Corsier-Sur-Vevey, Switzerland, Oct 13 (IANS): World wrestling governing body, the United World Wrestling (UWW), has announced that Senior World Championships will be held from December 12-20 in Belgrade, Serbia.

The UWW Executive Committee, which met on Monday, approved the championships after receiving commitments from more than 70 per cent of national federations, a participation hurdle it had set for itself last month.

In a statement, UWW said that the panel will meet again on November 6 to discuss any changes to the event due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and its impact on participation.

"We are cautiously optimistic about wrestling's return in December," said UWW president Nenad Lalovic. "The safety of our athletes, coaches, and staff is our top priority and we will be taking every measure to ensure that happens in Belgrade," he added.

Meanwhile, the Junior Wrestling World Championships, originally scheduled for the week prior, have been cancelled after feedback from the national federations indicated concerns about the number of participants able to attend amid the Covid-19 pandemic.