Wrestling: Rivals tried to bribe me at Olympics: Akzhurek Tanatarov

Free-style wrestler and 2012 London Olympic bronze champion Akzhurek Tanatarov said that several people tried to bribe him during the Olympic Games. “Representatives of my rival approached me prior to the one of the fights and asked me to lose. They offered me good money ($100 000). I said: “What are you talking about? I am not selling the victory and I am going to fight for my nation, for Kazakhstan!” It is my native country I am fighting for not some alien place. However, they didn’t leave me alone, they started offering me more and asking me to name my price. But they achieved nothing^ I won the fight and I got into the next round. Frankly speaking, I received such proposals not once during this Olympic Games, Tengrinews.kz reported referring to the athlete's interview to Megapolis.kz. Tanatarov also mentioned his semi-final fight against India’s Sushil Kumar. The result of the fight provoked a lot of disputes. According to Kazakhstan’s wrestler, the referee railroaded him. First of all the referee didn’t notice that the India’s wrestler was sloshed in some kind of oil that made his body very slippery. Secondly, the referee failed to notice that Kumar was using forbidden tricks during the match. Tips of Kumar's fingers covered in some biting balm repeatedly found Tanatarov’s eyes. Besides, the India’s wrestler resorted to biting and squeezed Kazakhstan’s wrestler’s throat. All these attempts culminated in the Indians attempt to bit off his opponent's ear.