While his sweat-drenched charges lock limbs in the open-air ring, kitted out in nothing more than a loin cloth, Raj Singh shudders as he contemplates how their Olympic dream could be shattered.
“It is unthinkable that wrestling will not be part of the Olympics,” says Singh, secretary general of the Wrestling Federation of India. “I don’t see what the problem is. Wrestling draws big crowds wherever it is played. It can’t be allowed to die.”
The sport’s future looks bleak after the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) executive board decided last month that it should be dropped from the 2020 Games.
Photo: AFP
Since then, many of the sports biggest names have joined in a campaign to try and get the decision reversed.
India’s overall Olympics record may not be much to shout about, but its wrestlers have won four of the country’s 13 individual medals since it gained independence from Britain in 1947, including bronze for Khashaba Jadhav in Helsinki in 1952.
Many aspiring wrestlers see the sport as not only offering the chance of grabbing Olympic glory, but also as a way to escape poverty.
Photo: AFP
Sushil Kumar, a silver medallist in London last year after winning bronze in Beijing in 2008, is a national hero in an otherwise cricket-obsessed country, his image used by advertisers to sell everything from soft drinks to tractors.
“We’ve started winning Olympic medals in wrestling so if they take it away it’ll be a big problem for us,” said Vinod Kumar, India’s national coach. “As soon as people heard wrestling may be dropped morale really went down.”
Sushil’s teammate Yogeshwar Dutt, who picked up a bronze in London, said he would return his medal if wrestling is not brought back into the fold.
“Wrestling is my life and it is the same for thousands of others,” Dutt said. “When we won medals, youngsters realized they too could make it big in the Olympics.”
SHATTERED DREAMS
“They began to dream big, but now those dreams are being shattered. They may not have anything to look forward to,” he said.
Dutt, born to teachers in a village school, secured a relatively lucrative job in the police force off the back of his Olympic success.
Many of India’s leading wrestlers over the years began their careers grappling in mud pits at the century-old Guru Hanuman akhara (wrestling arena) in the narrow by-lanes of old Delhi.
At least 125 trainees between the ages of 10 and 30 live at the dilapidated akhara, named after a legendary coach, where they cook their own food and learn the nuances of wrestling from a government-appointed coach.
Their fitness regime includes climbing ropes and running uphill on roads carrying each other on their shoulders, besides lifting weights at a makeshift open-air gymnasium.
Maha Singh Rao, the coach at the akhara since 1984, says the pupils are taught the basic principles of living a simple life with a pure mind and healthy body.
“Discipline is the most important thing for anyone who wants to make it big,” Rao said. “Wrestling is like life itself, where everyone wants to be stronger than the other person.”
Among the trainees at the akhara is Chandan Singh, 16, who left his parents in Hyderabad four years ago to move to Delhi and devote himself to learning the art of wrestling.
LOOKED AFTER
“I love it here,” the soft-spoken Singh said. “They look after me well and provide me good food. I also go to a nearby school, but the only thing I want to do is wrestle and make a name for myself.”
Wrestling will remain on the program for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, but looks likely to be ditched for 2020 as seven other disciplines including squash, baseball, wakeboarding and wushu compete for the vacant spot.
The IOC did not say why its executive board had voted against wrestling, but low TV ratings and poor attendances are reported to be the main reasons.
A final decision is to be made when all IOC members meet in September.
OUT AGAINST INDONESIA: Taiwan reached the semi-finals at the tournament for the first time by defeating Denmark, with Chou Tien-chen beating Viktor Axelsen Taiwan yesterday crashed out of the Thomas Cup team competition in Chengdu, China, but achieved their best result at the top-tier badminton event by reaching the semi-finals. Indonesia were too good in the semis, winning 3-0 to advance to today’s final against China, who eliminated Malaysia 3-1. In the opening singles of the men’s team clash at the Hi-Tech Zone Sports Center Gymnasium 2, Anthony Ginting defeated Taiwan’s Chou Tien-chen 21-18, 21-19 in 51 minutes, which put a huge hole in Taiwan’s aspirations to perhaps even make the final. In the men’s doubles, Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Ardianto downed Lee Yang and Wang
NO DOUBT: Spurs star Wembanyama was unanimously selected as NBA Rookie of the Year, winning all 99 votes to become the first Frenchman to capture the honor The Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night produced a dominant defensive display to seize a commanding 2-0 lead in their best-of-seven playoff series against the Denver Nuggets with a 106-80 road victory. The third-seeded Timberwolves harassed Denver relentlessly to claim a second straight win over the NBA champions as the series heads back to Minneapolis for Game 3 on Friday. Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards scored 27 points apiece, but the star of the show was Minnesota’s suffocating defensive effort, which knocked Denver out of their stride almost from the tip-off. The Timberwolves finished with 11 steals and 12 blocks, in sharp contrast to
Top-ranked Iga Swiatek on Saturday came through “the most intense and crazy final” she has ever contested to avenge her loss to Aryna Sabalenka in last year’s Madrid Open final with a grueling three hour, 11 minute victory in the Spanish capital. Coming back from 1-3 down in the decider and saving three match points in total, Swiatek claimed a 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (9/7) victory to secure the Madrid Open trophy for the first time. “Well, who is going to say now that women’s tennis is boring, right?” Swiatek said. Swiatek, who picked up the 20th title of her career, and ninth at
Playing soccer and competing for trophies is the best way that many transplanted Hong Kongers and Macanese have found to stay in touch, and to interact with Taiwanese society, said officials at the Taiwan-Hong Kong-Macau Football Friendship Cup, which was held on April 13. Twelve clubs, mostly of players and coaches originally from Hong Kong and Macau, took part in the tournament in New Taipei City. The event is sponsored by the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) and the Taiwan-Hong Kong Economic and Cultural Co-operation Council. Participating teams were from the wider Taipei area, Hsinchu, Taichung, Kaohsiung and other areas. They divided into two