Olympics drops wrestling

[ekrem]

Japan and Turkey - whose cities Tokyo and Istanbul are bidding to host the Games in seven years' time - led the calls for the world body to reconsider, as an online petition was organised urging a rethink and gained thousands of supporters.

The president of the Turkish wrestling federation, Hamza Yerlikaya, called the decision, taken at the IOC executive board meeting in Lausanne, Switzerland, on Tuesday, "unfair" and a "mistake" that they would seek to overturn.

"To have the 2020 Olympics in Istanbul without wrestling is unthinkable," said Yerlikaya, himself a double Olympic gold medallist, three-time world champion and eight-time European champion in Greco-Roman wrestling.

"We won't allow it," he said.

Wrestlers prepare for their biggest fight - Olympics - Al Jazeera English

The face of Tokyo's Olympic application to host the 2020 Olympics is Saori Yoshida ( a female 3 time gold-medalist in Olympic wrestling).
The other city in the race is Madrid.

 

[ekrem]

Hall of Fame freestyle
Lutte Libre

Hall of Fame Greco-Roman
Lutte Gréco-Romaine

Iran, countries of Soviet-Union, Japan, USA, Turkey dominate the sports.

Wrestling isn't really that popular in Europe.
And Europe is over-represented within the IOC.
All of IOC's presidents come from Europe:
Presidents of the International Olympic Committee - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Unkotare]

Wrestling is very popular in Eastern Europe and Germany.

 

[ekrem]

There are off course other branches of Wrestling.

2 former champions in their respective branches (Sumo / Oil Wrestling), Akino Mine and Ahmet Tasci at the 649th anniversary of Kirkpinar festivals.
Brought together as part of year-long "Japan year in Turkey".

Sumo events in-front of Selimiye mosque
[youtube]lXN2WmKHrvE[/youtube]

 

[Samson]

 

[Unkotare]

InterMat Wrestling - Foley: What wrestling means to the world

 

[Unkotare]

U.S., Iran, Russia team up to save wrestling