Another brilliant Beach Wrestling Season ended last weekend in Sarigerme, Turkey. After 4 stops where the athletes competed in three continents (Buenos Aires (ARG), Singapore (SGP), Saint-Laurent-du-Var (FRA), Constanta (ROU)), the final of this season was held in Sarigerme (TUR).

This year we more than doubled the number of participating countries compared to last year. More than 50 countries from all 5 continents competed in the 2023 Beach Wrestling World Series. We also increased the overall number of athletes, both male and female, by 30% compared to 2022.

The Beach Wrestling Committee used this opportunity to meet in Turkey and organize their yearly meeting there.

During this meeting, Mr. Pedro Silva, Bureau Member and President of the Beach Wrestling Committee, presented his yearly report to the Members. He underlined the continuous growth of Beach Wrestling. Additional countries like Venezuela, Columbia, Argentina, Bangladesh, Singapore, Senegal, and Australia competed in the Beach Wrestling World Series. It is a very good sign that the discipline attracts all continents and that we are on a good track.

This meeting was also the occasion to review the current Rules, and all Members agreed that only a few minor adjustments need to be made. An activity time will be added to avoid any subjective decision by the refereeing body in case of negative wrestling with a 0 – 0 score. It was noted that we should have a better pairing for the situation where we have a 3-group format. It was also decided to raise the bleeding time up to 4 minutes.

This meeting was also the perfect occasion to work on the 2024 Calendar. Many proposals were received, and United World Wrestling will do its best to publish next year’s calendar before the end of this year.

The Committee Members also spoke about the potential collaborations that can be finalized for next season (producers of Rings, athletes’ apparel). Another important topic was the question around sustainability and climate change. The Beach Wrestling Committee Members unanimously approved that we should use Beach Wrestling to spearhead these important projects.

After passionate discussions around the discipline, the Beach Wrestling Committee Members will do their best to promote Beach Wrestling in their countries but also all around the world.

The President of the Beach Wrestling Committee, Pedro Silva, said: “We are very happy with the progress growth and development that we are witnessing worldwide regarding Beach Wrestling. This must leave us all proud of our achievements but also very confident regarding our future.”

This weekend in Turkey showed that there are a lot of people dedicated to the discipline, and with the support of each National Wrestling Federation, the future is bright and full of hope.