Inam wants top wrestlers to be sent abroad for training

KARACHI: The country's premier wrestler Mohammad Inam has requested the government to provide foreign training to a bunch of wrestlers who have the ability to qualify for the next year's Paris Olympics.

"The big issue is that there is no foreign training. We have spoken to all. Currently we have a camp of 15 wrestlers and of them three or four can qualify for the Olympics. I have told them to focus on four top wrestlers and send them abroad. It would be a huge step from the state if it sent the top four wrestlers abroad for training immediately as the time is slipping off our hands," Inam told 'The News'.

"Everybody knows Mohammad Bilal and Inayatullah who are fine wrestlers and can make it to the Olympics. I myself have the chance to earn an Olympic seat and one more wrestler, may be Zaman Anwar, can join the fold. If four top athletes are sent abroad for training things will become easier for us," Inam said.

"As a top player when you train at home you don't benefit but others learn and grow due to your presence. You need to do training with the best lot who could challenge you and then you will grow. I think foreign training is the only option if we want to see our leading wrestlers qualify for the Olympics 2024," said Inam, who has to his credit a number of international medals.

"This year is event-packed. We are trying to also feature in the men's ranking series. We want to play a ranking series first. There are also a few global beach wrestling events as this year there will be World Beach Games also. We are yet to finalise in which events we will feature," Inam said.

"Our camp is in progress in Lahore and effort is being made to feature in a ranking series," Inam said.

"We are making our hundred percent effort. It might be possible that this will be the last World Beach Games for me because this event is held after four years as the inaugural one was held in 2019. Last time God gifted me with a gold," Inam said. "Then there are Olympic qualifying rounds and then the Olympics in 2024 so I have targeted these events. These are my last chances and so currently the entire focus is on these events," Inam said.

He hoped that the Pakistani wrestlers would get Indian visas for the Asian Championship. "We are hopeful that we will get Indian visas because Asian Championship is very important and only those wrestlers who feature in this event will be eligible to feature in the World Championship to be held in Serbia which is a qualifying round for the next year's Olympics," Inam said.

The Asian Championship will be held in New Delhi from March 28 to April 2.