Thursday, Governor Holcomb announced that the State of Indiana, Indiana Sports Corp, and the South Shore Convention and Visitors Authority (SSCVA) collaborated to relocate the men’s Ukrainian Olympic Greco-Roman Wrestling Team to Indiana to serve as its training location this summer.
“We are so happy to play our small part in providing these world-class athletes with refuge to continue their training in such a fantastic facility,” said Gov. Holcomb. “This confirms what we have known all along – that our strongest state export has, and always will be, our Hoosier Hospitality.”
The team traveled to Hammond on Thursday where they will train at Hammond Central High School until Aug. 3. The wrestlers will use the high school facility which opened in 2021. The facility includes a weight room, track, football field, gymnasium, and pool.
The collaborative support stemmed from Holcomb’s and Indiana Secretary of Commerce Brad Chambers’ meeting in March with the Ambassador of Ukraine at the Ukrainian embassy in Washington just two weeks after the Russian invasion of Ukraine began.
As part of their three-week stay, the Ukrainian Olympic Greco-Roman Wrestling Team will have joint training sessions and meetings with local wrestlers. These gatherings will allow local wrestlers to learn from the Ukrainian team and allow both parties to share experiences on and off the mat. The SSCVA is handling local logistics for the team and plans to provide several offsite experiences, including a welcome reception, throughout the duration of their time in Indiana.
The Ukrainian Olympic Greco-Roman Wrestling Team has a strong history of success at the Olympic Summer Games. At the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, Ukrainian Greco-Roman Wrestling Team ranked third, wrestlers garnered one gold medal in the 87 kg weight category, a silver medal in the 67 kg weight category and took 5th place in the 60 kg weight category.
All travel and arrangements for the athletes and their coaches was made possible by a grant provided to the Indiana Sports Corp from the Indiana Economic Development Corporation.