Wrestling should not be dropped from Olympics, Ahmadinejad says

TEHRAN,March 13(MNA) – Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Wednesday that wrestling should not be dropped from the Olympic Games. The International Olympic Committee's decision to controversially drop wrestling from its 2020 program has been described as "astonishing" and "hugely disappointing" following the omission of a sport that has featured in every Games except one since the Olympics' inception 117 years ago. Speaking to reporters after a cabinet meeting in Tehran, Ahmadinejad said, “Wrestling is compatible with the spirit of Olympics. The sport combines chivalry, power, and speed.” “We set to send a letter of request to the IOC and ask them to revise the decision,” he added. “Wrestling is progressing well like other sports in our country. I hope Iranian athletes will hoist our national flag every day,” the president said.