The Hindu : Sport / Wrestling : IWF decides to hire foreign coaches

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Wednesday, Jul 30, 2008
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Sport - Wrestling

IWF decides to hire foreign coaches

Sports Reporter

NEW DELHI: The Wrestling Federation of India has decided to recruit foreign coaches for the young wrestlers who have dished out a creditable performance at the recently held Asian cadet championship in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

Indian boys and girls won altogether 20 medals — consisting of seven gold, three silver and 10 bronze — which earned the squad the first ever team championship.

Announcing the federation’s intention to hire foreign coaches, the IWF President, G.S. Mandher, said, “Looking at the talent and necessity, we have decided to recruit foreign coaches for both sub-junior and junior national teams who will work with them and prepare them for the 2010 Commonwealth Games.”

“By and large, these youngsters would be participating in the Commonwealth Youth Games in Pune in October,” he added.

Mandher said a foreign coach would also be provided to the women wrestlers and some coaches from India would be sent abroad to learn the new trends in the sport.

Scientific support

The IWF President informed that the federation would try to provide scientific support to the boxers in the run-up to the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

“We lack in scientific training. So we have decided to employ a physiotherapist and a masseur for the wrestlers,” he said.

On India’s chances in the Beijing Olympics, Mandher admitted that he did not expect any medal from the three wrestlers — Sushil Kumar (66 kg freestyle), Yogeshwar Dutt (60 kg freestyle), Rajiv Tomar (120 kg freestyle).

“Our wrestlers should do well, but from a realistic point of view I do not expect a medal,” he said.

Indian medal winners at Asian Cadet Championship:

Boys: Freestyle: Gold: Ajit Paduranga (42kg), Surender (50kg), Rahul Balasaheb Aware (58kg), Arun (63kg) and Praveen Rana (69kg). Bronze: Deepak (46kg), Surinder Kumar Yadav (54kg), Praveen (76kg).

Greco Roman: Silver: Gaurav Sharma (54kg), Satender (76kg). Bronze: Ravinder Khatri (69kg).

Girls: Gold: Freestyle: Sanju Jakhar (38kg) and Apoorva Tyagi (40 kg). Silver: Nikki Singh (60kg). Bronze: Seema (49kg), Gargi Yadav (52kg), Pooja Dass (43kg), Sakshi Malik (56kg), Kavita Kumari (46kg), Anshu Tomar (65kg).