CHENNAI: After deciding to organise the 2023 senior nationals, the three-member ad-hoc committee, formed to manage wrestling affairs in the country, on Monday announced its decision to hold national camps for senior wrestlers. As per the order issued by Bhupender Singh Bajwa, chairman of the ad-hoc committee, the camp will begin on February 9 and extend until the Paris Olympics.
“The men’s camp (encompassing Greco-Roman and freestyle) will be stationed at SAI NRC Sonepat, while the women’s camp will be held at SAI NSNIS Patiala. The national coaching camp will select medallist wrestlers from 30 weight divisions across Senior Freestyle, Greco-Roman, and women’s categories of the aforementioned Senior National Championships,” said the order. Earlier, the panel had announced that the senior nationals will be hosted by the Railway Sports Promotion Board in Jaipur from February 2 to 5.
Affirming that the primary focus of the camp will be rigorous training for the upcoming Olympic Qualifying tournaments, the order said it will also prepare athletes for the Senior Asian Championships scheduled in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan from April 11 to 16.
It should be noted here that only one wrestler from the country, Antim Panghal, has secured an Olympic quota so far. She won 53kg bronze in the 2023 World Championships bagging the quota in the process. As many as 17 quotas are still on offer for the country’s wrestlers in the two qualifying events — the 2024 Asian Qualification Tournament set to be held in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, from April 19-21, and the 2024 World Qualification Tournament scheduled for Istanbul, Turkey, from May 9-12.
Meanwhile, the announcements by the ad-hoc panel have already drawn sharp reactions from the newly-elected Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president, Sanjay Singh, who claimed the body will soon announce the dates for the nationals. As he told this daily a few days back, he asserted that the WFI does not recognise the ad-hoc panel.
Notably, Sanjay Singh won the election to president’s post on December 21 but the sports ministry asked the WFI led by him to abstain from functioning only three days later. The ministry then formed the ad-hoc panel which also comprises hockey Olympian MM Somaya and former international shuttler Manjusha Kanwar.
