A New Era of Wrestling: UAE Wrestling Federation.
Join the Revolution: UAE Wrestling Federation.
UAE WRESTLERS
10+
Champions
About Wrestling
Wrestling has been an integral part of Emirati culture and heritage for generations. Ancestral encouragement of the sport is based on its positive impact on individuals. In keeping with the Emirate’s enduring spirit of resilience, independence, and pride, wrestling remains a prominent feature of the UAE’s sports landscape.
“In order to become a wrestler, one should have the strength of a weightlifter, the agility of an acrobat, the endurance of a runner and the tactical mind of a chess master.”
Aleksandr MedvedSoviet wrestler
EXPRESSING THROUGH WRESTLING
Wrestling has always been a sport that instills strong values such as discipline, resilience, and teamwork, making it an integral part of building one’s character.
With a range of techniques and disciplines, it provides the athletes with the opportunity to adopt their unique style and express their dynamics.
INNATE WRESTLING PROWESS
The human race has been demonstrating innate wrestling prowess since the dawn of civilization. Today, wrestling continues to be a crucial aspect of our nature, from wrestling to get out of bed to battling with aspirations and dreams to attain our full potential.
With dedication, perseverance, and knowledge, one can transform into a prodigious wrestler, ready to take on any challenge.
WRESTLING STORY
Wrestling is an ancient combat sport with origins dating back to prehistoric times. It was developed by the Greeks as a training method for warriors and has remained a prominent Olympic sport since its inception in ancient Greece. Wrestling gained popularity during the Middle Ages and Renaissance, and it continues to be a significant sport today.
In the modern Olympic Games, both men and women compete across different wrestling categories. The inaugural modern Olympics in 1896 featured 280 male athletes from 12 nations, and the first wrestling champion was German athlete Schumann.
Benefits of Wristling
Discipline
Mental Toughness
Communication
Social Skills
Physical Fitness
Equality & Fairness
Freestyle wrestling
This style is most practiced internationally and is an Olympic sport. Matches take place on a circular mat, and wrestlers aim to score points by taking down their opponent, turning them over, or escaping from their opponent’s hold. Unlike folkstyle wrestling, freestyle allows wrestlers to use their legs and perform more acrobatic maneuvers.
Greco-Roman wrestling
This style of wrestling originated in ancient Greece and was later adopted by the Romans. Matches take place on a circular mat, and wrestlers are not allowed to use their legs to attack their opponents. The focus is on throws and upper-body control.
Beach wrestling
is a dynamic form of wrestling conducted on sandy surfaces. Wrestlers compete in a circular ring, aiming to pin their opponents or force them out. Matches consist of three rounds, with the highest-scoring wrestler winning. It emphasizes speed, strength, agility, and strategy.
Introduced in 2004, beach wrestling has evolved to include takedowns, pushing opponents out, or bringing them down to their back.
Mutaraha
is a popular folk game that has been practiced for centuries in the GCC and Middle East. This sport, also known as traditional wrestling, has slight differences in the rules and names in each country but follows the same idea.
About Federation
The UAE Wrestling Federation was established on January 5th, 2023, with the purpose of promoting and expanding the sport of wrestling both within the UAE and globally. Our mission is to highlight the importance of wrestling in Emirati heritage and tradition.
We provide opportunities for qualified Emirati wrestlers to compete at regional and international levels, representing their country in prestigious events. Our goal is to make wrestling accessible to a wide range of people, cultivating a culture of athleticism and wellness throughout the UAE.
Board of directors
Respecting our differences and using our combined power.
HE Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak is a member of the Executive Council of Abu Dhabi and Chairman of the Department of Culture and Tourism, Abu Dhabi. Al Mubarak is the Chairman of Aldar Properties, Miral Asset Management, twofour54 and Image Nation Abu Dhabi. In addition, he is a member of the Higher Committee of Human Fraternity, Vice-Chair on the Foundation Board of ALIPH and board member of the Emirates Schools Establishment. Al Mubarak is a graduate of Northeastern University, USA, with a double major in economics and political science.
Abdulfattah Sharaf is the Chief Executive Officer, United Arab Emirates & Head of International HSBC Bank Middle East Limited, covering Bahrain, Kuwait and Algeria. Abdulfattah has years? of experience in banking and holds Board member positions at HSBC Bank Oman, HSBC Private Bank (Suisse), the Higher Board of the Dubai International Financial Centre, the Noor Dubai Foundation, the Mastercard MEA Advisory Board, the Advisory Council of Dubai Chamber of Commerce and the Board of Trustees of the American University of Sharjah. Abdulfattah is a graduate of the University of Denver, USA.
Hamdan Bin Saeed Al Nahyan is the Section Head of Community Sports, Community Engagement & Sports Sector at the UAE government’s Department of Community Development. In his current role, Hamdan is actively engaging with stakeholders to increase sports participation in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. Hamdan holds a master’s degree in sports management from the Europa University in Madrid, Spain and a bachelor’s degree in public relations from Suffolk University, Boston, USA.
Ziad Amir Ahmed Saleh is Chairman of the Board of the ZAS Group and CEO of Al Ain Pharmacy Group. Ziad has years? of experience in the healthcare industry and is a Board member of Al Ain Club Investment Company as well as the UAE Wrestling Federation. In addition, his advisory roles include being External Advisor to the Board of College of Pharmacy at Al Ain University and Medical Avenue Manager for the AFC Asian Cup 2019. He holds a doctorate in healthcare management and a master’s degree in applied science, both from Swiss Business School as well as a master’s degree of pharmaceutical science from Albert Szent-Gyorgyi Medical University.
Abdulraheem Albateeh AlNuaimi is the Acting General Manager of Abu Dhabi Media. The company owns 23 media platforms for digital, television, radio, newspapers and magazines and the affiliated companies, Tawzea and United Printing and Publishing. Abdulraheem has 23 years of experience in the media industry and is credited with the launch of Oloum Al Dar in 2007. Abdulraheem holds a bachelor’s degree in mass communications from United Arab Emirates University and a master's researcher at Mohamed bin Zayed University for Human Sciences in addition to a Post Graduate Diploma in scientific research methodology from the Emirates Center for Strategic Studies and Research.
Saif Al Rashdi is the Protocol & Venue Operation Director at Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company. He has played an integral role in defining ADNEC’s revised patronage strategy and protocol vision. Saif holds a master’s degree from New York Institute Of Technology in Abu Dhabi and a bachelor’s degree from California State University in the USA. He also graduated from the National Defense College in Abu Dhabi with a Completed Certificate and Second Master Certificate.
Sultan Alketbi is the insert current position at insert company. He is responsible for insert details. A former board member of the UAE Wrestling and Judo Federation, Sultan is an accomplished athlete, sports development entrepreneur and sports strategy leader with a track record of developing world-class sports frameworks. In year? he founded name of academy?, the first globally-benchmarked sports academy in Abu Dhabi.
A former member of the UAE national judo team and Jiu jitsu team, Sultan is an avid researcher, sports model developer and international sports event manager. Sultan holds a black belt in both Judo and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.
Moza Al Ali is the Government Affairs Director in the Private Office of HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and the Deputy CEO of Ethmar Holdings. She is experienced in handling government projects and affairs as well as implementing business strategies and daily operations. Moza holds a bachelor’s degree in management from Touro Berlin College in Germany and a Professional Diploma in Excellence Customer Service from Hamdan bin Mohammed Smart University in the UAE.
“Wrestling has been popular in the Arab world for many generations and is a longstanding element of Emirati heritage. Today, the UAE Wrestling Federation is bringing this sport into a new era in Abu Dhabi. This is part of a wider mission to make the emirate not just the destination for wrestling in the region, but a global hotspot for professional sports – providing our youth with opportunities to gain confidence and hone their fitness while nurturing future champions who will proudly raise the profile of the United Arab Emirates on the world stage.”
H.E. Mohamed Khalifa Al MubarakChairman, Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi
Sponsorship
UAE Wrestling Federation Sponsorship.
