Wrestlers allowed personal coaches, sparring partners for Europe trip

India’s Tokyo-bound wrestlers, including Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat, will be allowed to train with their personal coaches and sparring partners of their choice during the training-cum-competition trip to Europe later this month.

“This is the best way to prepare for the Tokyo Olympics as we have cancelled the national camp in Sonepat. All the eight wrestlers will now travel to Warsaw in the last week of May,” Wrestling Federation of India’s (WFI) assistant secretary Vinod Tomar said.

The wrestlers had “refused” to undergo a 14-day quarantine as per the Sports Authority of India’s SOP for the national camp in Sonepat which was due to begin last Tuesday. The WFI subsequently cancelled the camp.

Tomar said the WFI has requested the wrestling federation in Poland to allow the Indians to use their facilities for a training camp ahead of the Ranking Series (June 8-13) in Warsaw. Post that, the Indians will have another training camp in Warsaw organised by the Polish federation.

The contingent will move to Hungary for a training camp and then head to Turkey, where it will train and compete at the Yasar Dogu event (June 25-27) before returning to India in July.

Vinesh is currently training in Bulgaria and is expected to reach Poland directly, while Bajrang is training in India. Young Sonam Malik is set to be accompanied by her brother Mohit, both as her coach and sparring partner, after her personal coach Ajmer Malik decided not to travel.