Training in Michigan, meet in Texas for Bajrang

CHENNAI: Star wrestler Bajrang Punia, who married Sangeeta Phogat in a simple ceremony on Wednesday, will leave for USA next week. He will be joined by his coach Shako Bentinidis, who left the country for Georgia a few days back. The 65kg wrestler, who is among four Indian wrestlers to have qualified for the Tokyo Olympics, will train at a university in Michigan and also compete in an event in Texas.

“I will leave in the first week of December and will be accompanied by my physiotherapist. After training for a few days in Michigan with coach Shako, I will compete in an event in Texas on December 18,” the 26-year-old Bajrang told this daily. He will be competing in 70kg weight category. “I just want to compete as it’s been months since I have had a wrestling bout.

My division (70kg) also has seven wrestlers from the US. It will a good opportunity for me to assess where I stand at the moment and what I need to do to be fully prepared for the Olympics,” he added. Speaking on Bajrang’s overseas training trip, his coach Shako said, “We will try to train there for a month before coming back to India in January ahead of the Ranking Series scheduled in Rome from January 14-17. Reaching USA in the first week of December will give us exactly a month to work on Bajrang’s game. There are a few areas where he needs to improve.

We have identified those areas during the national camp in Sonepat and try to iron them out in the US.”
The World No 2 in 65kg has preferred USA stint over Individual World Cup scheduled in Serbia’s Belgrade from December 12 to 18. “The Texas event has an Olympic medallist as well. The competition will be tough, which is why I chose the event over the Belgrade tournament,” said Bajrang.