Raphaël Martinetti resigns from FILA Presidency │ Source: fila-official.com
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 2020. Mr. Martinetti also wishes plenty of success to Mr. Lalovic for the mission that now rests in his hands. ”
” I just had a conversation with Cobra today about this very subject. Simon did a ton of work and set up a crucial meeting with WAF and FILA. I have to say that it was a disaster, and our only way into the Olympics was mishandled. Now WAF has this feel good idea that if we just join this group called SportAccor”. Now don’t get me wrong there are some great associations that are a member of this body such as FILA that we have talked about in the past but the IOC is not adding sports and have called for less and not more. […]”
FILA was greatly astonished by today’s recommendation of the IOC Executive Board not to maintain wrestling among the 25 core sports for the 2020 Olympic Games. FILA will take all necessary measures to convince the IOC Executive Board and IOC members of the aberration of such decision against one of the founding sports of the ancient and modern Olympic Games. FILA has always complied with the IOC regulations and is reprensented in 180 countries, with wrestling being the national sport in a fair amount of them and the only possibility for athletes to represent their country at the Olympic Games, thus contributing to their universality.
The FILA Bureau will meet in Phuket (THA) on 16-17 February and will address this issue in view of the presentation of wrestling in front of the IOC Executive Board in St-Petersburg next May.
