Hellenic Olympic Committee protests wrestling decision
The Hellenic Olympic Committee announced on Wednesday it fully supports the Greek wrestling federation’s fight against Tuesday’s decision by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to remove wrestling from the program for the 2020 Olympics.
“This is one decision that is clearly at variance with the history of the Olympics and sport in general. There should be a revision of this decision and the Hellenic Olympic Committee will support with all its forces, any effort in this direction,» the announcement by the Greek committee said.
“As is known throughout the world, the sport of wrestling has its roots in ancient Greece and has been an event from the beginning of the programme of the Olympic Games in antiquity and in the first modern Olympics in Athens in 1896.”
On Tuesday Greek wrestling federation president Kostas Thanos said the decision by the IOC was «sacrilege.”
“Wrestling is a sport that is identified with the Olympics and we cannot throw away a symbol such as wrestling. The way they are going they may even remove the name Olympics,» Thanos said in a radio interview.
[AFP]
