Rich Bender: Iran Wrestlers Preferred To Return To Tehran

New York, May 18, IRNA – Executive Director of US Wrestling Federation Rich Bender said here Friday, ˈWe could not accept responsibility of Iranian Wrestling Team in Los Angeles, and therefore the Iranians preferred to return to Tehran. Bender added in an interview with IRNA New York correspondent, ˈThe Iranian and US Free Style wrestling teams were scheduled to have a 2nd set of friendly competitions in Los Angeles on Sunday, but we announced that despite our previous vowed commitments, we were not in a position to accept the responsibility of the Iranian teamˈs presence in Los Angeles, which was the main reason why the Iranians preferred to return to Tehran right away.ˈ He added, ˈUnfortunately, the non-sports side-events are beyond our control, which is why we are sorry and we do understand the conditions with which the Iranians were entangled in United States.ˈ On elections to choose the FILA head, Bender said, ˈThe US Wrestling Federationˈs favorite for heading FILA is Nenad Lalovic, whom I hope would manage to maintain the presence of wrestling in 2020 Olympic Games.ˈ Focusing on the United States plans for promoting the wrestling culture, he said, ˈWe work of low age groups, particularly the teen aged enthusiasts of wrestling and we would try to introduce this sport as far a possible to the public.ˈ Asked about the main objective behind sponsoring the Rumble on the Rails wrestling competitions, Bender said, ˈWrestling must remain in the Olympic Games and we must try to get back this athletic sport to its deserved main status by planning various programs.ˈ He reiterated, ˈThe gathering of the Iranian, US, and Russian wrestling teams at the UN New York Headquarters which was the first of its kind in wrestling provided a very appropriate and unique opportunity for preserving this sport at the Olympics.ˈ IRNA asked Bender how come the US Wrestling Federation had not invited the Iranian Greco Roman Wrestling Team for participation at the friendly competitions. Bender said, ˈThe Rumble of the Rails wrestling competitions were held between the US and the Russian Free Style champions during the previous years, but this year these competitions had also a special objective, which was preserving the presence of wrestling in Olympic Games.ˈ At the end the US Wrestling Federation official pointed out that the Free Style wrestling is more attractive in the United States, saying, ˈThe Russians had requested to face our teams with a combination of their Free Style, Greco Roman, and womenˈs teams, and since the Free Style Iran-US wrestling competitions have been historically attractive, and your country does not have the womenˈs wrestling sports field, we accepted the Russiansˈ request, but if the Iranian team would not have been invited, the Russians, too, would have brought only their Free Style team.ˈ Having cancelled their Los Angeles competitions schedule, the Iranian Free Style Wrestling team is scheduled to arrive back in Tehran on Saturday morning. Weighing of Free-Style Friendly Iran-US-Russia Wrestling Championship games was held at New York UN Headquarters and Iranian wrestlers found their competitors in the friendly games. According to the IRNA correspondent at the UN Headquarters, Tuesday morning local time here, the head coaches and wrestlers of these three countries, Islamic Republic of Iran, the United States, and the Russian Federation, who had come to the headquarters of this international body on an invitation extended to them by the United Nations Correspondents Association (UNCA) also had a meeting with the press. The coaches and champions of the three major world powers in wrestling at this press conference unanimously asked for keeping the wrestling competitions at the Olympics. The major issue around the axis of the upcoming trilateral friendly championship is obviously these three countriesˈ shared concern about keeping the attractive wrestling games in the Olympics. Then it came time for the weighing and the three countriesˈ champions mounted the scales one after the other amid a very friendly and athletic atmosphere. The Iran-US Friendly was held on Wednesday, 3:30. The trilateral friendly was broadcasted live on a number of US TV channels. American, Iranian and Russian wrestlers hope their unity will sway the IOC to keep their sport in the Olympics. The International Olympic Committee has recommended the sport be dropped for the 2020 Games. US Coach Zeke Jones says: ˈWeˈre going to show the world that the United States, Iran and Russia, through the vehicle of wrestling, we can bring people together.ˈ This is the fourth straight year a major wrestling exhibition has been held at a famous New York City locale to raise money for charity. But the event takes on an added significance after Februaryˈs unexpected IOC decision. Iranˈs National Freestyle wrestling team overpowered its opponents from the US on its soil, in a friendly match, Iranˈs Mehr news agency reported. The match took place in New Yorkˈs Madison Square Garden, where Iran came out victorious with a 6-1 final score. The fans waving Iranian flags and stomping on the temporary bleachers were treated to a show of dominance by the wrestling power, as Iran was visiting the United States for the first time in a decade. ˈItˈs typical Iranian. Wherever we go, they do the same thing,ˈ two-time world champion Mehdi Taqavi Kermani said through a translator after winning his match at 145-and-a-half pounds. CBS News reported. Iran also was also scheduled to face the US in Los Angeles on Sunday. In March, Iranˈs Wrestling Federation confirmed that the US authorities sent an invitation to the Iranian side, which was accepted. Iran and the US had recently joined forces to try and keep the wrestling from being excluded from the 2020 Olympic Games. The friendly match was organized in a move to let the International Olympic Committee change its decision about excluding wrestling from the 2020 Olympic Games. AFP reported citing the executive director of USA Wrestling, Rich Bender that US ˈneeds the backing of Iran and Russia, to preserve the wrestling, and this goes beyond politicsˈ. Bender noted that Iran is one of the powers in wrestling and can defend the gameˈs credibility. Speaking at a ceremony hosted by the Iranian Wrestling Federation, he said he hoped that, with the ˈcomprehensive unityˈ among the wrestling power-houses, the IOC will change its decision. The head of the Iranian Wrestling Federation, Hojatollah Khatib, said he hopes that ˈthis unprecedented unityˈ can change the International Olympic Committeeˈs decision. The IOCˈs executive board in February voted to drop wrestling as one of the core sports of the games. That means it now joins seven others - baseball, softball, karate, squash, roller sports, climbing, wake boarding and Wushu - vying to be selected as an ˈadditional sport.ˈ Wrestling is now one of the eight sports seeking to fill one spot in the 2020 Olympics. The IOC board will meet May 29 in Russia to recommend a short list, with the final decision in September./end