Head coach of Armenian wrestling team to protest against IOC’s decision to drop wrestling from Summer Games

YEREVAN, February 14, /ARKA/. The head coach of Armenian Greco-Roman wrestling team, Levon Julfalakyan, a world and Olympic champion, said Thursday he plans to protest in Tehran against the IOC’s decision to drop wrestling fr om 2020 Summer Games. The coach will be in the Iranian capital city which will be hosting the World Wrestling Cup.

In a decision that caused bafflement and anger among many sports fans, the International Olympic Committee on Tuesday recommended to eliminate wrestling from the Summer Games. Wrestling is represented in 180 countries. In 2012, 29 countries - Russian Federation, Japan, Iran, Azerbaijan, India, Armenia, Hungary, Cuba and others won medals in 11 wrestling medal events.

"In five days, our team will travel to Tehran, wh ere I want to organize a protest action against this decision", Julfalakyan said at a news conference at Novosti international press center. He said he plans to rally other well-known Greco-Roman wrestlers from around the world and  write a letter to the IOC, or organize another  protest action.

The final decision will be taken at the 125th IOC session in Buenos Aires in September, when it will choose also a city to host the Games-2020, claimed by Madrid, Istanbul and Tokyo.

The World Cup in Tehran involves 10 strongest teams in the world from f Armenia, Russia, Iran, Belarus, Turkey, South Korea, Turkey, Bulgaria, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Hungary. -0-