Bajrang had suffered a ligament tear in the run-up to the Olympics but still managed to claim the freestyle bronze medal in 65kg category.
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Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist wrestler Bajrang Punia on Wednesday said that he has started training after recuperating from his knee injury but would give this year’s Senior Nationals a miss to better prepare himself for 2022. The 27-year-old Indian had suffered a ligament tear in the run-up to the Olympics but still managed to claim the freestyle bronze medal in 65kg category at the Tokyo Games.
Tokyo Olympics bronze medalist @BajrangPunia is back on the mat and has resumed training ? ?#bluerising #wrestling #training pic.twitter.com/DCtEX4VjgA
— Indian Sports Honours (@sportshonours) October 21, 2021
He couldn’t compete in this month’s World Championships after being advised a six-week rehabilitation.
“My knee is fine now. I have started training just two days back. I am feeling good but I won’t participate in any events this year. I will skip the Nationals this year to remain fresh for next year,” Bajrang said on the sidelines of a felicitation function organised by the Religare group.
He, however, refused to divulge his plans for next year. “It’s too early to say anything. I am not playing any competitive tournament this year that’s for sure. But I am yet to chalk out my plans for next year.”
The Senior Wrestling Nationals will be held from 19 to 21 November in Gonda, Uttar Pradesh. Bajrang is eager to reunite with his personal coach Shako Bentinidis of Georgia but said the final call rests with the Wrestling Federation of India.
“I am ok with what WFI decides. But I obviously will like to continue working with Shako. But the WFI has to take a call. Whatever WFI suggests I will agree,” he said.
Six-time world champion MC Mary Kom will not compete in the upcoming National Women’s Boxing Championships in Hisar. The 38-year-old, who advanced to the pre-quarterfinals of the Tokyo Olympics before losing in a hard-fought match, is now preparing for the world championships in December. Despite the fact that the Boxing Federation of India (BFI) has stated that only gold medalists from the Nationals will make the squad, it has been reliably learned that trials could be held in a few weight categories, including the 48kg division, which Mary Kom would prefer to compete in. The national championships will begin on October 21 in Hisar.
The multiple-time Asian gold medalist has not competed since the Tokyo Games, and according to a federation source, she would have competed in the Nationals if the announcement of world championship selection had come sooner. On October 5, the BFI announced its decision to select only national gold medalists for the world championships.
“She would have competed had she known about this earlier. She would have prepared accordingly,” the federation said.
