We received the following media release from our friend Mr. Josip Mrkoci about the 2005 Commonwealth Wrestling Championships. This event will be held June 30 and July 1-2, 2005, in Cape Town, South Africa. Here is the information: Thursday, June 16, 2005 MEDIA RELEASE Commonwealth Amateur Wrestling Association Commonwealth Championships: Olympic Style Wrestling for Men and Women to be held in Cape Town, South Africa on June 30, July 1-2, 2005 London, Ontario, CANADA – The Commonwealth Amateur Wrestling Association confirmed today that eleven international teams will be participating in the 2005 Commonwealth Championships in Cape Town, South Africa, they are: AUSTRALIA, CANADA, ENGLAND, INDIA, KENYA, NAMIBIA, NEW ZEALAND, NIGERIA, PAKISTAN, SCOTLAND and SOUTH AFRICA. The city of Cape Town, South Africa is hosting the 2005 – COMMONWEALTH WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS, in both Olympic Styles of Wrestling. On June 30th and July 1st, the Championships will be conducted in Olympic Freestyle Wrestling (men and women). On July 2nd, the Olympic Greco-Roman style of Wrestling (men) shall be contested. This is the first time in the Commonwealth wrestling history that Greco-Roman style of Wrestling Championships will be held. The Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Commonwealth Amateur Wrestling Association, Mr. Josip Mrkoci persuaded the organizers of the 2005 COMMONWEALTH CHAMPIONSHIPS to host the Greco-Roman Wrestling Championships in order to promote this style of wrestling within the Commonwealth. ‘We are grateful to the organizers in Cape Town and the South African Wrestling Federation for the opportunity to promote the Greco-Roman wrestling style in the Commonwealth. We would also like to thank Rich Bender, Executive Director of USA Wrestling for their support by providing the services of Momir Petkovic, a 1976 Olympic Champion and now USA – Assistant National Greco-Roman coach will conduct a Greco-Roman wrestling camp for the participating Commonwealth nations,’ stated Mr. Mrkoci. Following the Commonwealth Championships a five day wrestling camp/symposium will be held from July 3-7 for the Greco-Roman and Freestyle wrestlers of the Commonwealth. On July 8-9 a second International competition called – South African Centenary Cup – will also be held in Cape Town. Most of the Commonwealth nations will also compete at this International wrestling event. ‘The Commonwealth wrestling Championships in Cape Town has been endorsed and sanctioned by FILA, the International sport governing body of Wrestling as well as the Commonwealth Games Federation’ said Mr. Mrkoci. The President of FILA, Mr. Raphy Martinetti recently said ‘we support the efforts of the South African Wrestling Federation in hosting the Commonwealth Championships and congratulate the Commonwealth Amateur Wrestling Association for including the Greco-Roman style of wrestling at the Championships’. The South African team coach Mr. Willem Putter is optimistic of his team’s chances by saying recently ‘the Commonwealth Wrestling Challenge Cup competition which was held at the Muscat Festival in the Sultanate of Oman (February 2-4), was an excellent tune-up for the South African wrestlers as they wrestled teams from India, Canada and England to prepare themselves for the Commonwealth Championships. We look forward to hosting the Championships and to show our country and our hospitality to the participants of the Commonwealth wrestling nations’. For further information contact – Commonwealth Amateur Wrestling Association Telephone: ( 519) 668-9901 E-mail: – [email protected] Web site: – http://groups.msn.com/CommonwealthWrestling
