By Duncan Mackay

Raphael MartinettiMay 10 - A late attempt by former International Federation of Associated Wrestling Styles (FILA) head Raphaël Martinetti to nullify the election of acting President Nenad Lalović and stop the world governing body from meeting in Moscow on May 18 has been dismissed by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).


Martinetti (pictured) resigned on February 16, just four days after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Executive Board recommended wrestling be dropped from the Olympics after Rio 2016.

The Swiss, who had been President of FILA since 2002, filed a complaint at CAS about the decision to replace him with Serbian Lalović. 

CAS today refused to invalidate Lalović's election and upheld FILA's right to hold its Extraordinary Congress in the Russian capital next week where Lalović is expected to be confirmed as permanent President and a number of rule changes are to be discussed. 

But CAS did say that Martinetti should remain a member of FILA's ruling Bureau.

"We will accept the CAS decision and we are looking forward to the Extraordinary Session in Moscow, on May 18 and then to our presentation to the Executive Board of the International Olympic Committee on May 29, that will determine the future of our sport," said Lalović. 

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