Cleveland, OH (March 25, 2011) – The Greater Cleveland Sports Commission has named Olympic silver medalist Matt Ghaffari as the honorary chairman for the 2011 U.S. Open Wrestling Championships. 

Ghaffari is known for his impressive international accomplishments including a silver medal at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia. He was also a three-time World Championships medalist, four-time World Cup Champion and a nine-time Pan-American Champion. 

“As a Clevelander, I am so proud to support the U.S. Open Wrestling Championships right here in my own city. This is a great tournament that showcases some of the best wrestlers in the nation and I’m looking forward to seeing some great action take place at Public Hall,” stated Matt Ghaffari. 

Ghaffari is also active in the Cleveland community, serving on the Boards of the Greater Cleveland Council Boy Scouts of America, Greater Cleveland Good Will and is a Member of the Rotary Club of Cleveland. He is also a volunteer coach for the U.S. National Greco-Roman Team, the Sunkist Kids Wrestling Club and Cleveland State University. He currently works for Prestolite Performance as a Brand Manager for Mallory and ACCEL and resides with his wife and three daughters in Avon Lake. 

The U.S. Open and FILA Junior National Championships will take place April 7-10 at Cleveland Public Hall where the nation’s top wrestlers in the three Olympic styles of men’s freestyle, women’s freestyle and Greco-Roman will compete. The Men’s FILA Junior National Championships will showcase the nation’s top athletes who are 17-20 years old, competing in freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling. Up to 850 athletes are expected to participate in both the U.S. Open and the FILA Junior National competitions that weekend, pumping an estimated $850,000 into the local economy. 

For more information on the event, visit
http://www.usopencleveland.com

The mission of the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission is to measurably enhance the economy, image and quality of life in the Greater Cleveland community by attracting and creating significant sporting events and activities. For more information on the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission, visit clevelandsports.org.