What is UWW Americas?
United World Wrestling Americas is United World Wrestling's continental council for the Americas — an auxiliary organ of the world federation rather than an independent confederation, reporting to the UWW president and bureau. It traces to an unofficial Pan-American confederation of the late 1960s, was formally endorsed by FILA in 1975, and took its present name in 2015.[1] [2]
What does it do?
It runs the continental competition calendar: the Pan-American Championships, contested at senior level since 1973 and now also at U23, U20, U17 and U15, plus Pan-American Cups, beach wrestling and grappling events, and the continental Olympic and world qualification tournaments. It also runs referee and coach clinics and reports annually to a continental General Assembly.[2] [3]
Who are its members?
29 national federations, from Canada and the United States through Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean to the southern cone — Cuba, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia and Venezuela among the strongest. A seven-member executive committee, on which at least one place must go to a woman, is elected for four years by the continental General Assembly in the year after each Olympics; Francisco Eduardo Lee López of Guatemala has been president since 2003 and was re-elected in 2025.[2] [3]
Does it select athletes?
No — and the distinction matters. UWW Americas selects no teams and issues no athlete licences. Selection is entirely the national federation's function, and the UWW licence is issued centrally by the world federation through that national federation. What the council provides is the sanctioned continental competition in which a nationally selected team wins continental titles and Olympic or world qualification places.[1] [2]
References
- United World Wrestling — Pan-American Council. Accessed August 2026.
- UWW Americas — member federations. Accessed August 2026.
- United World Wrestling — Lee re-elected president of the Pan-American Council. Accessed August 2026.