to the junior Asian meet (Abu Dhabi, June), Asian Cadet (Bangkok, August) or Senior World meet (China, September).
“The IOA ad hoc committee in charge of wrestling is doing nothing,” alleged Rajender Chaudhary, former assistant secretary of the WFI.
“Wrestlers are completely unprepared and won’t be able to perform even if they send the team.
“The present committee has not held even a single domestic meet since last July. Only we conducted a senior meet in Hissar recently.”
On an average, the Sports Authority of India holds at least 25 camps for wrestlers in a year, starting from the senior section to the cadet girls level.
Now, the last camp was conducted in September last year when the team was selected for the World Championships.
While the hearings of the court cases get postponed regularly, Bhanot says elections would be held soon and teams will go to international meets.
But the fact remains that leading wrestlers like Yogeshwar Dutt (55kg), Sushil Kumar (60kg), Anuj Kumar (84kg) and women grapplers like Geetika Jakhar (2002 Commonwealth Games gold medallist) and Nirmala are at the moment keeping their fingers crossed, hoping against hope that something good will come up in the next few months.