KARACHI: The participation of Mohammad Inam, the country’s best wrestler, in the Asian Championship has not yet been confirmed.
The Asian Championship, which was originally scheduled for April 7-15 in New Delhi, has been moved to Astana, Kazakhstan.
According to Inam, if he is chosen to participate in a two-month coaching course in Hungary, he will skip the continental competition and compete in one of the Beach Wrestling World Series, which is required to compete in the ANOC World Beach Games.
Pakistan Olympic Association (POA)
“The Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) has received my credentials for the course, and within the next ten to fifteen days, it will be known whether or not I will be picked for it. Inam, an undeniable worldwide beach wrestling hero, declared, “If I am not picked, I will compete in the Asian Championship as well as the two remaining Beach Wrestling World Series events in Argentina and Singapore.”
He stated that he is currently concentrating on both beach and mat wrestling.
“I am practicing both on the mat and at the beach. “Thanks to God, I am now fully fit and training,” said Inam, who will defend his title at the World Beach Games, which will take place in Bali, Indonesia, from August 11 to 12. He was the first person to win the title at the 2019 Doha World Beach Games.
The other two wrestlers who are expected to compete at the Asian Championship in Astana are Mohammad Bilal and Inayatullah.
closed the wrestling camp
In the meantime, a Pakistan wrestling official told The News that the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) had closed the wrestling camp and that the wrestlers were being trained by the Pakistan Wrestling Federation (PWF) at the Punjab College in Lahore.
According to the official, the federation has requested that the PSB host a wrestling camp for 23 wrestlers and two officials beginning on March 1.
“But, the Board has yet to answer,” the official noted.
The official stated that they require a state camp due to their participation in a number of upcoming competitions, including the Asian Championship, Beach Wrestling World Series, the World Championship, which will be held in Serbia from September 16-24, and the Asian Games, which will be held in Hangzhou, China, from September 23 to October 8.
Additionally, the World Championship will serve as Olympic qualifying events in 2024.
Asian Championship
According to the official, Pakistan stands a good chance of winning medals in beach wrestling. As a result, the federation plans to enter Zaman Anwar and Inayatullah in the Beach Wrestling World Series as well. He stated that participation in either of these two competitions is mandatory, and Pakistan will most likely participate in the Singapore Beach Wrestling World Series.
The official stated that Astana has also been the focus since the Asian Championship was moved from India to Kazakhstan, adding that ticket prices will be high.
“Sure, we could travel by road to India, but given that the Pakistani rupee is fast losing strength against the US dollar, getting to Astana will be quite expensive. “Let’s see how things go,” the official said.
