Top marks to these two Mongolian wrestling coaches for the nature of their protest at the Olympic games in Rio.
Head coach Tserenbaatar Tsogtbayar and his assistant Byambarenchin Bayaraa stripped off their clothes after their wrestler Ganzorigiin Mandakhnaran lost out on a bronze medal when the judges awarded a penalty point - after the match had finished.
Mandakhnaran thought he had taken the third-place medal when the match against Uzbekistan’s Ikhtiyor Navruzov finished, and his coaches rushed on to the mat carrying the Mongolia flag in celebration.
But seconds later they were distraught when the judges gave the penalty point, meaning the medal went to Navruzov.
They tried to protest the decision but when the judges explained that the call could not be challenged they began to strip off down to their underwear in protest.
https://twitter.com/Deadspin/status/767414445370961920
When asked why he had stripped, Bayaraa said through a translator: “The referees are no good. There are 3 million Mongolian people, all waiting for a bronze medal. And now? No medal. Only [a few] Mongolian athletes come here.”
In a scene remeniscent of Rocky IV, the crowd began cheering “MONGOLIA! MONGOLIA!” as security was called.
“All of the stadium was behind us,” Bayaraa added as they were escorted out of the arena. “One hundred percent for Mongolia.”
https://twitter.com/piersnewbery/status/767415170259910656
Listen to big interview with Eamon McGee in the latest GAA Hour. Subscribe here on iTunes.
