COACHES CORNER
Wrestling countries unite during World Cup in Iran
By Bill Zadick, U.S. Assistant National Freestyle Coach February was a busy month for USA Wrestling’s National
Teams with wrestlers traveling all over the globe to compete in as many as five different international tournaments. This February, I was scheduled to travel to Sofia, Bulgaria, for
the Dan Kolov International and then on to the World Cup in Tehran, Iran. I arrived in Sofia, Bulgaria on Monday, Feb. 11, and got some much-needed sleep from the long travel. Awaking in Bulgaria on Tuesday morning, I noticed a text on
my phone… “They did what?!? Is this for real? This has got to be some sort of mistake! This can’t be! We have got to change some peoples’ minds right now!” was my reaction to the text reporting the IOC recommendation to remove wrestling from the Olympics in 2020. Immediately, I fired off emails to our leadership seeking what
we know and what can be done. I flipped on the Euro News and the IOC announcement was all over the place. Sofia is eight time zones ahead of our home office in Colorado Springs. The shock of this announcement was astounding and the response by the global wrestling community was instantaneous! This news was, of course, the talk of the tournament. Coaches and athletes from all countries were discussing the announce- ment and relating stories of history, statistics and disbelief. Everyone was extremely passionate in giving their own account of the importance of the sport of wrestling and how it impacts the world. The Dan Kolov competition was very exciting and it seemed as though athletes took it upon themselves to display, on the mat, their love, their admiration and the great- ness they know is embodied in this wonderful sport. Yet this was at one event, one-third of the way around the world, I couldn’t help but wonder what was going on elsewhere. On Feb. 18, I traveled from Sofia, Bulgaria, on to Tehran,
Iran, for the World Cup. My excitement was already high know- ing the strong tradition of Iranian wrestling. Also, having been to Iran twice previously, I understood the importance of wrestling as the Iranian National Sport and the political climate between the U.S. and Iran. The IOC announcement only added to an already-charged environment. With federation leadership representing many of the wrestling world powers in attendance, there were several meetings and discussions in order to form an international coali- tion that would bring forth an organized strategy and campaign to the IOC. At the same time, with world-wide media attention on wrestling elevated, the response I witnessed by athletes and coaches in Bulgaria only seemed to gain momentum in Iran. People were fueled by the desire to tell the story of our sport to the entire World. There was an unmistakable energy surrounding every detail
of the World Cup and the people participating. At weigh-ins there was, of course Iran, traditional powerhouse Russia, former Soviet republics Azerbaijan, Georgia, Belarus and Kazakhstan, as well as Bulgaria, Turkey, Japan and the United States all in
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the Iranian House of Wrestling. At this point, teams are normally
sizing up other countries and look- ing for an edge over an opponent, but athletes and coaches were not only cordial but engaging! Each team wanted to know what the other is thinking and doing for the effort. Everyone, in true wrestling mentality, was strategizing, bring- ing forth ideas and sharing plans with one another on how WE can remain part of the Olympic Games. U.S. National Coach, Zeke
Zadick
Jones, in talking with Russian head coach Magomed Guesinov, suggested if the U.S. write a letter that we could get all coaches in attendance to sign in sup- port of wrestling. Iranian wrestling fans are arguably the most passionate fans
of any sport in the world, known for not only their excitement but also their technical knowledge. In the preliminary rounds they go crazy, of course, for their team but they also cheer loudly for all competitors no matter what country the athlete is from. They cheered for our team, especially Olympic champion
Jordan Burroughs! A tremendous show of respect for a great athlete who topped the Iranian in the World and Olympic finals. During the Opening Ceremonies, prior to the first evening session, there was a parade of champions where athletes and coaches from every team represented marched around the perimeter of the elevated competition stage. Walking out in front of 12,000 plus fans the entire arena erupted with cheering! It was so loud we couldn’t even hear the announcer. As the athletes lined the outer mat, one from each team is requested to the center. They came together to lift a 20- foot long banner that read, “The Olympics Without Wrestling…Never, Never!” Everywhere we looked we were blinded by flashbulbs docu- menting the show of solidarity. Amazingly, the crowd cheered even more loudly! Throughout the competition, fans all around the arena were holding signs and banners printed in both Farsi (the national language of Iran) and in English reading “Keep Olympic Wrestling,” “We Are All Wrestling People.” On the final day of the World Cup, there was a break of 3½
hours between the morning session and the medal round. During this time, there were no athletes in the arena and no action of any kind on the arena floor. For three solid hours, the crowd cheered, chanted, beat huge drums, played horns and sang-the all familiar, “do-ta-da-loo-ta-do-Iran!” It was non-stop, no silence, no let-up, no break. Iranians cele-
brated this amazingly important piece of their, and our, culture! In the team room, the ceiling was booming with the sound of the crowd pounding their feet on the floor above. This excitement Continued on page 35
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