National Team Cuts Short US Tour: Iran’s Wrestling Federation | ||
National Team Cuts Short US Tour: Iran’s Wrestling Federation The Iranian national wrestling team will return home and will not compete against the United States in a second friendly match, Iran’s Wrestling Federation says.
Iranian freestyle wrestlers went to the US to participate in exhibition matches as part of a joint campaign by Iran, Russia and the United States to save wrestling’s Olympic status. In the first friendly competition, Iranian wrestlers beat the US team 6-1 at New York’s Grand Central Terminal. Following Iran’s victory, USA Wrestling announced it would not accept any responsibility for the Iranian national team’s tour of Los Angeles for the second friendly exhibition scheduled to be held in Los Angeles on May 19, the Iranian Wrestling Federation said in a statement issued. As an internationally accepted norm, the host country is responsible for visiting foreign teams, the statement said, adding, “Iran’s obligation to save wrestling as an Olympic sport has been fulfilled at this juncture by its decisive victory and the presence of its representatives at the United Nations headquarters in line with the plans of the International Federation of Associated Wrestling Styles (FILA).” The Iranian wrestling team will arrive at Tehran’s Imam Khomeini International Airport in the early hours of Saturday morning, the statement said in conclusion. On February 12, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) recommended that wrestling be dropped from the 2020 Summer Olympics as part of “a process of renewing and renovating the program for the Olympics.” The IOC will vote on the recommendation in Argentina. | ||
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