United World Wrestling respects Iran’s decision on US ban

In response to Iran’s decision to ban American wrestlers' travel to Iran, Nenad Lalovic released a statement.

The full text of the statement is as follows:

'Though we had hoped for a different outcome from Iran's Foreign Ministry, we appreciate the complex nature of this decision. We are currently working to find a solution for the Freestyle World Cup as soon as possible.'

“Despite the travel restrictions between their countries, I've been encouraged this week by the cooperation and friendship of the Iranian Wrestling Federation and USA Wrestling. As we've seen over the years, wrestling is a sport that unites people and nations. United World Wrestling hosts a full calendar of events every season and we're certain to see American and Iranian wrestlers on the same mat again in the very near future,” the message reads.

Earlier, Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi announced that Iran won’t permit US free-style wrestling team to travel to Iran.

The 45th round of the 2017 Freestyle World Cup is scheduled to be held with the attendance of eight top world teams in Kermanshah Province on February 16-17.

The US President, Donald Trump has recently signed an order based on which US borders will be closed for 4 months on refugees. Visa issuance has also been banned for 7 Muslim countries, including Iran, Iraq, Sudan, Libya, Syria, Somalia and Yemen for 3 months.

The US decision has widely been criticized by human rights bodies, indicating that Trump has targeted Muslims for their beliefs.

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