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ESPN ESPN — Two Mongolian wrestling coaches who stripped to protest an officiating call at the Rio Olympics have been suspended for three years.
According to a letter sent to the Mongolian federation by United World Wrestling on Sept. 13 and forwarded to The Associated Press on Wednesday, coaches Tserenbaatar Tsogbayar and Byambarinchen Bayaraa have been banned from all international competition until August 2019. Mongolia’s national federation also has been fined 50,000 Swiss francs, which is about $51,000.
The protest by the Mongolian coaches came just moments after referees awarded a match to Uzbekisatn’s Ikhtiyor Navruzov against Mandakhnaran Ganzorig. The Uzbek, trailing 7-6, was awarded a late point after the Mongolian wrestler fled a hold and celebrated too early, with less than 10 seconds left. The Mongolians protested the call and lost, giving another point to Navruzov to make it an 8-7 final.
As Ganzorig rolled around the mat in frustration, one of his coaches stomped to the judges’ table and slammed his hands on the mat. Then he ripped his shirt off, flexed his muscles and roared, much to the delight of the crowd. From there, a second Mongolian coach came over, pulled his shirt off and then went one step further and dropped his pants. He picked up his pile of clothes and dumped them on the judges’ table. Both Mongolian coaches refused to leave the mat until they were escorted by the Brazilian National Public Security Force.
If we’re being honest, I don’t think it’s harsh enough.
Look, Mongolia, I respect your right to protest. I believe in the Constitution of the Olympics. I’m a proponent of Free Dress. I get it.
But there’s a time and a place for this.
And that time and place is when I say it is. I will not stand here and let you disrespect The Rings like this. Hundreds of thousands of millions of Olympic Committee members have died for Those Rings. Men and women lay their lives on the line every day for your right to protest and for my right to use them as a diversion tactic when I don’t want to hear what you’re protesting for.
How are you even oppressed, Mongolia? You live in a country where you make a hundred million dollars to play a silly little sport. Sounds pretty good to me. And weren’t you adopted by Chinese parents? You don’t even know what it’s like to grow up in the Mongolian community. I don’t know but it seems to be like you’re only bringing this up because you’re not the top wrestling country anymore. Seems like pretty convenient timing. Not saying but just saying.
This is the greatest sporting competition in the world, Mongolia. You’re lucky to live here and have the freedoms you have. But if you’re going to take those freedoms for granted and disrespect the Rings, then maybe this competition isn’t for you. As a matter of fact… if you hate The Rings and The Olympics so much then why don’t you just leave, Mongolia?
Olympic judges have the hardest job in the world. They go out there to protect the Olympic community. Are there a few bad eggs? Of course. But what industry doesn’t have those. One fixed wrestling match doesn’t mean all wrestling judges are bad. One Russian judge eliminating one Mongolian wrestler doesn’t mean he’s a racist. His job is difficult. Maybe if you Mongolians focused on fixing the Mongolian-on-Mongolian Crime in cities like Ulaanbaatar we could make some real progress in the Mongolian Community. Maybe if you Mongolian started complying with Olpmypic rules and regulations then you wouldn’t get eliminated from competitions. Fix those issues and then we can talk about the Judges.
Stripping in front of the Olympic Rings? That’s the most disgraceful thing I’ve ever seen. Maybe it’s just the way I grew up and the fact that I have Olympic Committee members in my family but I just think The Rings means what I say it means.
Three years isn’t nearly long enough for this level of disrespect. Kick them out of the Olympics. Maybe that’ll teach Mongolia a lesson about disrespecting The Rings.
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