From Azerbaijan to Slovakia and beyond, Team South Africa will be represented by wrestlers, coaches and an impressive group of internationally appointed referees.
Global (03 July 2026) – South African Wrestling Federation will have a strong presence on the world stage over the coming months, with wrestlers, coaches and an impressive group of referees set to represent the country at several major United World Wrestling (UWW) events across Europe, Asia, North America and Africa.
While much of the spotlight naturally falls on the athletes, South Africa’s growing number of internationally appointed referees continues to underline the country’s rising reputation in the sport.
Leading the athlete contingent at the U17 World Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan, will be Zaiden Botha (51kg) and Janco Bezuidenhout (65kg), who will compete in the freestyle division under the guidance of coaches Duane van Staden and Donovan Davel. They will be joined by international referee Albert van der Walt, who has been appointed to officiate at the tournament.
Attention will then shift to the U20 World Championships in Bratislava, Slovakia, where Slade Shadowshot will represent South Africa in the men’s 79kg freestyle division. He will be coached by Shane Goosen, while experienced South African referees Donovan Davel and Willem Giliomee have also earned appointments to officiate at the prestigious event.
It doesn’t end there, South African referees have secured several high-profile international assignments throughout the 2026 season.
Among them are Eben Meyer, who will officiate at the U20 Pan-American Championships in July, while Gideon Taute and JJ Fourie have both been appointed for the Commonwealth Wrestling Championships, which South Africa will host in Cape Town later this year. Giliomee and Davel will also officiate at additional international events, including the Beach Wrestling World Series in Greece, while Giliomee has also been selected for the U23 World Championships in Las Vegas.
The country’s officiating ranks continue to grow, with Valerie Cornelius, Zumicke Geringer and Jeandre Meyer recently qualifying as international referees and earning appointments to the Veteran World Championships in Jordan.
Other international appointments include Pieter Janse van Rensburg, who has been selected for the Beach Wrestling World Series in Georgia, Charles Villet, who will serve as the UWW Referee Delegate at the Commonwealth Wrestling Championships in Cape Town, while Alicia Havenga is awaiting confirmation of her international eligibility following her relocation to the United States.
The South African Wrestling Federation congratulated all the wrestlers, coaches and referees selected to represent the country, saying the appointments reflect their dedication, performances and continued contribution to the growth of wrestling in South Africa.
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