New Delhi: Olympic-free style wrestlers, preparation for Ravi Dahiya and Deepak Punjai have suffered because the duo was trapped in Warsaw in Poland.
Both Ravi (57kg) and Deepak (86kg) without quality sparring partners since their arrival in the city for the Polish open tournament (June 8-13) and most were forced to concentrate on building their muscle strength rather than delivering.
Wrestling movement.
It’s been more than two weeks since the tournament ends but they are still waiting for the next trip to Russia.
Both should join compatriot Bajrang Punia (65kg), who had practiced the Olympics at the foot of the city of Vladikavazaz.
On Sunday, two grapplers and their coach – Kamal Malikov (Ravi) and Murad Gaidarov (Deepak) – were rejected from Warsaw International Airport after they failed to produce security cleaning documents issued by the Russian government.
The team received their visa for Russia on Saturday morning from the Indian Embassy in Poland and was booked with flights to Moscow and then Vladikavazaz.
But the wrestlers and coach were told by the airline staff they could not take flight with the absence of documents issued by the Russian Ministry of Home Affairs.
The wrestlers are now back in their hotel, without the initial resolution seen.
Fortunately, Bajrang and his coach Shako Bentinidis was always clear about skipping the Polish tournament and put himself in Vladikavkaz, where some top wrestlers had practiced.
But Ravi and Deepak chose to go to Poland, especially to get profitable nurseries for the Olympics.
Bajrang missed the meeting with the top seed for Tokyo but his priority was to get some high-quality training and competition assignments in front of the match.
Freestyle Grappler VINESH Phogat Women, who participated in Poland met and won gold, had been given the top bill for Tokyo.
But he has planned a European training trip better.