Picture Credit: Twitter
Commonwealth Games gold medallists Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat made headlines as India’s squad for World Championships was announced Tuesday. Apart from Punia, Ravi Kumar Dahiya, Naveen Malik, and Deepak Punia have also been added to the squad. Notably, the World Senior Championships are to be held in Belgrade, Serbia from September 10-18.
The Indian team was picked after a selection trial at the Sports Authority of India Training centres in Lucknow and Sonepat on Monday and Tuesday. Tokyo Olympian Vinesh, who completed a hat-trick of gold medals at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games earlier this month, will lead the women's team.
Meanwhile, the men's freestyle squad will have Olympic medallists Bajrang and Ravi Dahiya, and 2019 World Championships silver winner Deepak Punia. Bajrang (65kg), Ravi Dahiya (57kg) and Deepak Punia (86kg), who won gold medals at the Birmingham CWG, were granted exemptions from the trials.
In the previous edition of the World Wrestling Championships, India finished in the 15th position with a total of two medals. Anshu Malik and Sarita Mor were the two medallists for India. While Malik won the silver medal in the Women's Freestyle 57kg category, Mor won the bronze medal in the Women's Freestyle 59kg category.
The Indian Squad:
Women 50kg Retrial to be held; 53kg: Vinesh Phogat; 55kg: Sushma Shooken; 57kg: Sarita Mor; 59kg: Mansi Ahlawat; 62kg: Sonam Malik; 65kg: Shefali; 68kg: Nisha Dahiya; 72kg: Reetika; 76kg: Priyanka
Men
Freestyle: Ravi Dahiya (57kg), Pankaj Malik (61kg), Bajrang Punia (65kg), Naveen Malik (70kg), Sagar Jaglan (74kg), Deepak Mirka (79kg), Deepak Punia (86kg), Vicky Hooda (92kg), Vicky Chahar (97kg), Dinesh Dhankar (125kg)
Greco-Roman: Arjun Halakurki (55kg), Gyanender (60kg), Neeraj (63kg), Ashu (67kg), Vikas (72kg), Sachin (77kg), Harpreet Singh (82kg), Sunil Kumar (87kg), Deepanshu (97kg), Satish (130kg)