New Delhi: Indian wrestlers will make a contemporary begin on the Asian Championships in Amman beginning on Tuesday. After lacking two worldwide rating collection this yr as a result of administrative disaster at house, the Wrestling Federation of India bought its recognition again from the Sports activities Ministry and the wrestling staff was chosen based mostly on trials.
Indian wrestler Antim Panghal. (Hindustan Occasions)
Within the final three years, no nationwide camps have been organised and the restricted home competitions impacted coaching and preparation of wrestlers. That India nonetheless managed to win a medal on the Paris Olympics confirmed the depth of Indian wrestling.
The 30-member Indian staff for the Asian occasion will give a peek into the way forward for Indian wrestling with some younger skills seeking to take a look at themselves within the huge league.
The Asian event may even see return of high names like Paris Olympians Antim Panghal and Reetika Hooda and seasoned Deepak Punia.
World championship medallist Antim had a disaapointing run in Paris on and off the mat. She was hardly capable of put up a combat in opposition to Turkey’s Yegil Zeynep in her opening bout, whereas her private coach was concerned in a unnecessary controversy.
Since then she has been coaching away from the highlight and did effectively within the choice trials to e-book her slot for the Asian Championship in 53kg.
Reetika, the U23 Worlds gold medallist, misplaced to high seed Aiperi Medet Kyzy of Kyrgyzstan in an in depth bout in Paris. On the 2023 Asian Championships she received a bronze in 72kg however now she’s going to compete in her common 76kg weight class.
In 50kg, the gifted Ankush, a silver medallist at U23 world championships, has impressed within the choice trials. U23 world medallist Neha Sharma (57kg) and U17 world champion Mansi Lather (68kg) are new faces within the staff.
“It is a young team that also has experienced wrestlers like Antim and Reetika,” mentioned ladies’s chief coach Virender Dahiya. “This tournament will give a good indication of where our wrestlers stand because there were no international competitons or camps. The good thing is that wretsling is back on track and after this event we will draw our schedule of competitions leading to the world championships in September,” he mentioned.
In males’s freestyle, U23 world champion Chirag Chikkara will probably be keenly watched as he’ll compete in India’s strongest weight class — 57kg.
India have received 4 of the final 5 Asian titles, dominated by Tokyo silver medallist Ravi Dahiya and Paris bronze medallist Aman Sehrawat.
Each are but to begin their season, and of their absence rising expertise Chirag will probably be expeted to ship.
Sujeet Kalkal, who narrowly missed out on Olympics quota in 65kg, would be the different wrestler India has excessive hopes from. Jaideep (74kg) and Mukul Dahiya (79kg) will probably be competing in Olympic weight division whereas Deepak Punia has switched to the non-Olympic 92 kg class, as he has achieved beforehand after Tokyo.
Sanjay Singh elected in UWW Bureau
In the meantime, WFI president Sanjay Kumar Singh has been elected as a Bureau Member of United World Wrestling (UWW)-Asia. The election passed off in the course of the UWW-Asia Normal Meeting in Amman on Monday. Singh secured 22 votes out of 38.