Rahul Aware (in blue) and Binod Kumar at the 55th senior national men’s wrestling championship at Mega Sports complex, Hotwar, Ranchi. Picture by Prashant Mitra

Ranchi, Dec. 28: Exhaustion and injuries kept the country’s top-notch grapplers

from participating in the 55th Senior National Men’s Wrestling Championship, which concluded here today.

Coaches conceded that Indian wrestlers were grossly overworked and needed rest. Besides, many — like 66kg free style world champion Sushil Kumar — were recovering from injuries.

The country’s wrestlers had created a stupendous record at the XIX Commonwealth Games in Delhi, bagging 19 medals, but their performance at the Asian Games in China was quite a dampener. Yet again, many top performers of the Commonwealth Games, particularly in the Greco-Roman category, skipped the senior national meet.

Chief coach of the Railways Kuldip Singh, an Olympian who won the Dhyanchand Award for lifetime achievement in wrestling, confirmed that Commonwealth and Asiad medal winners had not taken part in this championship. “They are either resting or recovering from injuries,” he said.

In fact, world champion Sushil Kumar is unlikely to participate in competitions before March 2011. However, resting wrestlers will be included in national camps because of their performances, Singh added.

Rohtas Singh Dahiya, Arjuna awardee and Railways coach for free style, explained the problem. “A wrestler has to work really hard to control his diet so that he can qualify for his chosen weight category. Reducing weight twice a year is tough, but doing it four times a year is asking for too much,” he said.

This year, Indian wrestlers participated in the Commonwealth Wrestling Championship, the World Championship and the Commonwealth Games, which was followed by the Asiad.

Such an exhausting schedule is the reason why many Commonwealth medal winners could not participate in the 55th Senior National Men’s Wrestling Championship. “They did not get enough time to revive energy and are still in the transitional period,” said Maha Singh Raut, also an Arjuna awardee and an akhara coach.

Gyan Singh, former Olympian and Dhyanchand awardee, added, “Our wrestlers are improving but they are still not there. This is because science was introduced into our sports training very late.” nSee Page 18