Wrestling makes its way back to Olympics
By Nigar Orujova
Wrestling was returned into the Olympic program for the 2020 and 2024 Games in Buenos Aires on September 8.
Moreover, the 125th International Olympic Committee session chose Tokyo to host the 2020 Summer Olympic Games, beating Istanbul and Madrid in the final vote.
The ancient sport, which was dropped by the IOC Executive Board in February, underwent comprehensive reform and beat baseball/softball and squash at the IOC session held on September 7-10.
Wrestling gained 49 votes in a secret ballot among 95 members of the IOC, which was held after all the three sports had made 20-minute presentations.
Another short-list participant, baseball/softball, which had been out of the Olympic program from 2008, got 24 votes. Squash, which has not been an Olympic sport yet, got 22 votes.
Earlier, the IOC approved 25 core sports for the summer Olympic Games, the rugby sevens and golf will be added to the list in 2016, while wrestling brings the number of sports to the maximum of 28.
New wrestling federation FILA President Nenad Lalovic thanked the IOC, saying, "Thank you for this opportunity of saving our sport. This is the most important day in our 3,000-year history. Remaining in the Olympics is crucial for wrestling's survival."
Wrestling is practiced among 30 million people in 177 countries. FILA has significantly progressed since February, changed its leadership, bringing athletes and women into executive positions, and revised competition formats and scoring.
Azerbaijan, which is known for its wrestlers, was one of the countries that anxiously waited for the final decision.
Earlier, the Azerbaijan Wrestling Federation in collaboration with the Baku City Head Department for Youth and Sports organized a campaign under the motto "Keep Wrestling in the Olympics".
Wrestling will also be included in the inaugural European Games in Baku in 2015, given that in March the FILA president signed a "letter of understanding" with organizers of the 2015 Games.