Statement by the Honourable Bal Gosal, Minister of State (Sport), on the International Olympic Committee's Decision on Wrestling in 2020

OTTAWA, Feb. 13, 2013 /CNW/ - Yesterday, the International Olympic Committee's Executive Board recommended that wrestling not be included on the list of core sports in the 2020 Olympic Summer Games. Wrestling will now join seven other shortlisted sports—baseball/softball, karate, roller sports, sport climbing, squash, wakeboarding, and wushu—vying for inclusion in the 2020 Olympic program.

Canada has a rich tradition in Olympic wrestling, dating back to the 1908 Games. Canada has won 14 Olympic medals in the sport, most recently in London in 2012, when Tonya Verbeek and Carol Huynh earned silver and bronze, respectively. Canadian wrestlers have brought home at least one Olympic wrestling medal from every summer Games since Barcelona in 1992.

It is regretful and disappointing to potentially lose this important sport from the Olympic program in 2020. The Government of Canada will continue to support our wrestlers through the Athlete Assistance Program and the Sport Support Program as they prepare for important upcoming events such as the 2013 Games of La Francophonie in Nice, France; the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland; the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto; and the 2016 Olympic Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The Government of Canada is proud of the dedication and commitment of our athletes and will continue to support the advancement of sport in Canada.

SOURCE: Canadian Heritage