Life has come full circle for Narsingh Yadav who will be returning to the SAI centre in Sonepat to attend the national camp scheduled for September 1. He is amongst the 26 wrestlers who have been shortlisted for the one-month long training camp. While the 31-year-old packs his bags for Sonepat, he understands the importance of the opportunity and says he will be more careful this time. It all started at the same facility four years ago when he was tested positive for an anabolic steroid methandienone, a banned substance that helps build muscles and enhance performance. However, he now wants to forget the bad memory and start afresh with eyes set on the Tokyo Olympics. “Let bygones be bygones, I want to start afresh now. I will be more careful now and ensure I lock my room properly to prevent any sabotage,” he said, reported the New Indian Express.
Narsingh will be vying for the Olympic spot in the 74kg. The weight category is probably India’s fiercely fought division boasting the likes of twin-Olympic medallist Sushil Kumar and Asian championship medallists Parveen Rana, Gaurav Baliyan and Jitender. The Maharashtra wrestler, however, feels there is something good waiting for him with the postponement of the Olympics, is not too concerned by the competition he faces. “It is good to have competitions. It keeps you on toes. If I aim to win an Olympic medal, I will have to prove my mettle at the national level first,” the 2010 Commonwealth Games gold medallist said.
He was made eligible to participate in international competitions this month after receiving a communique from the World Anti-doping Agency (WADA).
National Camp on September 1
The national wrestling camps for Tokyo Olympics hopefuls will commence from September 1, the Sports Authority of India (SAI) confirmed on Saturday. While the month-long camp for the male grapplers will be held at SAI Sonepat, the women will train at the nodal sports body’s Lucknow centre. “The decision to commence the camp has been taken to ensure that those athletes who have already qualified for the Olympics and those who can still qualify for the Olympics, can begin on-field training,” the SAI said in a release.
Both the camps will conclude on September 30. A total of 26 wrestlers in eight weight categories — five freestyle (57, 65, 74, 86, 125kgs) and three greco-Roman (60, 77, 87kgs), as well as six support staff will be part of the men’s camp. The women’s camp will witness participation from 15 wrestlers in five weight categories (50, 53, 57, 62, 68kgs), besides the presence of four support staff.
Prominent wrestlers who will take part in the camps are Ravi Kumar, Bajrang Punia, Narsingh Yadav, Deepak Punia, Sumit, Gyanender, Sajan, Sunil Kumar, Nirmala Devi, Vinesh Phogat, Pooja Dhanda, Sakshi Malik and Divya Kakran.