Hero's welcome. greets wrestler
after controversial Olympic loss
By Mark Davis
Lincoln citizens welcomed home Abdurrahim
Kuzu, Olympic Greco-Roman wrestler, with a cross
town parade and hero's ceremonies at East Park
Plaza Saturday.
Despite a controversial loss in the 136.5-pound
weight division, Kuzu was given a key to the city and
made Honorary Mayor for a day by Mayor Roland
Luedtke. Sen. Don Wesely of Lincoln presented Kuzu
with an honary admiralship in the mythical Ne
braska Navy and Rep. Doug Bereuter presented
Kuzu with an American flag that was flown over the
state capitol during the Olympic games.
Kuzu, waving to the crowd and embracing the
American flag, said that it was the greatest moment
of his life.
They couldn't take the gold from me on the mat,
they had to take it from me on the table," Kuzu said,
referring to a late judging decision that cost him a
match he thought he had won.
But after his warm welcome to Lincoln, where he
and his brothers own Kuzu's Kebab at 297 F St. and
220 N. 66th St., Kuzu announced that he would try
again for Olympic gold in the 1988 Olympics in
Seoul, Korea.
"I will work twice as hard so there are no close
decisions next time I go for the gold," Kuzu said.
Sen Wesely said, "I know how disappointed he was
in not winning the gold. But in our book, in my book,
in all of us here, he is gold medal all the way
Kuzk's brothers, Mustafa and Ibrahim, presented
Kuzu with welcome-home signs with the signatures
of patrons of the brothers' business. Ibrahim Kuzi
said that he and Mustafa missed their brother while
he wrestled.
"Mustafa has been slicing Kebob 12 hours a day
while Abdurrahim was training. Now that he is back
to work, Mustafa can take a vacation," Ibrahim said.
"If you add his sweat together we would have
another lake in Lincoln. And he will do it again to go
to the next Olympics," Ibrahim said of Abdurrahim.
"He is a very hard worker, if you wrestle with him he
will kill you."
Abdurrahim had to compete with 1.840 other
wrestlers to qualify in his weight class. Leudtke said,
"Abbie (abdurrahim's nickname) you have come
here to America to work hard. You believe part of
your goal has eluded you, but what you have
achieved in your seven years here are lasting satis
faction." Kuzu and his brothers immigrated to the United
States seven years ago from Turkey.
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Abdurrahim Kuzu closes his eyes for a
moment during a hero's welcome in his
honor Saturday in Lincoln. He will soon
return to training and slicing kebob until the
1838 Olympics in Seoul, Korea.
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Tuesday, August 14. 1984
Daily Ncbraskan
Pago 7
