The just concluded 65th national freestyle senior men’s wrestling championship in Noida stadium was successful as it attracted 252 wrestlers in 10 weight categories from across the country with huge wrestling lovers’ turnout.
Throughout two days of the championship, Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh was seen in the stadium encouraging wrestlers and distributing medals to them. In an interaction with The Pioneer, Singh gave insights into India’s position rise in the world in freestyle wrestling.
He said he is hopeful that India wrestlers would win at least 4 medals in upcoming Tokyo Olympics scheduled to be held from July 24, 2020 but was postponed due to coronavirus pandemic. Singh said in the last many years since taking over as WFI president he has worked to popularise the game and it has yielded positive results.
He said earlier Greco-roman men’s freestyle women’s freestyle used to be organised together but this time it was shelved off due to Covid-19.
WFI’s newly appointed Vice President Dr Zubed Ur Rehman said grapplers who participated in the championship were tested for Covid-19. Organising committee president GN Singh said for the first time in India, American-made OH air purifier machines were put in the stadium to kill Covid virus through hydroxyl radicals. Railways won the championship with Army holding second position and Haryana stood at number three.