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WFI prepares with Athens in mind

By Our Sports Reporter

NEW DELHI MAY 3. As women's wrestling makes its Olympics debut in Athens 2004, next month's Asian championship here is being projected as the platform for India to assess its strength.

Though the Indian women had returned empty handed from the Busan Asian Games, the Weightlifting Federation of India (WFI) is grooming three wrestlers specifically towards Olympic participation.

"The WFI has picked three women wrestlers under the Olympic gold scheme.

These grapplers would be sent for international exposure, both training and competition in the U.S.,'' said the WFI president, M. S. Malik.

The trips for three women, and five men grapplers, would continue till August 2004 with the full cost being borne by the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII), he added.

While other sports federations were still awaiting sanction from the Ministry of Sports, the WFI has already got two foreign coaches — Polish Andzrej Malina (Greco-Roman) and Georgian Vladimir Mestvirishvili (freestyle) — whose contracts will run till the end of the Olympic Games.

Mr. Malik, however, refused to divulge the names of the wrestlers saying that the WFI would observe their performance in the Asian championship before announcing the names.

The 16th Asian championship will be held at the Indira Gandhi indoor stadium here from June 5 to 8.

The championship will be held in men's freestyle, Greco-Roman, and women's freestyle in seven weight categories each.

Japan, Bangladesh, South Korea, Syria, Iran, Uzbekistan and Chinese Taipei have confirmed participation.

The WFI expects about 700 wrestlers from 15 countries.

And, with the Union Government initiating steps to normalise relations with Pakistan, the WFI, subject to clearance from the Ministry of External Affairs, proposes to extend an invitation across the border.

Allaying the apprehension over the championship being marred by the SARS scare, Mr. Malik said all necessary steps had been put in place.

All the foreign participants would be medically examined soon after arrival, he said.

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