New Delhi: With their eyes firmly trained on winning medals, Olympic medallist Sakshi Malik and Asian champion Bajrang Punia will spearhead the Indian challenge at the world wrestling championships, beginning in Paris on Monday.
All eyes would be on Rio Games bronze medallist in the 58kg, Sakshi, who bagged a silver medal at the Asian Championship in May after climbing up a division to 60kg category.
Having qualified in the same category for this championships, Sakshi would be hoping to do one better when she takes on the mat on Thursday in the women’s wrestling competition.
Vinesh Phogat, another silver medallist at the Asian Championship, will also fancy her chances in women’s 48kg.
Although Vinesh had bagged the Asian Championship silver in the 55kg after making a comeback from an injury she had suffered during the Rio Games, the 22-year-old is back in her preferred 48kg category. Besides Vinesh, none of the other Phogat sisters are part of the World Championship.
Meanwhile, in the men’s freestyle, bronze medallist of the 2013 Budapest edition, Bajrang would be eyeing a gold this time around with his confidence high after finishing on top of the podium at the Asian Championship.
Bajrang, who had bagged a bronze at Budapest in 60kg freestyle, has now climbed up a division to 65kg. However, he looked comfortable in his new weight division as he fou-ght Asia’s best wrestlers in this category a few months ago to emerge victorious.
Although he ensured a berth at the world championship just about 10 days ago, Bajrang proved far superior when he thrashed Rahul Mann 10-0 at a special selection trial held here on August 12. — PTI
Squad: Men’s Freestyle: Sandeep Tomar (57kg), Harp-hool (61kg), Bajrang Punia (65kg), Amit Dhankar (70kg), Praveen Rana (74kg), Deepak (86kg), Satywart Kadiyan (97-kg), Sumit (125kg). Women’s wrestling: Vinesh Phogat (48kg), Sheetal (53kg), Lalita (55kg), Pooja Dhanda (58kg), Sakshi Malik (60kg), Shilpi (63kg), Navjot Kaur (69kg), Pooja (75kg). Greco-Roman: Gyanender (59kg), Ravinder (66kg), Yogesh (71kg), Gurp-reet Singh (75kg), Harpreet Singh (80kg), Ravinder Khatri (85kg), Hardeep (98kg), Naveen (130kg).
