These stripping Mongolian coaches first became a Rio moment, now an example

Both the coaches have been suspended for three years.

By: Score Keepers |
September 23, 2016 12:25 pm

Tags: Rio Olympics,

Martial art legend Bruce Lee is not only a legend for featuring in some ‘Dragon’ movies. His cinema avatar that shows an angry, aggressive side of an actor, is different from his real-life musings.

Once he famously said “A quick temper will make a fool of you soon enough”.

This article is not about Bruce Lee. We are mentioning him as two Mongolian wrestling coaches almost validated his quote. Their quick temper at Rio made him a laughing stock pan world. His video went viral as he stripped on the mat to protest a decision that led to the loss of their ward. Now, the consequences of their action have hit them hard.

Both the coaches have been suspended for three years, the sport’s international federation said on Wednesday.

The Mongolia wrestling federation was also fined 50,000 Swiss francs ($51,366.34), United World Wrestling said on Twitter.

Tserenbaatar Tsogtbayar and Byambarenchin Bayaraa undressed and hurled their shoes when their wrestler Mandakhnaran Ganzorig was denied victory for avoiding his Uzbek opponent in the dying seconds of a bronze medal contest.

Ganzorig, leading Ikhtiyor Navruzov by seven points to six, taunted his opponent by dancing around him in the last 18 seconds of their 65kg match and was then carried around the ring in triumph by one of the coaches.

But the judges adjusted the score to 7-7, penalising the Mongolian for ‘fleeing the hold’, and added a further point to the Uzbek’s score after a challenge from the Mongolian corner was rejected.

The two Mongolian coaches advanced towards the judges, stripped off their shirts and shoes and hurled them to the floor.

With the crowd erupting, one then took off his tracksuit bottoms and remonstrated with the judges wearing nothing but a pair of trunks.

The incident, on the final Sunday, provided one of the memorable moments of the Olympics. After being a memorable moment, now the authorities have made them an example.

There was another quote by Bruce Lee that could be used for this situation.

“The successful warrior is the average man, with laserlike focus.”

The wrestler lost focus in the last moments of his bout and lost. Than their coaches lost focus and grace.

(Reuters inputs)