Mirrored from FILA website
Mr. Martinetti resigns from FILA Presidency

On the occasion of the extraordinary Bureau meeting that was convened by Mr. Raphaël Martinetti in Phuket (THA) on 15-16 February 2013, a group of Eastern delegates accused him of being to blame for the eviction of wrestling as part of the 25 core sports for the 2020 Olympic Games.

Mr. Martinetti asked for the Bureau’s trust in leading the campaign to save wrestling in the coming months, but the Bureau only supported him by 50% of the votes. Mr. Martinetti did not use his casting vote to save his position and announced his resignation in order to give the chance to another President to act upon the situation. Mr. Martinetti will remain a Bureau member till the end of his term in 2014.

The FILA Bureau nominated Mr. Nenad Lalovic (SRB) as acting President.

In accordance with the the FILA Constitution, an extraordinary Congress may be called by the Bureau or by at least one third of the affiliated National Federations in order to ratify the Bureau’s decision or appoint another acting President.

Mr. Martinetti hopes that this situation will help save wrestling and thanks all National Federations for their unfailing support throughout his term as FILA President since 2002. Mr. Martinetti also wishes plenty of success to Mr. Lalovic for the mission that now rests in his hands.

Quote from USA Wrestling Executive Director Rich Bender

“This decision provides international wrestling with an opportunity to change and improve. The sport will now be able to create a fresh new relationship with the International Olympic Committee and address some of the pressing challenges and opportunities facing wrestling.”

Further Information from TheMat.com

• FILA Bureau member Nenad Lalovic of Serbia currently serves as a member of the European Council of Associated Wrestling (CELA) as well as on FILA’s Ethical and Legal Commission.
• FILA Vice President Stan Dziedzic of the United States has been selected by Lalovic as his assistant in the leadership of the organization. Dziedzic, a past USA Wrestling president, was a World champion in men’s freestyle wrestling.
• Three members to the FILA Bureau will participate in the effort to retain wrestling in the Olympic Games:
  • Jim Scherr (USA)
    • Scherr is currently the Commissioner of the National Collegiate Hockey Conference. He served as the CEO of the United States Olympic Committee and is a past Executive Director of USA Wrestling. He was a member of the 1988 U.S. Olympic men’s freestyle wrestling team and a three-time World medalist.
  • Alexander Kareline (RUS)
    • Kareline is a three-time Olympic champion and four-time Olympic medalist in Greco-Roman, and also won nine World Championship gold medals. He serves in the Duma, which is Russia’s Parliament.
  • Pedro Gama Filho of (BRA)
    • Filho serves as the president of the Brazilian Wrestling Federation, which is the nation which will host the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janiero.

• FILA News Item
• ‘Inside the Games’ News Item: International Wresting President forced to quit after Olympic shock
• ‘Inside the Games’ News Item: International Wrestling chief must quit after bringing sport “to ruin” demand Russian Federation
• The Mat.com: Lalovic named interim FILA president with Dziedzic as assistant and Scherr added to FILA Bureau