Looking back at Indian wrestlers’ performance in the 2010 Asiad or the recent Commonwealth Games does not help while assessing the Incheon Asian Games-bound grapplers.
Indian wrestlers had managed just three bronze medals, including two in Greco-Roman, four years ago in Guangzhou. But that was the time when the country’s top wrestlers, such as Sushil Kumar and Yogeshwar Dutt, had skipped the Asian Games due to injuries following a gruelling year and some of the prominent grapplers were caught in the dope net.
Thirteen medals out of a maximum of 14 in the Glasgow Games may portray a different picture. However, considering the fact that Asian Games offers much tougher competition, the big medal haul in Scotland cannot be projected as the true potential of the Indian wrestlers.
The Wrestling Federation of India’s (WFI) well-planned approach with a clear aim to improve the country’s dismal showing in the Asian Games may reflect on the mat in Incheon.
The WFI selected its best team for the Asiad and chose another set of wrestlers for the World championships scheduled prior to the continental event.
Even without double Olympic medallist Sushil Kumar, who opted out of the Asian Games to focus on next year’s Olympic qualification, the men’s freestyle side, packed with a bunch of talented youngsters, holds a lot of promise.
Apart from Olympic bronze medallist Yogeshwar (65kg), the squad comprises World championship medallists Amit Kumar (57kg) and Bajrang (61kg), former Commonwealth Games champion Narsingh Yadav (74kg), Asian championship medallist Parveen Rana (70kg) and Commonwealth Games silver medallist Satyawart Kadian (97kg).
Yogeshwar did not hesitate to make his intention clear.
“I had bagged a bronze in the 2006 Doha Games and claimed the Asian title twice. But an Asiad gold is missing in my collection of medals.”
“Those who participated in the Commonwealth Games have got adequate time for recovery and preparation.
“We should give much better result,” said eminent coach Yashvir Singh.
Further boostServices of a mental trainer, Gunjan Maithil, has provided further boost to the grapplers in the last two months. “Elite wrestlers, including some World and Olympic medallists, from Iran, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Korea and Mongolia will raise the bar. But we have trained well and the mental conditioning has helped our boys. We expect five-six freestyle medals,” said chief coach Vinod Kumar.
The WFI has fielded the same Greco-Roman team for both the Worlds and the Asian Games. “Our second Greco-Roman side is not as good as the first. We have some good wrestlers, such as World championship medallist Sandeep Yadav (66kg) and Asian Games medallist Ravinder Singh (59kg) who are capable of climbing the podium,” said WFI Secretary Raj Singh.
After their fabulous showing in Glasgow, the women wrestlers, competing in four weights, are brimming with confidence. Commonwealth Games champion Phogat sisters, Vinesh (48kg) and (Worlds medal winner) Babita Kumari (55kg), are optimistic, while Geetika Jakhar (63kg), a silver medallist in the 2006 Doha Games, banks on her wealth of experience.
“For the first time I am feeling the pressure. But I have the luxury of having my elder sister with me for guidance,” said Vinesh.
Women’s coach Kuldeep Malik has a lot of faith in his trainees. “The main competition will come from Japanese, Korean, Kazakh and Mongolian wrestlers. But our girls have the required experience and should bag three medals.”
Even though India does not possess a great track record on the mat in the quadrennial Games (13 medals in 1962 and six medals each in 1966 and 2006 are the top-three performances), the wrestling fraternity eagerly awaits some encouraging news from Korea.
