Nepal hope to win one gold in wrestling

BY A STAFF REPORTER

Kathmandu, Sept. 12: Despite facing tough challenges from regional wrestling power houses Indian and Pakistan, Nepal hopes to win at least four or five wrestling bronzes and one gold medals in the six categories at the 9th SAF Game in Pakistan.

Out of eight categories, Nepal will field six players in the different weight groups. Wrestling Chief Coach Bidhya Sagar Pokhrel, who graduated from India’s National Institute of Sports, Patiala some 12 years ago, said that Nepal would hope to win one gold in the 76kg category despite the tough challenges from India and Pakistan.

For the 9th SAF Games, Nepal has chosen Shobhi Yadav for 58kg group, Ram ChandraYadav in 69kg, Prahlad Yadav in 76 kg, Brahmadev Yadav in 85kg Raji Sharan Yadav in 97kg and Bideshwor Yadav in 130 kg.

Pokhrel is currently training all these wrestlers for four hours every day. But contrary to the chief coach’s belief that four wrestlers are confirmed to win bronzes, the wrestlers said this time they would go for gold and silver and not bronze medals.

Pokhrel said the team could have won six out of six medals, had they had enough time to train with modern equipment. Meanwhile, Nepal’s wrestling team started participating in the wrestling’s international events from the 5th Asian Wrestling Championship in 1988. It began its participation in SAF Games from 1989 Games held in Islamabad. It had not failed to win medals in these Games since then.

It won one silver medal through wrestler Dharma Raj Yadav in 1989, two bronzes at the 6th SAF Games in Dhaka (5th Games had not wrestling events). Likewise, it won one silver at 7th Games in Madras and at 8th Games in Kathmandu, its wrestlers took part in all eight categories and won five bronzes.