Nenad Lalovic, the president of the Federation of Associated Wresting Styles says he feels the pressure of “30 million wrestlers” as he lobbies for the sport to be re-integrated into the Olympic programme for 2020 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Wrestling was cut from the 2020 Games programme in February only to make the shortlist for inclusion at the special IOC (International Olympic Committee) meeting taking place in Buenos Aires, Argentina, this week.
Wrestling is battling it out with squash and a combined softball – baseball bid to be included in the 2020 Games and Lalovic said he hopes recent modernisation moves in the most traditional of Olympic sports will impress the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and see it re-introduced.
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Wrestling’s seven-month stay in Olympic purgatory is almost complete and Lalovic, along with representatives of squash and softball – baseball will make their final pleas to the full IOC assembly ahead of the vote on September 8th.
The ancient sport will either emerge from this crisis stronger than ever – or be forced to adjust to the reality of life outside the light of the Olympic torch.
“Yes, I am nervous, I am anxious of course. I have the burden on my back of 30 million wrestlers looking at me and my team here. We represent them. They have expectations of course and they expect us to win but it’s not easy and that’s why I am anxious. On the other side I am optimistic because of everything we have done.”
“We are the sport of all nations and we have improved it in a fantastic way, with new rules and we have almost 200 percent improvement of technical points during the matches. We have new governors, we have more gender parity in our sport. That is why we are presenting a new wrestling with a revolutionised federation.”
“Succeeding means being an additional sport also for 2020 and 2024 but our aim is to be a core sport, this is the right place for the eldest sport on the earth.”
