Ex-India coach Mahavir Singh advises wrestlers to focus on medals and competition. His remarks come after Bajrang Punia and Ravi Dahiya lost their selection trials held at the SAI Academy in Sonepat. While Punia lost 9-1 to Rohit, Dahiya lost out 13-14 to Aman. He wished the duo luck in training and succeeding further.
Ex-India wrestling chief coach’s advise to Punia, Dahiya
“When a sportsman performs with dedication and with the sole intention of winning a medal, only then can they perform well. If the attention of the athlete is diverted, then they cannot provide the desired result. This example is evident from the past and even today,” he says in an exclusive conversation with InsideSport.
He further reflects on the involvement of the athletes in the wrestlers’ protest. He opines that when one is embroiled in such a controversy, they cannot derive at the expected results. He wishes them to train hard and gain success in the future.
Singh hails the upcoming younger generation for focusing on the sport and becoming better. He heaped praise on Aman Sehrawat, hailing him as a ‘superstar’ alongside Sujit Kalkal.
No Punia, Dahiya for Paris Olympics 2024
Both Bajrang Punia and Ravi Dahiya won’t be a part of the Paris Olympics 2024 Qualifiers. The wrestler duo have lost their selection trials held at the SAI Academy in Sonepat. While Punia lost 9-1 to Rohit, Dahiya lost out 13-14 to Aman.
There is still a confusion regarding the rules and the way forward for these wrestlers. The wrestling took place under the Nordic System. As of now, it is a major shock in Indian wrestling that two of the greats lost out on the Wrestling Selection Trials.
India FS team for Asian Qualifiers Results
57kg Aman Sherawat
65kg Sujeet Kalkal
74kg Jaideep
86kg Deepak Punia
97kg Deepak Nehra
125kg Sumit Malik
(This story is reported exclusively by InsideSport Hindi’s Akshit Kumar Vedyan)