Wrestling wins IOC vote for place in 2020 Olympics
President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Jacques Rogge (R) listens to the presentation of wrestling to be included as an Olympic sport next to committee member Ng Ser Miang in Buenos Aires September 8, 2013. (REUTERS/Marcos Brindicci) -Wrestling has won back its place in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, after beating out bids from rival sports squash, baseball and softball.
Sunday\’s vote by the International Olympic Committee put wrestling back on the roster after losing its spot in February, much to the protests of athletes and fans.
Wrestling, as old as the Olympics itself, has made an appearance at just about every modern game on record.
IOC member Richard Pound said the committee made a mistake in getting rid of wrestling, and that Sunday\’s decision fixed the error.
"I think that in the session today it was clear that the Executive Board had made a mistake in getting rid of wrestling, and so they corrected that mistake. And now we are back to where we were before the process started with no new sports and I think that the new president will have to solve that problem."
The result of the vote ensures wrestling its place at both the 2020 and 2024 summer Olympics.
Wrestling received 49 of 95 votes, with the combined baseball-softball bid earning 24. Squash, which has been trying to win a spot in the Olympics for the past 10 years, received just 22 votes from the IOC members.
Source: Agencies
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