CHENNAI: After a long gap, wrestlers in the country will finally be attending national camp. The camp starting Friday will be organised by the ad-hoc committee managing wrestling in the country. As many as 80 men wrestlers (40 each in Greco-Roman and freestyle) and 40 women wrestlers will camp in SAI Sonepat and NIS Patiala till March 31 as per a statement issued by the ad-hoc panel.
However, the panel has chosen medallists from Jaipur nationals ignoring those who competed in the Pune tournament organised by the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI). It could be a big setback for wrestlers missing out on the opportunity to attend the camp, especially with the Paris Olympics only a few months away.
“The upcoming months are crucial for Indian wrestlers in the build-up to the 2024 Paris Olympics as the Asian Olympic Qualifiers will be held from 19-21 April & the World Olympic Qualifiers will take place from 9-12 May,” the panel said in a statement. A total of 14 coaches and other support staff were named for the men’s camp. For the women’s camp, seven coaches and support staff have been appointed.
The panel led by Bhupender Singh Bajwa also announced the revised schedule for the U-15 and U-20 national championships. The event, which earlier was scheduled to be held in Gwalior from February 11 to 17, will now be held in Patiala from February 28 to March 5.
“The U20 & U15 Freestyle, Greco-Roman style and Women National Championship has now been rescheduled to be held from Feb 28 to March 5. This was necessitated based on the request of the state units in order to give more time to them to prepare for the event so that the selection and other processes are completed with due attention and care,” said an ad-hoc panel statement.