You recall the diplomatic crisis after a Danish newspaper published 12 cartoons of Prophet Muhammad in late 2006? It threatened both the political and trade relations of Denmark (and of the other Scandinavian countries) with the Muslim world, especially with Iran. Danish flags have been burnt, Danish products have been boycotted, Muslim countries' embassies have been closed in Denmark......

Denmark is following now the example of the 1998 US-Iran ?wrestling diplomacy?.

On Feb 28 ? March 1, a Danish greco team participated at the international Yadegar tourney in Iran. A Danish wrestler won a silver medal. The team will stay ten more days there training with the Iranian greco wrestlers.


The Copenhagen Post, Feb 29, writes:

Wrestling Dipolmacy

International relations with Iran and Egypt are expected to improve by using head locks, slams and a lot of sweat

The national wrestling team is touring Iran and Egypt in an effort to strengthen ties in the wrestling world in the run up to the World Championships, to be held in Denmark later this year.
In a similar move to the American wrestling team?s visit to Iran 11 years ago, the Danes are hoping the trip will promote better understanding of their different cultures.
The Ambassador of Public Diplomacy in the Foreign Ministry Klaus A. Holm, said that the trip was first and foremost be about wrestling, but that the visiting Danes could also act as informal ambassadors.
?When Danish wrestlers meet Iranian colleagues, I?m sure that this will help strengthen the relationship between Denmark and Iran,? said Holm.
Rune Nilsson, a member of the national wrestling team, is looking forward to the experience and learning some new technical skills from his Iranian opponents.
?I?m also looking forward to meet the Iranian wrestlers off the wrestling mat. I?m going on this trip to become a better wrestler, but in my opinion it?s also about becoming a more enlightened human being,? Nilsson said.
The team will take part in the Yedagar Imam Cup where they will face competitors from Iran, India, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan and Kyrgyzstan. They will then travel to a training camp in Isfahan, before moving on to Egypt for a tournament in Luxor.
(http://www.cphpost.dk/sport/120-spor...diplomacy.html)


*****


On the main page of the website of the Danish wrestling federation
http://www.brydning.dk/
(google translation!)

On the trip the Danish national team will participate in the international highly occupied Yadegar Imam Cup in Iran to serve as a trial for the Iranian team for the upcoming Asian Championship. After the tournament the Danish team is at a 10-day long training session with the Iranian national team to break before they go to Egypt to participate in Ibrahim Moustafa tournament. Besides functioning as an optimal preparation for sporting the upcoming European championship in early April, the trip is part of Denmark Bryde's Town Project in connection with the wrestling world championships. Friendship Project aims to help create visibility for Danish sport in Sport Year 2009, and create positive publicity for Denmark in the Middle East. The project is supported with DKK 350,000 from Sport Year 2009 under the Ministry of Culture and advice and assistance from the Foreign Ministry.

Responsible Press, Mads Bang Aaen says, "We are pleased to highly Friendship tour. Our wrestlers will meet world-class wrestlers in the two tournament and get an invaluable training session with the Iranian national team after the tournament in Iran. In addition, it is a fantastic opportunity to show how sport can help to bridge and strengthen relations between countries with very different cultural and religious backgrounds. We believe that the common passion for sport and the ???? that we are together on something can help to forge closer ties and relationships, and help to paint a more nuanced picture of Denmark to the ordinary citizen in the Middle East. The trip is also a fantastic marketing of the World championship to run in September in Herning. Wrestling is not the biggest sport in Denmark, but is the example. Iran is cutting huge and therefore the tour and the forthcoming World Championship help to create a lot of positive publicity to Denmark and Danish sport in Iran and the rest of the Middle East. "

Christian Ankerstjerne, leading the project ?Year of Sport 2009? said: "The interest in sport is something of what unites cultures across the land and gives us something to talk about when we meet for the first time. I have high expectations of the Friendship Project and the many initiatives undertaken in this regard. In my view, is a unique project to break the Association's Friendship Project a great opportunity to give Denmark positive publicity in the Middle East and the world, just by having two very different cultures meet in what is the common interest - namely, love of sports. The purpose of the Sports Year is to use sport and sport in Denmark to promote Denmark, Danish values and Denmark as a nation, an international sports event. It is therefore important that the visit to Iran and Egypt are noticed and discussed as widely as possible so as many people as possible become aware of the project."