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Russian riot police halt wrestling brawl over Rio 2016 spot
MOSCOW – Riot police had to be sent in when a scuffle erupted after a Russian wrestling championship bout.
Viktor Lebedev of Russia’s northern region of Yakutia on Friday beat Ismail Musukayev of Dagestan in an under-57 kilogram semifinal bout at the competition that decides who represents Russia at the Rio Olympics this summer. The championship was held in Yakutsk, the province’s capital.
State television showed Musukayev’s coaches and supporters pouring onto the ring and starting a scuffle with Lebedev. Several minutes later, riot police were sent in to stop the fight.
The Russian Wrestling Federation said all wrestlers from Dagestan have now boycotted the competition in protest and were handed a technical defeat.
Wrestling is a source of pride in Dagestan, a province in Russia’s North Caucasus known for its Islamic insurgency.
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