Training in Serbia will help Pak wrestlers in world event: Inam

LAHORE: Pakistan’s premier wrestler Mohammad Inam on Saturday said that training in Serbia will help them during the World Wrestling Championship which will begin in Serbia from September 16.

“Yes, it will definitely help us in the World Championship,” Inam told ‘The News’ from Serbia.

The World Championship will also serve as qualifying round for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Inam, Youth Olympics bronze medallist Inayatullah and Mohammad Bilal these days are in Serbia attending a joint training camp being hosted by the United World Wrestling (UWW).

“It’s a great initiative,” Inam said while appreciating the UWW training programme.

"We are training with the grapplers from Columbia, Mexico and some other nations here. You know the world’s major countries are not attending this programme. The global giants like Iran, Russia, USA, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Georgia, Turkey and even India are not here because they know they don’t need to train with anyone at this stage. The camp is actually for those nations who don’t have facilities and good training partners back home,” Inam said.

“Another thing is that our stay here will also help us acclimatize with the local conditions and it will be a big plus when we will be entering into the global event latter,” he said. Inam will flex his muscles in the 86 kilogramme on September 16 while Inayat and Bilal will compete on September 17 in their respective weight categories.

Asked about their qualifying chances for the Olympics through the World Championship Inam said that the actual thing is draws.

“It depends on draws. If you are stuck around two world’s top grapplers then it becomes difficult for you to click. And that is the main reason that I have been telling the authorities that we need exposure. If we play around six events in a year it will help us improve our rankings,” he said.

“You remember exposure and training on foreign soil is extremely important if you are to qualify for the Olympics. We still have a chance here in Serbia to return to the Olympics fold if we get good draws and then win at least one extraordinary fight,” he said.

“But I will again stress if we really like to make it to the Olympics we still have a chance. Irrespective of the outcome here in the World Championship if we are sent to Iran, Russia and some other countries for training after this event then it will help us prepare much better for the next year’s two more qualifying rounds where we will be in a perfect position to impress,” Inam said.

In the World Championship in Serbia top six wrestlers in each weight category will make it to the Paris Olympics.