WFI halts Olympic preparatory camps in wake of new COVID-19 wave
Six wrestlers have qualified for the 2021 Tokyo Olympics so far
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The WFI (Wrestling Federation of India) have decided to halt Olympic preparatory camps at the SAI (Sports Authority of India) centres in Sonepat and Lucknow, owing to the new wave of COVID-19. So far, six wrestlers have qualified for the 2021 Tokyo Games, while the list is expected to inflate.
Although the top Indian wrestlers are currently in action at the Asian Wrestling Championships, in Almaty, Kazakhstan, the rest of the lot are training in Sonepat and Lucknow. Six wrestlers have already qualified for the 2021 Tokyo Games, but more are expected to secure Olympic berths, at the World Olympic Qualifiers, in Sofia, Bulgaria.
In the ongoing Olympic preparatory camp, four wrestlers of each weight category were selected, with the men’s camping at the SAI centre in Sonepat, while the women’s assembled at the Lucknow branch. But, as per the latest reports, the WFI (World Federation of India) has decided to halt the respective camps owing to the new wave of COVID-19 that has already started taking a deadly shape.
"Two coaches associated with wrestling have tested positive for coronavirus in Lucknow and are home quarantined. The wrestling arena has also been disinfected," said Sanjay Saraswat, SAI’s regional head in Lucknow.
The Indian wrestlers already qualified for the 2021 Tokyo Olympics are - Ravi Dahiya (57 kg), Bajrang Punia (65 kg), and Deepak Punia (86 kg) in the men’s section, while Vinesh Phogat (53 kg), Anshu Malik (57kg) and Sonam Malik (62 kg) will feature in the women’s category.
