ANKARA— Despite being a pioneer of sports, wrestling struggles to win over fans after almost losing its place in the Olympic Games in 2013, when the International Olympic Committee voted to drop it from the Games program, effective 2020.
The decision caused havoc. The president of the sport’s governing body, FILA (now United World Wrestling), resigned after a motion of no confidence. Two decorated wrestlers returned their medals, while one even went on hunger strike.
One reason for the elimination was believed to be the lack of star athletes in the sport, although it is highly popular in some countries like Iran, the United States and the hosts Japan.
IOC had cited low tic…
Keep on reading: Wrestling at Olympics: An ancient sport battles to remain relevant