Last February, relations between the USA and Iran were worsening. The USA had existing sanctions against Iran. UN inspectors had found advanced centrifuges at one of Iran’s nuclear plants. Iran defended their right to enrich uranium for peaceful purposes. These events increased tension as the USA and other nations were scheduled to meet for negotiations. (For more, click here.)
What could bridge the growing gap between the USA and Iran?
Sports! In particular – wrestling!
At the same time of all this tension, in Tehran a wrestling exhibition between the USA and Iran took place. There were even cheers from the Iranians for Jordan Burroughs, who trained in Nebraska for the Olympics. He defeated an Iranian for the gold medal in London. The cheers for him were deafening — “Jordan! Jordan! Jordan!” — and he won. In the end, the Iranian team took the gold and the U.S., the bronze. Ahmadinejad shook hands with the U.S. team, leaving some Iranians shocked.
In May, the two teams met again in New York City. They included Russia this time.
Why such efforts? Because the Olympic Committee recommended that wrestling be dropped from the Olympics beginning in 2020. They gathered together to save their sport and these exhibitions were the result.
Sports bridged this seemingly unbridgeable gap!
This story exemplifies one of the amazing aspects of sports. Sports crosses national, gender, age, socio-economic, and racial barriers.
What gap could sports bridge with the people in your spheres of life ?
