FILA Hall of Fame
October 01, 2003
-----Original Message-----
From: Ala, Mohammad
Sent: Tuesday, September 16, 2003 1:16 PM
To: 'fila@fila-wrestling.com'
Subject: A request to FILA regarding Iranian Wrestlers
International Federation of Associated Wrestling Styles
FILA: International Wrestling
Avenue Juste-Olivier 17
1006 Lausanne, Switzerland
Dear Sir/Madam:
The 37th World championship freestyle wrestling games ended on September
14, 2003 in New York City, USA. Many athletes competed from seventy
eight countries in this championship. It was exciting to watch the matches.
Whiling visiting your website (http://www.fila-wrestling.com), I checked
the individuals who are listed in Hall of Fame. I was surprised that
no Iranians were among the honored athletes. There seems to be a bias
against Iran in favor of Russia and the USA.
Wrestling brings back many good memories for me as an Iranian. Iran
has had many great athletes who have contributed to the sport as successful
competitors for thousands of years. For example, wrestling drawings
can be seen in Iran from 5000 years ago.
I would like to give you some specific examples of great Iranian wrestlers.
Mr. Movahead won six gold medals and Emamali Habibi invented many of
today's techniques. Ebrahim Javadi won many international matches. Mr.
Takhati was chosen as one of the athletes of the twentieth century.
These athletes have better records than some of those who are listed
in Hall of Fame.
I would appreciate it if you would provide me with an explanation of
the criteria regarding selection into the Hall of Fame. Thank you very
much for your attention to this request.
Sincerely,
Mohammad Ala, Board Member
http://www.iranalliance.org
From: Ala, Mohammad
Sent: Wednesday, October 01, 2003 9:42 AM
To: 'heidi@fila-wrestling.com'
Subject: FW: FILA Hall of Fame
Dear Mr. Martinetti:
Thank you for your reply and attention to my request of September 16,
2003.
In addition to specific examples of great Iranian wrestlers which I
provided, I would like to add another individual, named Seyed Abbasi.
He was one of the most exciting technical wrestlers of ALL time which
your organization named his favorite technique: Fiteeleh Peech, after
him. It is disrespectful to wrestling community, not to have Takhti,
Movahed, and Habibi in Hall of Fame. They invented the techniques which
the likes of Carl Westergren used.
As an Iranian, I will be following FILA's actions in coming years.
Mohammad Ala, Board Member
http://www.iranalliance.org
-----Original Message-----
From: heidi [mailto:heidi@fila-wrestling.com]
Sent: Wednesday, October 01, 2003 4:46 AM
To: mala@exchange.calstatela.edu;
Aurash.Shahipour@pfizer.com
Cc: sciacchetano@fila-wrestling.com
Subject: FILA Hall of Fame
Dear Sirs,
In reply ro your e-mails of 16 and 17 September 2003, I have pleasure
in giving you the replies you wish.
First of all, I would like t thank you for your interest in wrestling
and congratulate you for having visited the Hall of Fame on our website.
I am, like you, convinced that the wrestling world has at its disposal
an impressive number of personalities who all would deserve to be included
in the Hall of Fame.
Unfortunately, the world was not created in one day and I cannot in
one year catch up with what has not been done.
At the beginning of 2003, the FILA Bureau set up the FILA Hall of Fame
and decided to introduce only 10 persons for the first year, that is
to say 1 leader, 4 Greco-Roman and 5 Freestyle wrestlers and among these
Champions only one who has passed away (Carl Westergren who has the
greatest Olympic achievements), the others all being still alive.
The presentation of the Champions to the Hall of Fame will be done
each year during a reception organised by the FILA and only a maximum
of six personalities will be presented which will give us in 10 years
70 persons!
The Department in charge of this question and headed by Mr Larry Sciacchetano
will at the beginning of 2004 ask all National Federations to submit
candidatures and I am sure that Iranian wrestlers will be selected.
I hope that with the above mentioned I have answered your query.
Yours sincerely,
Raphaël Martinetti
Président FILA
FILA President
Fédération Internationale des Luttes Associées
International federation of Associated Wrestling Styles
Avenue Juste-Olivier 17 - CH-1006 Lausanne (Suisse)
Tél. (4121) 312 84 26 - Fax : (4121) 323 60 73
Internet : http://www.fila-wrestling.com
email : fila@fila-wrestling.com
