Wrestling History

Wrestling, one of the most popular sports today has its traces way back to ancient history. Many clues are available in form of Crave drawings in France or other countries sculpting the sports like gestures.

Wrestling in earlier age was famous all over the world, though some difference in techniques or motives was prevalent among different regions. Somewhere it was being recognized just as Amateur sport while at other place at was known as the most brutal sport – A channel to showcase one’s Strength and Power.

Wrestling had enjoyed a prominent place in ancient Greece literature. It had its roots spread through whole Roman world as well as other early civilizations of India, Japan, and China etc. During this period of fifth –15th century (Middle Age) this sports enjoyed patronage of different royal families who treated it as a good source of entertainment.

Earlier kind of wrestling that had near association with military training was supposed to be a brutal sport, though this aspect reduces to a large extent with worldwide spread of wrestling. Afterwards, amateur wresting gained its popularity among masses and served as a good entertainer activity during holiday celebrations, country fairs, and local ceremonies.

Wrestling had its way into the first Modern Olympic Games that were held in 1896 at Athens. That time it was a Greco Roman style under no weight specification category. This style is a limited option wrestling type where players have to fight under various restrictions in name of rules as like, to grab their opponent around the upper body only, use of legs forbidden etc. However, some suspicion does exist with regards to the type of wrestling in first Olympics as if it was Greco Roman or freestyle. Nevertheless, this inclusion was followed by a short period of few years’ exclusion and then again, in year 1904, at Saint Louis, Missouri Olympics wrestling was back as a sport.

In 1904, the wrestling kind included in Olympics was Freestyle while the Greco-Roman style returned to Olympics in the year 1908. During that period this sport was treated as a showpiece event for the Olympics and a large fan, following had a keen eye for this event. This all indicates the level of popularity that wrestling was enjoying during that period though at present also it boosts of near half of world fan following.

The first wrestling tournament at the National level was held in the year 1988 in New York City. While the first NCAA wrestling championships were held during 1912, at Ames: Its in the same year that FILA a leading organization was founded at Antwerp, Belgium.
In year 1983, the U.S.A wrestling that was located at Colorado Springs, Colorado turned out into a governing body of amateur wrestling at the national level so as to promote the sports.

With passing of time, Wrestling is becoming more and more popular. Various organizations at National and International level have been set up for the organization as well as regulation of sports related services. Each time some new Rules are introduced to make the sport more interesting and faultless. In addition, in the same line it was in year 2001, that IOC (International Olympic Committee) made two decisions with regards to wrestling. The one was about the inclusion of Women wrestling freestyle, in the Olympic games-2004, in four weight categories while the other has an implication with regards to reduction in weight categories for men by two i.e. from 16 to 14.

So, whatever the new rules or categories being introduced in field of wrestling, its turning out to be a proven fact that wrestling is an all time favorite sports from the old time of emperors to the new generation of 21st century.