KARACHI: After having failed to feature in the Takhti Cup early this month in Iran due to certain issues, national wrestlers are more likely to get one month training opportunity in Iran to prepare for the Commonwealth (CW) Games penciled in for April 4-15 in Gold Coast, Australia.
“The tour has almost been arranged,” a senior official of Pakistan Wrestling Federation (PWF) told ‘The News’ on Monday. “Our former Iranian coach Ghulam Reza Moazzan has told us that we could come to Iran and train with his club’s grapplers in the Hamadan province,” the official informed. He said that the PWF was waiting for the letter from Reza.
“We have forwarded all our information to Reza and are waiting for his letter which will carry some important details of the tour and then we would apply for Iran’s visas,” the official revealed.
The official said that six grapplers and coach Sohail Rasheed would be sent to Iran for the purpose. He conceded that the federation had already taken up the financial issue of the trip with the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB), adding, there was a chance that the Board would formally approve it on Tuesday.
“If we get some assistance from the Board it would be of great significance as we direly need the tour,” the official was quick to add.If finalised national grapplers will undergo training for the whole March. Although Pakistan would compete in the wrestling event in Gold Coast from April 12 but it has been decided that the grapplers will proceed to Australia along with the rest of the contingent to undergo some training there and acclimatize with the local conditions. “Yes, we will go a bit early to train there,” the PWF official conceded.
Although Pakistan would feature in ten disciplines in the CW Games but wrestling is the only medal hope of the country.The nation last year in December had claimed one silver and ten bronze medals in the CW Wrestling Championship held in Johannesburg, South Africa. Mohammad Bilal (57kg), Abdul Wahab (65kg), Asad Butt (74kg), the 2010 Commonwealth Games gold medallist Mohammad Inam (86kg), Umair Ahmed (97kg) and Tayyab Raza (125kg) will represent Pakistan in the Australia event. All of them are highly experienced and have won medals at the commonwealth level.
In the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games, Pakistan claimed one silver and one bronze in wrestling. National wrestlers are undergoing training in Lahore for the last few days. Meanwhile a senior wrestler told this correspondent that they were training hard.
“We are doing what we can,” the wrestler said. However he was quick to add that it would be of great value if a foreign tour was arranged ahead of the CW Games. “If we got a training tour it would be a real blessing and will add to our preparation. It’s direly needed,” the wrestler said. Because of financial issues, barring hockey, Pakistan could not give international exposure to its players in other disciplines ahead of the CW Games. The camps also were held quite late which could further dent the country’s chances in the Commonwealth Games.
Besides hockey and wrestling, Pakistan would also feature in the Australia’s quadrennial spectacle in squash, athletics, swimming, table tennis, badminton, shooting, weightlifting and boxing.
