Wrestling: At the ‘official’ Nationals in Jaipur, a wedding-like lunch spread, hotels for grapplers and hope for a clearer future

Not far from the competition venue of the Senior National Wrestling Championships here, under a large shamiana, is a lavish buffet spread at lunchtime. There is a well-stocked non-veg counter and also a salad station. Earlier the participants were escorted to the hotel by officials who were there to receive them at the airport or railway station.

Few days back another wrestling ‘Nationals’ was held at Pune, it was organised by the president of the suspended WFI Sanjay Singh, a loyalist of the erstwhile president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh who faces sexual harassment charges against him. The Sports Ministry had called it illegal. At Pune wrestlers had to go hungry as there were no eating options at the venue and among the ‘reception party’ at the venue were an army of mosquitoes.

The Jaipur event has the blessings of the Ministry and is conducted by the Indian Olympic Association-appointed ad-hoc committee. It’s the first step for grapplers dreaming of qualifying for the Paris Olympics. Intriguingly, the man in the thick of things in organising the event is the Secretary general of the suspended WFI Prem Chand Lochab. However, for this Nationals he is wearing the hat of the secretary of the Railway Sports Promotion Board which is the host.

Pointing to the lunch tables, Lochab says, “The spread is like there is a wedding in the family”. Top railway officials, including Arjuna awardees, have been roped into various committees. “This is a prestigious championship and we want everything to be perfect,” says organising secretary Anuj Kumar Tayal. Lochab insists that they have set high standards for the championship. “The wrestlers are a priority at these nationals. Meals are being provided to all the wrestlers, we have put them up at hotels, they don’t have to pay a paisa from their pocket for anything,” Lochab said.

Meanwhile, at the field of play, a temporary mega tent is put up on the outfield of the railway cricket stadium; hired hands, officials are busy giving the finishing touches. Wrestling mats are being laid out on an elevated platform, a giant screen is being installed at one end, referees are inspecting the warmup area and preparations are being made for an opening ceremony programme.

Manager and coach of the 19-member Odisha team Santosh Das was one of the first to reach Jaipur. Das said the state did not field a team in Pune. “The past year has not been great for the sport but wrestlers are looking forward to participating in these nationals because it is the official one. The top wrestlers will be included in the national camp and can then appear for Olympic qualification trials too. Now there is clarity on the path ahead,” Das said.

There is a world of a difference between the Pune nationals and the one in Jaipur, Arjuna awardee and 2002 Commonwealth Games medalist Shokinder Tomar said. “The certificates issued at Jaipur nationals will have value because this event is recognised by the sports ministry and the Indian Olympic Association. When wrestlers apply for jobs these certificates will be counted. The quality of the competition at these nationals will be far superior because the top wrestlers in the country are here,” Tomar said.

Some states have fielded teams at both the nationals because of factions in the association. “The VN Prasoon (former secretary general of WFI) faction sent a Kerala team to Pune. We are fielding our team for the Jaipur nationals,” Deepu Kumar SV, the secretary for the breakaway group said.

The return of Vinesh Phogat, a two-time world championship medalist, after undergoing a knee surgery will be keenly watched. Phogat was one of the prominent faces of the protest against former WFI president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who is accused of sexual harassment by six women wrestlers. Vinesh skipped the Asian Games because of an injured knee. But qualifying for Paris has got tougher for Vinesh, 29, as the younger Antim Phangal has earned a quota place for the country in the 53kg category.

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By Friday evening, the eve of the championships, there were a bevy of wrestlers training on the mats to cut weight. In front of a hoarding with images of India’s Olympic medal winners – from KD Jadhav to Ravi Dahiya – young wrestlers flocked to click selfies and group photos hoping to emulate their feats one day.

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