First-Time Hosts, Wrestling Hotbeds Highlight 2015 Calendar
Friday, June 27, 2014 - 10:29 By Tim Foley
CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland – Cuba, Myanmar and the Marshall Islands will each host their first-ever FILA- wrestling competitions in 2015. The three nations join more than a dozen others awarded hosting privileges by the FILA Bureau last week in Dubrovnik.
After successful events in 2014, Los Angeles and Tehran were once again tapped to host the freestyle and Greco-Roman World Cups, respectively.
Cuba will host the Pan-American Junior Championships as Myanmar has agreed to welcome the Asian Junior Championships in the capital city of Nay Pyi Taw. The Marshall Islands, who joined FILA in 2004, will host the senior, junior and cadet Oceania championships. The decision to host all three categories is the result of a successful 2014 Oceanic Championship that featured the same format.
“Wrestling is a global sport and the 2015 calendar showcases our strength and desire to keep growing,” said FILA president Nenad Lalovic. “The focus is on growing participation and viewership and I think these events will help us achieve both.”
The Senior World Championships will head to Las Vegas -- it’s first trip to the United States since the 2003 championships at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The Junior World Championships, FILA’s second-largest world championship, will head to Recife, Brazil – a first for the South American nation.
The Cadet World Championships will be held in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina as the Veteran World Championships move to Crete, Greece.
In addition to the World Championships and World Cup, FILA released a full slate of continental host nations for their senior, junior and cadet competitions.
The European championships, one of FILA’s premier continental events, will be held in Baku, Azerbaijan during the 2015 European Games, while the junior championships will travel to Istanbul and the cadets to Subotica, Serbia.
The Pan-American championships will be spread across North America, South America and the Caribbean. The senior championships are headed to Santiago, Chile, the juniors in Havana, Cuba, and the cadet championships will be held in Guadalajara, Mexico.
Egypt will host all three African championships (senior, junior and cadet) in Alexandria -- the nation’s second-largest city.
Qatar, who hosted the 2008 Asian Junior Championships will host their first Senior Asian Championships in Doha.
A candidate city for the Women’s World Cup -- the premier team event in women’s wrestling – is still being determined.
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