Kiki Cup, A Wrestling Meet, Renamed Jack Pinto Cup In Memory Of Newtown Victim
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (CBSNewYork/AP) — The Kiki Cup, an international Greco-Roman wrestling dual meet, is being renamed the Jack Pinto Cup in memory of the 6-year-old wrestler who was killed in the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn.
USA Wrestling and Christina "Kiki" Kelley, the sponsor of the annual competition, made the announcement Thursday.
Pinto was a first-year member of both the Newton Youth Wrestling Association and USA Wrestling. He was one of 20 children killed along with six educators in the Dec. 14 rampage.
This year's Olympic style wrestling meet, in which four U.S. senior level Greco-Roman teams compete against four international teams, will be held at the US Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs on Jan. 26.
Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz visited the family of Pinto on Dec. 18. Pinto, who idolized Cruz, was buried in his favorite player's jersey.
The 26-year-old player best known for his salsa dances after touchdowns signed autographs for the children surrounding the house before heading inside.
"I didn't want to go in there and make a speech," Cruz said. "I just wanted to go and spend some time with them and be someone they could talk to, and be someone they can vent to; talk about how big of fans they are of the team or different times they watched the Super Bowl."
Cruz said it was strange thinking about a child being buried in his jersey. He did not know how to react. Should he thank the family?
"It leaves you kind of blank," Cruz said. "I am definitely honored by it. I am definitely humbled by it and it's definitely an unfortunate but humbling experience for me."
After the visit, Cruz tweeted that he has "much love to the entire Pinto family. Great people with huge hearts."
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