London, Feb 13 (ANI): The International Olympic Committee (IOC)'s recommendation to drop wrestling from the 2020 Olympic Games has sparked outrage among wrestlers all over the world, including India.

Disappointed at the decision, Satpal Singh, coach of two-time Indian Olympic medallist Sushil Kumar, said that wrestling is one of the founding sports of the Olympics and is played all over the world.

In a statement against the recommendation, the International Federation of Associated Wrestling Styles (FILA) said that it would take all the steps necessary to convince the IOC against the decision, adding that wrestling had been one of the founding sports of the ancient and modern Olympic Games.

According to Russian wrestling federation chief Mikhail Mamiashvili, who was confident that wrestling would remain in the games, FILA and the wrestling community needed to make necessary changes in the sport to make it appealing for TV audiences.

American wrestler Cael Sanderson said that with the removal of wrestling, the entire picture of the Olympics Games would be changed as wrestling and the Olympics are inter-connected.

However, British Wrestling chief executive Colin Nicholson said that despite the IOC decision, Britain would still be focusing to deliver success in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, and added that it is fortunate that wrestling is also a Commonwealth sport which will keep the athletes moving forward.

According to IOC spokesman Mark Adams, the plan to drop wrestling from the Olympics is merely a recommendation, and not a fixed decision, BBC Sport reports.

Adams added that the proposed recommendation has been taken for the interest of the Olympics, and doesn't have anything against wrestling as a sport.

Wrestling would now compete with seven other sports - baseball/softball, squash, karate, sport climbing, wakeboarding, wushu and roller sports - for a spot in the 2020 Games. (ANI)