Wrestling: Romanian and Ivorian expertise at the service of Senegalese coaches

The Senegalese Wrestling Federation (FSL) concluded its capacity-building seminar for technical and administrative officials and referees this Sunday at the National Arena in Pikine.

A training session that is part of the preparation for upcoming national and international events, including the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) Dakar-2026.

This week-long training program, which began on August 30th, has provided an opportunity to upgrade the skills of 60 administrative and technical staff from the FSL (Swiss Wrestling Federation). The goal is to ensure that the personnel are adequately equipped to meet the demands of international competition and contribute to the high-quality organization of the wrestling events at the Youth Olympic Games.

Presiding over the closing ceremony, the president of the FSL, Ibrahima Sène, known as "Bira," called on the participants to demonstrate unwavering commitment to the national team: "Dear coaches, you have just completed your training. During the Youth Olympic Games, be there for your country. Be available. Be committed to coaching our athletes and helping them perform."

For the head of Senegalese wrestling, this initiative also contributes to the professionalization of the sector. "That is above all the meaning to be drawn from this seminar: the commitment, the presence and the will to lead this Senegalese team towards medals," he emphasized.

Ibrahima Sène, in the same vein, emphasized the FSL's ambition to make training a major driver of the sport's development. "We want our young players, referees, and coaches to be the best in the world. To achieve this, we need to accelerate the pace of training," he added.

The training was led by two experts from United World Wrestling (UWW), Célestin Palescu from Romania, and Vincent Aka from Ivory Coast. They focused in particular on the latest technical and administrative standards in force at the international level, with the aim of strengthening the participants' skills and ensuring a better understanding of the standards required at major competitions.

The closing ceremony took place in the presence of several officials of Senegalese wrestling, including Meïssa Ndiaye, first vice-president in charge of wrestling with striking, Moustapha Guèye, president of the Dakar Regional Wrestling League, Ndiambé Diop and Khalifa Sow, respectively administrative and technical directors of the FSL, as well as Sitor Ndour, president of the Central Commission of Referees.

Thus, the Senegalese Wrestling Federation intends to build a genuine pool of competent and experienced coaches, capable of supporting athletes and meeting the demands of international competitions. This approach places training and professionalization at the heart of the FSL's strategy, as the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games approach.