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Twotime world champion and Olympic bronze medalist Frank Chamizo claimed he turned down a bribe of $300,000 to intentionally lose a match eventually week’s European wrestling Olympic qualification event in Baku, Azerbaijan.
MILAN: Two-time world champion and Olympic bronze medalist Frank Chamizo claimed he turned down a bribe of $300,000 to intentionally lose a match eventually week’s European wrestling Olympic qualification event in Baku, Azerbaijan.
Chamizo, who competes for Italy after immigrating from Cuba in 2011, ended up controversially shedding the semifinal match to Azerbaijani freestyle wrestler Turan Bayramov following a disputed late name.
“I knew that I had to give double, triple in Azerbaijan, because I was fighting in their country and they had bought everyone,” Chamizo claimed in remarks made to Italian newspaper La Repubblica. “I did it but then something happened that has echoes of wrestling many years ago.
“So I want to say it, they came to me and offered me $300,000 to lose. I don’t want to say who but it happened on the morning of the weigh-in.”
Chamizo mentioned that he refused “because I don’t only represent myself, but also Italy … it’s not easy to break my integrity.”
Chamizo had used that final phrase in a submit he put up on Instagram after additionally placing a video of the controversial finale on social media.
He wrote on the submit of the video: “I want to apologize to those who are looking at this, my sport is beautiful. This is just a group of bribed and corrupt people. How sad. My heart is crying.”
The incident occurred proper on the finish of the semifinal when — with the scores tied at 8-8 — Chamizo scored the 2 factors that may have seen him win the match and qualify for this summer season’s Olympic Games in Paris.
The judges had awarded him the factors however a problem from Bayramov’s coach was upheld.
“I’m still shocked. Sad, in pain, full of shame for what happened,” Chamizo added within the interview. “The five judges made the same decision, recognizing that I put my opponent’s right knee on the ground, so I won.”
Chamizo grew up in Cuba and gained bronze on the 2010 world championships for the nation earlier than transferring to Italy the next yr.
He gained gold on the 2015 and 2017 world championships and silver two years later, in addition to bronze on the 2016 Olympics. Chamizo can be a four-time European champion.
The 31-year-old Chamizo has one other probability to qualify for the Paris Games in subsequent month’s world qualification event in Turkey.
“Am I worried about paying for these comments there? I come from Cuba, I’m not scared of anything,” Chamizo mentioned. “Now I am in a free country, I can say what I think and what I want. No one will stop me.”
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AP protection of the Paris Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games
(This story has not been edited by News18 workers and is printed from a syndicated information company feed – Associated Press)
