Iranians are dismayed at the International Olympic Committee's proposal to drop wrestling form the 2020 Olympic Games.
Earlier on Tuesday, the IOC's executive board recommended wrestling to be removed from the 2020 Games, which will be held in either Istanbul, Tokyo or Madrid.
But in Iran, where wrestling has a significant following, the ruling committee's decision has taken many by surprise and shock, prompting the head of the country's national Olympic committee to say he would lobby against it.
"This will be a huge blow to our country's sports," Mohammad Ali-Abadi, the head of the Iranian national Olympic committee, said, according to the semi-official Mehr news agency.
"Wrestling is one of our country's most popular and dominant sports," he said, adding that he would pursue Iran's objection to the decision with the IOC.
In the 2012 London Games, Iran came third in the wrestling medal table after Russia and Japan, with three golds, one silver and two bronzes. More than half of Iran's 60 medals in the history of Olympic games are from wrestling and taekwondo.
Thanks to Iran's good performance in wrestling, the country was the 17th in the total medal count of the London games, which marked the most successful Olympics ever for Iran.
But if the IOC endorses the ruling committee's decision in September in Buenos Aires, Iranians will have to invest on a different sport.
"This is not the end of the process, this is purely a recommendation," the IOC spokesman, Mark Adams, said after the board's vote. "It is the session which is sovereign."
There were also reactions on Twitter:
This is a big blow for #Iran: Wrestling dropped from Olympics bbc.in/WGxgfa #fb
— Al Garman (@AlGarman) February 12, 2013
and:
Wrestling may be cut from Olympics...but 6 of Iran's 12 medals from the London Games were in wrestling. Come on man
— Ali Chamani (@alichamani3) February 12, 2013
and:
Iran's most successful sport at the Summer Olympics is to be dropped! Wrestling! Currently my mind is grappling with the IOC's decision!!
— Dr Whizz (@Doctorwhizz) February 12, 2013
and:
If you think Iran is volatile, just wait until they hear wrestling is gone from the Olympics. Of 60 medal won, 38 in Wrestling. 8 of 15 gold
— Dodge (@seidodge) February 12, 2013
and:
Nah you can't take Wrestling away from the Olympics. That's 68% of Iran's medal tally gone LOL.
— Winston (@WhosAria) February 12, 2013
