Jordan Daily - Wrestling for Peace (W4P) and the Jordan Wrestling Federation (JWF) signed a Memorandum of Understanding in Amman on October 12th to establish a community-based wrestling pilot program in Jordan. The signing ceremony was held at the Generation’s For Peace headquarters in the presence of HRH Aysha bint Faisal. The President of the Syrian Wrestling Federation, Mohammad al Kazzaz, and other relevant activists were also present. Attendees heard Lama Hattab review Generations for Peace's work and strategy.
Generations for Peace will support the community wrestling program and combine wrestling instruction with W4P to promote respect, discipline, leadership, teamwork, conflict resolution, and peaceful engagement among participating youth.
Under the agreement, Wrestling for Peace will provide a ten-thousand-dollar grant over a twelve-month period to support the salary or compensation of a designated wrestling coach.
Mohammad Al-Awamleh, the President of the Jordanian Wrestling Federation, who is also President of the United World Wrestling Asian Federation, welcomed the W4P grant and said that he is encouraged about the long-term cooperation with friends who have proven to be truly committed to the sport of wrestling as a means of encouraging communities and advancing principles of peace. “We have grown from 60 to three thousand wrestlers, hosting three world championships and three regional championships in a short period.”
Dan Russell, the executive Director of Wrestling for Peace, said the MOU's goals are to encourage and support community-based wrestling in Jordan for both men and women. “Over the next year, a dedicated coach will be commissioned to workunder the auspices of the federation with local clubs, with the goal of recruiting, training, and positioning qualified Jordanians to compete in local, regional and international wrestling Championships,” Russell said. The grant will ensure Jordanians outside the capital can participate in wrestling, build leadership, and develop their sporting abilities.
The Jordan Wrestling Federation will provide a suitable wrestling mat and coordinate with a qualified wrestling coach for the pilot program. JWF will work with the appropriate governorate or authorized government entity to secure a facility, which a willing government or governorate partner is expected to provide before the program begins.
JWF will also collaborate with W4P to implement the Wrestling for Peace curriculum, support participant recruitment, ensure appropriate coaching and participant safety, and assist with program evaluation and local arrangements needed to establish and sustain the pilot.
Both parties will cooperate to deliver regular wrestling instruction and Wrestling for Peace educational activities during the pilot period.
International wrestlers and coaches explained how wrestling is instrumental to building well-being, resilience, leadership, social cohesion, and community engagement. Unlike many other sports, wrestling is low-cost to participate in and allows participants to break down differences.
The Jordan Wrestling Federation was established in 1982. Its founding followed the emergence of Olympic-style wrestling in the early 1980s, creating a need for an official entity to sponsor and organize the sport and train technical personnel such as referees and coaches. In 1984, the Federation officially joined the World Wrestling Federation (UWW). The Jordanian Federation’s President was recently elected as President of the Asian Wrestling Federation.
Wrestling For Peace began in 2017 as an initiativeby two-time US World Cadet Champion and former Olympic wrestling coach Dan Russell, under the auspices of the US Wrestling Federation. It was formally incorporated as an independent nonprofit organization in 2025. W4P is a worldwide nonprofit organization that aspires to use sports diplomacy and humanitarian outreach to unite diverse communities.
