Karelin wrote:here is a long interview with Mamiashvili (it is in Russian though)
http://wrestrus.ru/news/fsbrnews/FILA_h ... cii_bor_bimain points:
- Wrestling community needs to raise an issue of FILA leadership competence. FILA and Martinetti (FILA president) dropped the ball and did nothing to prevent this development
- Japan won 4 wrestling medals in London and If Tokyo wins bid for 2020 Olympics, Japanese aren't going to be happy about the expulsion of wrestling.
- We are going to do everything we can to have wrestling added back to the 2020 program.
Just did a quick translation - it seems that the Russians are incensed and are getting active!
English Version:
Michael Mamiashvili: first of all it is necessary to raise the question of the competence of the President of the International Wrestling Federation
Today, February 12, the executive committee of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) approved 25 major sports, which will be proposed for inclusion in the program of the Olympic Games in 2020 at the 125th IOC Session, scheduled for September 7-10, in Buenos Aires (Argentina) . Among them was not originally Russian sports - wrestling, which includes Greco-Roman, freestyle and women's wrestling. Now for the Olympics 2020 will struggle to break through as an "additional" sport - in competition with baseball / softball, karate, roller sports, rock climbing, squash, wakeboarding and wushu. This situation, the Agency of sport information "All Sport" commented President Russian Wrestling Federation, the Olympic champion in Greco-Roman wrestling Michael Mamiashvili.
- I am very angry such news, - said Mikhail Mamiashvili. - The information that the IOC Executive Board will consider the matter, I had a long time before the meeting. I immediately put in the course of the International Federation of the combined styles of fighting (FILA), provided all the information available to me and expressed extreme concern that the issue could be considered. I just asked, and demanded that President Raphael Martinetti, FILA take the necessary steps to remove the issue from the discussion. But the bottom line, we have what we have. Recommendation to exclude from the program of wrestling Olympic Games took place.
- What criteria guided the IOC Executive Board member?
- There are about 30-points, which determines whether to recommend to the exclusion of a particular sport. But the fight is not exactly excluded because of low popularity or poor circulation in the world. Currently a member of FILA are about 200 national federations from all over the world.
- Maybe it is a political decision to change the "medal" alignment at the Olympics?
- I do not think that's the case. A huge number of winning medals of any dignity in the Olympics. An example of this - the Olympic Games in London. Awards were spread all over the continents.
- Wrestling Federation of Russia can somehow influence the decision of the IOC?
- Everything is possible in this situation to do - we'll do. We have already talked to the Russian members of the IOC, to determine the direction in which we move. Pattaya (Thailand), a meeting of the Bureau of FILA, which will consider how the situation in general was the place to be? What measures have been taken to prevent the leaders of FILA such a decision? In the first place, of course, you need to put the question of the competence of the President of FILA. He is required to keep abreast of such matters. It is entirely within his competence.
- The final decision of the IOC Olympic prospects of the struggle depends on whether the city will be chosen as the capital in 2020 Olympics?
- I think that depends. For example, the Japanese at the Games in London, won four gold medals in wrestling. If the capital of the Olympic Games in 2020 will choose Tokyo is unlikely to be present for the Japanese combat exclusion and the loss of so many potential rewards.
