Acting FILA President Nenad Lalovic to meet with IOC President Dr. Jacques Rogge
March 6, 2013 – Lausanne – Mr. Nenad Lalovic, Acting President of FILA, the International Federation for Wrestling, will meet with IOC President Jacque Rogge in Lausanne on Thursday, March 7. FILA is spearheading a global effort to remain as a core sport on the Olympic Programme.
During the past few weeks, FILA has reached out to various members of the Olympic Family in an effort to gather information and advice on how to remain on the Olympic Programme. As a result of these on-going discussions, FILA has taken significant steps in addressing many of the concerns expressed by the IOC Executive Board in its February 12 decision to remove wrestling from the Olympic Programme.
FILA has made significant changes in its leadership structure, appointing Mr. Lalovic as Acting President. He is fully supported by the FILA Executive Committee Mr. Dusson, Secretary General, and the Vice-Presidents Mr. Stan Dziedzic, Mr. Matteo Pellicone, Mr. Tomiaki Fukuda and Mr. Ahmet Ayik and all the FILA Bureau members. They all act as a synchronised team.
The FILA membership also elected three new co-opted members to the FILA Bureau. These three are Mr. Jim Scherr of the United States, Mr. Alexander Karelin of Russia, and Mr. Pedro Gama Filho of Brazil.
FILA launched an array of initiatives intended to respond to IOC concerns. These include adding athletes to the FILA Bureau and increasing women’s participation at all levels of the sport, including the FILA Bureau. FILA also intends to conduct a review of the rules of wrestling with the intent of making the sport more understandable and attractive to spectators and less dependent upon subjective officiating. Additionally, FILA will review the presentation of the sport to modernize the competition format.
Initiatives are also underway to energize the marketing and promotion of the sport in order to increase its appeal to commercial partners and diversify its revenue sources.
“Although the IOC’s decision was a clear disappointment to the wrestling world, we very much understand it is our responsibility to get our house in order,” said Acting President Lalovic. He added, “we in no way blame the IOC for our predicament and will view its decision as an opportunity to improve our sport and to help strengthen the Olympic Movement.”
PRESS RELEASE
In an effort to bring about reconciliation today, March 6, 2013 the Acting FILA President Mr. Nenad Lalovic met the outgoing President Mr. Raphaël Martinetti to discuss the proper way to resolve the dispute which goes against the interests of wrestling.
Mr. Martinetti worked very long for wrestling and he will always be ready to offer FILA his vast experience at request.
The Acting FILA President and the outgoing President decided to collaborate with the sole aim that wrestling regains its place within the core of the 25 Olympic sports. Mr. Nenad Lalovic and Mr. Raphaël Martinetti appeal to all federations to assist FILA to prevail in this difficult situation.
The FILA Bureau is in a final decision process to hold an Extraordinary Congress during which the new FILA President shall be elected. The national federations will be informed very soon.
PRESS CONFERENCE
Following the meeting held between the FILA Acting President Mr Nenad Lalovic and the IOC President Mr Jacques Rogge on March 7th 2013 at 14:00 pm at IOC, a press conference will take place at FILA's Headquarter in Corsier-sur-Vevey on Friday March 8th at 10:00 am.
Press release
Acting FILA President Nenad Lalovic met today IOC-Vice President and DOSB President Thomas Bach in Frankfurt/Germany.
The meeting took place in a very friendly atmosphere. Mr. Bach advised FILA about potential measures to develop wrestling and about the presentation of FILA to the IOC Executive Board in May. He stressed the fairness of competition rules, the participation of athletes in the FILA decision-making process and the necessity of a global development program for wrestling as well as the promotion of women.
Mr. Lalovic informed Mr. Bach about the many FILA measures which he has already initiated in this respect including the implementation of rules concerning good governance within FILA.
Mr. Bach congratulated Mr. Lalovic and FILA: “The plans to develop wrestling better, to make it more attractive for youth world-wide and globally more popular, together with the application of the IOC principles of good governance are the right approach.”
Mr. Lalovic thanked Mr. Bach for his good advice: “We follow his advices. All this advices will help FILA to determinate its own strategy to stay in the Olympic family.”
Mr. Manfred Werner, President of the German Wrestling Federation (DRB) added: “This fruitful meeting of today was an excellent follow-up of the contact Mr. Bach took with us already from Lausanne immediately after the decision of the IOC-Executive Board. We appreciate very much his guidance respecting the fact of the neutrality of DOSB with regard to all its member federations.”
The FILA delegation to this meeting included Nenad Lalovic (Acting FILA President), Manfred Werner (President DRB) and Karl-Martin Dittmann (Secretary General DRB, Member of FILA Department).
2013 FW Senior World Cup
After the Men Senior World Cups in Tehran (IRI), the Mongolian Wrestling Federation and the city of Ulaanbaatar will organize the 2013 FW Senior World Cup.
Last year in Tokyo (JPN), the organizing team won the competition ahead of Russia and China. The Japanese team will therefore try to win again this Cup for a second consecutively time.
The Chinese team won the World Cup in 2011 in Liévin (FRA) and finished 3rd last year. They will certainly play one of the first roles during this event.
Mongolia finished 6th during the last edition and they will wrestle the best as they can in order to finish in the highest place in front of their public.
You will find therefore the participants’ list at the following link.
FILA wishes good luck to all the participating teams.
