Wrestling team leaves for SA to feature in CW C’ship

KARACHI: A 12-member Pakistan’s wrestling side left for South Africa on Wednesday to feature in the Commonwealth Wrestling Championship to be held in Johannesburg from December 15-17.

“Yes, the squad has left today and would be in South Africa at 11:30pm tonight,” Pkaistan Wrestling Federation’s (PWF) secretary Arshad Sattar told The News on Wednesday. He hoped that his brigade would at least lift a couple of gold medals in the competitions. “I am very much confident that we will win at least two gold,” Arshad said.

There are nine wrestlers and three officials in the touring party which would return on December 19 after taking part in the event carrying slots of both free-style and Greco-Roman style wrestling.

The country’s seasoned grappler and the 2010 Commonwealth Games gold medallist Mohammad Inam will only take part in freestyle competitions while the rest of the lot would compete in both freestyle and Greco-Roman style competitions. On Thursday (today) there will be weigh-in for Greco-Roman style competitions while the event will be held on Friday (tomorrow) while weigh-in for freestyle would be held on Saturday, followed by its event on Sunday.

Every nation has been allowed to field maximum two grapplers in each ten weights. Pakistan would send only nine due to financial issues as the tour will cost the authorities a sum of Rs2.2million, much higher what has been given by the state for the purpose.

Squad: Mohamamd Bilal (57kg), Abdul Wahab (61kg), Mudassir Hussain (65kg), Ghulam Ghaus (70kg), Abdul Rehman (74kg), Umair Ahmed (86kg), Mohammad Inam (92kg), Tayyab Hussain (97kg), Ahmed (125kg), Mohammad Riaz (coach), Fayyaz-ul-Haq (manager), Khalid Butt (referee).