Wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia back from international training camps
Wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia have returned to India from their international training camps.
Phogat completed her training in Budapest and will now be seen in action at the trials for the upcoming world championships.
Punia was expected to touch base in India a few days later. His return from Kyrgyzstan was anticipated on the 5 or 6th of August, and his early homecoming is rumored to be due to the upcoming WFI elections.
Punia will also be participating in the world championships trials. While both him and Phogat were exempted from the Asian Games trials, they will be required to compete for a spot in the world championships.
These trails will prove crucial for both players as the world championships mark the beginning of the qualification period for the 2024 Paris Olympics. The dates for the trial haven't been announced by the IOC as of yet, but with the world championships slated for September 16, they are bound to be held in a few weeks.
Wrestlers gearing up for the 2023 Asian Games
Meanwhile, Indian wrestlers will be looking to get in shape, physically and mentally, for the upcoming Asian Games. An 18-member team, led by Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia will be competing at Hangzhou come September.
The Greco-Roman squad will include wrestlers Gyanender (60kg), Neeraj (67kg) Vikash (77kg), Sunil Kumar (87kg), Narinder Cheema (97kg) Naveen (130kg).
The women's freestyle team consists of Pooja Gehlot (50kg), Vinesh Phogat (53kg, with Antim Panghal as standby), Mansi Ahlawat (57kg), Sonam Malik (62kg) Radhika (68kg), Kiran (76kg).
Lastly, the men's freestyle group will feature Aman Sehrawat (57kg), Bajrang Punia (65kg with Vishal Kaliraman as standby), Yash (74kg), Deepak Punia (86kg), Vicky (97kg), and Sumit (125kg).