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Wrestling tells story of Askren's life

By DAVID YATES, The Gazette,Mar 27, 07 Wrestling (W)

PHOTO CREDIT: GORDON BECK, THE GAZETTE

Hana Askren, who works out with the Montreal Wrestling Club, hopes to compete for Israel in the Beijing Olympics next year.

Wrestling tells story of Askren's life
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Sport is liberating. Picked up grappling after move from Los Angeles

By DAVID YATES
(reprinted from The Gazette)
March 27, 2007

To others, it might have seemed like a big risk when Los Angeles native Hana Askren decided to move to Montreal and enroll in Italian Studies at McGill University.

But it wasn't such a big deal to Askren, because she likes to take risks and she likes the city. What made her nervous, however, was the fact McGill didn't have the one thing she really wanted: a course in creative writing.

So finding an outlet for the urge to put pen to paper - or, more precisely, fingers to the keyboard - became an imperative when she reached Montreal. She quickly fell in with a circle of writers who meet regularly to critique each other's work. Her own scribblings have appeared in several publications, including the McGill Reporter, Hour and Montreal Magazine.

She set up a blog called Hana Askren - reading, writing, wrestling.

Wrestling?

It might seem surprising at first, but the sport has become a major part of Askren's life, and took root shortly after her move to Montreal.

On the blog, she soliloquizes about the sport and links to an increasing number of stories about her exploits and accomplishments in wrestling.

The 25-year-old had been wrestling for precisely "five years and two months" when a McGill coach spotted her doing chin-ups in the gym to keep in shape for rock climbing, which is another in her large repertoire of activities. She competed a month or so later in the Canadian Interuniversity Sport wrestling championships, where she "got killed." But progress has been steadily upward since.

Early this month, she won a gold medal in the 48-kilogram class at the CIS championships in London, Ont., this time competing for Concordia University. She resumed training in September after taking a year off to repair an injured shoulder.

With a BA in Italian Studies and an MA in Arabic Literature from McGill, Askren switched last fall to Concordia, where she is studying for a Ph.D. in humanities. She plans to write her thesis on Arab women athletes in Egypt.

"Sport for me has been an emancipatory activity," she said. "What I am looking into is whether sport can be emancipatory for women."

Askren readily admits that sport is conforming and conformist, and that states have used it as an agent for controlling people.

"But sport can be emancipating, creative and productive," she said.

Her focus is on qualifying for the Olympic Games next year in Beijing. But she won't be representing Canada or the United States. Askren became a citizen of Israel just over a week ago.

"Our rabbi in Los Angeles just wrote a letter vouching for me as a Jew and said he has known me since I was born," she said. "That's all there was to it, really."

Askren has been to Israel several times to visit her sister and has become part of the wrestling community there.

"You're never really on vacation as a wrestler," she said. "I was able to find a club where I could train while I was there."

While fellow members of the Montreal Wrestling Club - who train at the YM-YWHA on Westbury Ave. under the watchful eye of coach Victor Zilberman - head for the Canadian championships this week, Askren is getting ready for the European championships next month. She'll be aiming to qualify for the Olympics at that tournament.

Although she won a bronze medal at the U.S. nationals two years ago, Askren decided Israel was a better fit for her.

Technically, she's living in Israel at the moment while training in Montreal. And the Israeli team will allow her to train with the Montreal Wrestling Club until the Olympics.

"I want to continue training in the way that is good for me," she said.

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Two bronze medals at Asian junior contest

NhanDan 8/15/07

Vietnam won two bronze medals at the Asian junior wrestling contest in Chinese Taipei, reported the Sports Daily.

The newspaper said that the two medals went to wrestlers Nguyen Thi Lua in women's 46 kilogrammes and Can Tat Du in men's 54 kilogrammes.

In particular, Can Tat Du had a successful debut tournament, beating strong opponents to reach the quarter-finals. He clinched the bronze medal after beating a Mongolian opponent.

Le Ngoc Minh, head of wrestling at the Vietnam Committee for Physical Education and Sports, said that the achievements of Nguyen Thi Lua and Can Tat Du would serve a foundation for Vietnamese wrestling to advance on the international arena.

Wrestlers from 18 countries and territories, including strong countries such as Japan, Mongolia, the Republic of Korea and Kazakhstan joined the contest

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USA Wrestling State Leaders Summit set for this weekend in Colorado Springs

Craig Sesker USA Wrestling
08/14/2007

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The 2007 USA Wrestling State Leaders Summit is set for Thursday through Sunday at the Antlers Hilton in Colorado Springs.

A number of sessions and activities are planned for the annual event that brings together USA Wrestling members from throughout the country.

“The State Leaders Summit is a very important function on the USA Wrestling calendar,” said Rich Bender, USA Wrestling Executive Director. “It is a time when our State Leaders come together to share best practices and brainstorm on ideas and ways to improve the organization and the sport.

“We are honored to have such a group of dedicated and talented individuals working for one common cause. These individuals are the heart and soul of USA Wrestling and can be credited for a great portion of the organization’s successes.”

The USA Wrestling Board of Directors Meeting also will take place during the Summit.

“The 2007 State Leaders Summit will be an outstanding program for key USA Wrestling grass-roots leaders to share ideas and concerns, network, share and become more educated in various aspects of USA Wrestling’s programs and procedures,” said Mark Scott, USA Wrestling Director of State Services. “With over 90 state leaders attending, this year’s conference will be one of the largest ever.

“The State Leaders conference is the cumulating event each year for USA Wrestling’s grass-roots leaders. It brings together key USA Wrestling leaders from around the country to provide input and direction in many of USA Wrestling’s programs.”

2007 USA WRESTLING STATE LEADERS SUMMIT SCHEDULE AND AGENDA

AUG. 16-19, ANTLERS HILTON, COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO.

Thursday, Aug. 16

All day – Participants Check-in (Antlers Hilton) – Hotel Lobby
6:10-7:15 p.m. – Dinner – Heritage A & B
7:30-9 p.m. – Introductions/Conference warm-up; Discussion of current issues – Summit I & II
9 p.m. – Welcome – Ice Cream Social – Heritage A & B

Friday, Aug. 17

7-8:15 a.m. – Breakfast – Summit I & II
8:20-8:30 a.m. – Welcome by Rich Bender, USAW Executive Director and James Ravannack, USAW President
8:30-9:30 a.m. – Grappling, Sombo, Beach Wrestling with Gary Abbott of USA Wrestling – Learning Center
9:30-10:30 a.m. – Women’s Wrestling Development with Billy Wood – Learning Center
10:30 a.m. – Break
10:40-11:40 a.m. – Insurance and Risk Management with Drew Smith, Amer. Specialty – Learning Center
11:40 a.m.-12:40 p.m. Olympism, USOC Staff – Learning Center
12:40-1:30 p.m. – Lunch and Group Picture – Summit I & II
2-2:30 p.m. – State Games Presentation – Learning Center
2:30-4 p.m. – Proposed USAW Background Check Process and Procedures – Learning Center
4 p.m. – Break
4:15-6:15 p.m. – National Council of State Chairpersons Meeting – Summit III
7-8 p.m. – Dinner – Summit I & II
8-9 p.m. – USAW Executive Committee Meeting – Carson
9-10 p.m. – Junior Olympic Wrestling Committee Meeting – Carson

Saturday, Aug. 18

7-8:15 a.m. – Breakfast – Heritage A & B
8:30 a.m.-3 p.m. – USAW Board of Directors Meeting – Summit III
10 a.m.-noon – Round-table discussions, current issues – Heritage C
12:30-1:30 p.m. – Lunch – State Leaders and Board of Directors – Heritage A & B
1:50-2:40 p.m. – What is FILA – Stan Dziedzic, FILA Bureau Member – Heritage C
2:45 p.m. – Break
3-4:15 p.m. – Leadership Training – Joel Sharratt, U.S. Air Force Academy Coach – Heritage C
4:15-5:15 p.m. – Antimicrobial Issues – Heritage C
5:45-7:15 p.m. – Board Members & State Leaders Dinner – Heritage A & B
7:30-9 p.m. – “Life is Sweet” Social Hour @ TCLogic, Inc. – Off-site

Sunday, Aug. 19

7-8:15 a.m. – Breakfast – Heritage A & B
8:45-10:30 a.m. – Round-table discussions, current issues – Heritage C
11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. – Lunch – Heritage A & B