Lack of facilities affects wrestlers’ preparation

KARACHI: National wrestlers, preparing for the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games, are going through a tough time due to lack of basic facilities at the PSB Coaching Centre Lahore.Insiders told ‘The News’ that the hostel where grapplers are staying has no UPS or generator to cope with frequent power shutdown in the simmering heat.

“There is frequent load-shedding here and there is no UPS or generator which has created a huge problem for  wrestlers. Wrestlers, when go to their rooms, after undergoing tough training, battle power shutdown and mosquitoes which have made the hostel extremely repulsive for them,” a source said.

It was also learnt that 11 to 12 wrestlers have been boarded in a single room. They cannot even move to washrooms in the night with ease.In the camp, 20 wrestlers are undergoing mat training for free-style and Greco-Roman style competitions. Around 30 are preparing for belt wrestling slots.

The Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games are scheduled to be held in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, from September 17-27.The source said the hall where wrestlers are training is also not fit for preparation for such a high-level competition.

Sources said four days ago the administration of the centre had provided two tankers of contaminated water to the hostel that affected the health of the wrestlers.“Those who drank the water of tanker fell seriously ill. One wrestler also spent two days in hospital because of serious digestion and vomiting issues,” the source revealed.

It was also learnt that after wrestlers fell ill the centre’s administration pledged that a filter would be installed at the hostel which would prevent the athletes from more health hazards.Sources said 20 wrestlers are using only two mats for training which are not ample. However, sources added the quality of diet had been made much better.

“Initially when the PSB Director General Akhtar Ganjera was suspended, the diet being provided to wrestlers was not of standard quality. But after his return as the PSB boss, he has taken solid steps to ensure provision of quality diet to them,” the source said.

In the Asian Indoor and Martial Games, Pakistan would be fielding around 42-member strong wrestling squad.The centre’s acting Director Abdul Majeed told this correspondent that he had already written to a higher authority to provide a generator for the hostel. He said because of lack of facilities he had also told Pakistan Wrestling Federation (PWF) to hold the camp at the well-facilitated Islamabad.

He said whatever he could do he had done in providing relief to the grapplers. “We have given them four rooms powered by air-conditioners and air-coolers. We have put eight beds in one room,” Majeed said.He said his centre was not only facing issues, but all other centres also have such problems.