Wrestling Excluded from the Program of the 2027 Francophonie Games in Yerevan

The organizers of the 2027 Francophonie Games, which will take place in Yerevan this summer, have approved the updated sports program of the competition. It includes eight sports, with the host country having the right to modify 3–4 disciplines compared to the previous 2023 Games held in Kinshasa.

As a result of the changes, wrestling, cycling, and para-athletics were removed from the program. Instead, breakdancing, chess, and weightlifting will be featured in Yerevan.

Thus, the sports included in the Francophonie Games–2027 program are:

athletics,
basketball,
table tennis,
judo,
football,
breakdancing,
chess,
weightlifting.

It is worth noting that at the 2023 Francophonie Games in Kinshasa, wrestling competitions included both freestyle and traditional African wrestling. At that time, Armenian freestyle wrestlers won five medals (out of Armenia’s total of eight), demonstrating a high level of preparation.

The exclusion of wrestling from the program of the home tournament has raised questions within the sports community. According to a number of experts, given Armenia’s traditionally strong position in this sport, keeping wrestling in the program could have significantly affected the national team’s medal tally.

Arsen Julfalakyan, a well-known former wrestler and member of the Bureau of United World Wrestling (UWW), stated in an interview with Barev Olympos that UWW representatives were surprised by this decision. According to him, the French side also attempted to contact Armenia to discuss the possibility of returning wrestling to the Games program, but these efforts did not yield results.

The inclusion of chess and weightlifting in the program appears logical given the country’s sporting traditions. At the same time, the addition of breakdancing has become one of the most discussed decisions of the updated program.

The final list of participants and the competition regulations will be announced at a later date.