CHENNAI: At Apex Green Apartments in Sonepat, Jitender Kinha is busy with workouts. The 74kg wrestler has Bajrang Punia and physiotherapist Manish Chhatri for company. The lockdown hasn’t stopped Kinha from working on his fitness. The flat is equipped with all the necessary fitness and exercise machines: a treadmill, an exercycle, dumbbells, barbells, and resistance bands. To clear the tough field and get a place in the Indian team for Asian Olympic Games Qualifier, Kinha is not leaving any stone unturned.
“It’s a tough category. Sushil Kumar competes in it. The postponement means that Narsingh Pancham Yadav can also stake claim. Parveen (Rana) and Gaurav (Baliyan) are also good. I need to be battle-ready.”In the absence of two-time Olympic-medallist Sushil, the 27-year-old has been representing India in this category. While he lost in repechage at Rome Ranking Series, Kinha clinched silver at Asian Championships to repay Wrestling Federation of India’s (WFI) faith in him.
However, the pandemic has not only led to postponement of the qualifier and Olympics, but has also given Sushil, Narsingh and others a chance for a comeback. “In a way, this has also given me an opportunity to work on my weaknesses and be ready for tough opponents. Sushil and Narsingh are experienced. But I too have gained a lot of experience over the last two years. Anyways, the tough competition inspires me to improve.” The Haryana wrestler admitted that he has tendency of conceding points early in the match, and stated that he’s been working hard to improve on that aspect.
“I lost a couple of bouts in the past because I conceded points early. But at Asian Championships, I worked on it and finished on the podium. A few things are still there. I hope I can overcome them, given the time I have now.”Kinha has been training with Bajrang for the past two years, and feels that it has helped him a lot. “I used to get complacent in the past. Now, Bajrang doesn’t let me lose my intensity. He inspires me to work harder. Besides, coach Shako Bentinidis also helped me a lot in ironing out flaws. He keeps a close eye on my performance and helps rectify mistakes. He is not with us now, but he keeps us busy by sending videos of probable opponents and devising strategies.”