Post by simon on Mar 28, 2005 11:44:09 GMT -5
Though I have put a great deal of work into the viability of armwrestling getting into the Olympics, and I certainly believe if armwrestling is going to get in the Olympics that this particular approach through FILA (the World Authority of all Wrestling Styles) is the most viable of approaches to obtain that goal, I must admit that I also believe that armwrestling really needs to become a well known presence in the commercial sporting/sports entertainment arena first. For the record there is concern within the international armwrestling community that aligning ourselves with a large organization such as FILA could relegate us to a subordinate position rendering us incapable of controlling our own destiny, this could in and of itself derail the possibility.
As anyone that has ever tried to promote this sport knows, it is very hard to convince any outside group to help you build this sport, ala I need your support/money to put on this event, it is much easier to be able to say I have this event, this is what we are successfully doing now, are you interested in becoming a part of it? If armwrestling can become a regular fixture amongst third tier sporting events on cable television, if it can develop a successful track record with a consistent league/series of events etc then armwrestling has the potential to become more than that, maybe even potentially a well known international sport, approaching Olympic recognition as a free standing entity.
I personally believe that pursuing Olympic recognition in the open levels of this sport without either aligning ourselves with a larger established organization or first developing a consistent, viable, properly exposed series of events that to some extent gather a world following, will be nothing short of futile.
As anyone that has ever tried to promote this sport knows, it is very hard to convince any outside group to help you build this sport, ala I need your support/money to put on this event, it is much easier to be able to say I have this event, this is what we are successfully doing now, are you interested in becoming a part of it? If armwrestling can become a regular fixture amongst third tier sporting events on cable television, if it can develop a successful track record with a consistent league/series of events etc then armwrestling has the potential to become more than that, maybe even potentially a well known international sport, approaching Olympic recognition as a free standing entity.
I personally believe that pursuing Olympic recognition in the open levels of this sport without either aligning ourselves with a larger established organization or first developing a consistent, viable, properly exposed series of events that to some extent gather a world following, will be nothing short of futile.
