CHENNAI: Amid conflicting reports over the cancellation of the Asian Olympic Games Qualifier slated from March 27 to 29 in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) has decided to go ahead with its overseas training programmes chalked out for the Olympic weight category grapplers.
Earlier, the United World Wrestling (UWW) had shifted the qualifier from Xian, China to Bishkek due to the coronavirus outbreak in the country. However, an unconfirmed media report claimed that the event scheduled in Bishkek has also been cancelled.
“We have not received any official communication from the UWW or the host association in this regard (cancellation of the event). Our wrestlers will continue with their overseas training programmes scheduled next month. The selected freestyle wrestlers in six Olympic weight categories will train in Makhachkala, Russia. Similarly, six women wrestlers and as many Greco-Roman grapplers — all in Olympic weight categories — will train in Kiev, Ukraine and Baku, Azerbaijan respectively. The process to procure visas for the two-week training has started and we expect these wrestlers to leave in the March first week,” said Vinod Tomar, assistant secretary WFI.
On Thursday, AKIpress, an independent news agency based in Bishkek, claimed that the qualifier had been cancelled. However, wrestlingTV, the official & exclusive media rights holder of the UWW in the Indian sub-continent, reported that the Kyrgyzstan government has announced a mandatory 14-day quarantine period at an isolated facility for wrestlers from the affected countries. “According to the statement by the government of Kyrgyzstan, along with wrestlers from China, teams from Japan, South Korea, and Iran will be allowed entry only after a 14-day quarantine period. The statement further added that wrestlers will be screened for the virus, regardless of symptoms such as fever and cough,” said the wrestlingTV report. Reacting to it, the Japan Wrestling Federation said that it is trying to gather more information from the organiser and location of quarantine facilities.The UWW, while awarding the hosting rights to Kyrgyzstan, announced that the Chinese wrestlers will be given visas to compete in the event but only after a 14-day quarantine period.