India are in the running to host the 2015 World Wrestling Championship ahead of the next Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
“We have bid for the 2015 Senior Men’s World Wrestling Championship,” Wrestling Federation of India secretary general Raj Singh said here on Wednesday.
“If we get the hosting rights, the championship will be held at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium. India will be up against competitions from five to six other countries, including USA,” Singh added.
The WFI secretary, though, did not reveal the names of other contenders.
Csaba Hegedus, 1972 Olympic Champion and FILA bureau member, who was in the city to inspect the various facilities required to hold the competition, told PTI that there were good enough chances of India hosting the world event.
“We will be submitting the inspection report to FILA soon. There is a good enough possibility that India may host the 2015 event. However, we will have to wait for the final decision,” Hegedus said.
The former Greco Roman champion added that the final decision to this effect will be reached during the International Wrestling Federation’s (FILA) executive body meeting in February next year in Thailand.
Hegedus, who also has the World Championship title to his credit, said that India has got enormous amount of talent to rule the sport.
“If I would have been the national selector of Indian wrestling, I would make it sure that the country dominates the sport at the international level,” he said in response to a query about the future of Indian wrestling.
The Olympian, however, insisted that WFI will have to constantly work on improving the skill set of the grapplers as well as coaches.
Hegedus also mentioned that they were looking ahead to assist the country’s coaches in this regard.
Raj Singh, meanwhile, informed that WFI has asked for three foreign coaches from FILA for the development of Greco Romam style of wrestling in the country.
He also mentioned that all the top wrestlers, including the likes of twin Olympic medallist Sushil Kumar and London Games bronze medal winner Yogeshwar Dutt, will participate in the upcoming National Wrestling Championship in Gonda, Uttar Pradesh, starting November 9.
