Facing a wave of criticism from around the world, IOC president Jacques Rogge will meet with the head of wrestling’s governing body to discuss ways the sport can fight to save its place in the Olympics – a place it lost when the IOC executive board dropped wrestling from the program of the 2020 Games on Tuesday.
Locally, the IOC decision will not affect the volume of business at Matman Wrestling of Lakewood, but it does cause concern.
“It’s disappointing. It’s just disappointing,” said Matman co-owner Ed Zittle this week.
“Wrestling was one of the primary sports from the dawn of the Olympics,” he said. “There’s a lot more modern things, but I don’t think they should forget the basics.”
Matman is the nation’s third-largest supplier of singlets and other equipment used by club and school teams. Its uniforms also have been worn in the Olympics.
The sport itself, Zittle said, looks to be in no danger from the IOC decision.
“Wrestling in general is steady to improving,” he said.
Staff writer C.R. Roberts contributed to this report.
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