For the last 30 years, international wrestling teams have visited Indiana and Indiana wrestlers have visited other nations through a ISWA sponsored exchange program. This year a Japanese national team made the visit to Indiana, visiting Jeffersonville on their last leg of their journey. Team Jeff hosted and had lots of fun with the Japanese national team over a two day experience.
The News and Tribune covered this event…
JEFFERSONVILLE — For the fifth time in head coach Danny Struck’s 13-year tenure at Jeffersonville, the Red Devils and Team Jeff Wrestling Club recently welcomed foreign wrestlers to Jeffersonville during the summer.
Last Sunday and Monday, 10 wrestlers and a coach from Japan visited Jeffersonville with Team Jeff members as their hosts. The Japanese wrestlers practiced against Team Jeff and other Southern Indiana grapplers and did some sightseeing around Kentuckiana.
The Japanese visit was a part of the Indiana State Wrestling Association’s Cultural Exchange program. Not only do Indiana teams have a chance to host wrestlers from foreign countries, some Hoosier grapplers get to travel to other countries through the program.
Along with Japan, the Red Devils have hosted wrestlers from Turkey, Poland and New Zealand the past several years. In turn, former and current Team Jeff grapplers have visited those four countries and Australia thanks to the ISWA’s program. The Japanese wrestlers stayed with six host families in Jeff during their recent trip.
Struck says the cultural exchange program teaches his wrestlers several lessons.
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