WFI names 8 women wrestlers for World C’ship
LUCKNOW: As many as eight women wrestlers, i ncluding Olympian Geeta Phogat, would be representing India in the Senior World Wrestling Championship, scheduled to be held from September 7 to 12 at Las Vegas in USA.
Other wrestlers in the team are: Vinesh, Nirmala Devi, Lalita, Sarita, Anita, Navjot and Nikki. The names of the wrestlers were announced at the end of the selection trials conducted at SAI Centre here.
“We chosen the best lot of wrestlers for the world championship and I believe that our success rate would be much better,” WFI chief Brij Bhusan Saran Singh said while announcing the team.
“Our women wrestlers have been working very hard on various aspects of the game at the national camp which is already underway here since November 2014,” he said, adding, “Before the USA event, an international tournament in Kazakhstan would be an ideal opportunity for our wrestlers to get international exposure before going into the World Championship”.
Amongst the selected wrestlers, Olympian Geeta Phogat (58 kg) of Haryana who had won bronze medal at the World Championship in 2012 will be aiming for a different colour medal this time around. The Commonwealth Games 2014 gold medalist Vinesh from Haryana will also be vying for a podium finish, whereas another Commonwealth Games 2014 Silver medalist from Railway Sports Promotion Board Lalita will be looking for top finish for the first time.
In the 53 kg weight category, Nirmala Devi is selected only for the Kazakhstan tourney as she will have to appear in the final trial match against Babita before the World Championship. The Commonwealth Games medalist Babita Kumari couldn’t participate in the trials due to injury.
The WFI also decided to send this eight member team to Kazakhstan to participate in the international wrestling tournament, due to be held from July 24 -27. The training camp of female wrestlers is currently underway at SAI Centre here from November 2014 and will continue till their departure for the World Championship.
Team: 48 kg: Vinesh (Haryana), 53 kg: Nirmala Devi (Haryana), 55 kg: Lalita (RSPB), 58 kg: Geeta Phogat (Haryana), 60 kg: Sarita (Haryana), 63 kg: Anita (Haryana), 69 kg: Navjot (RSPB), 75 kg: Nikki (Haryana).