Indian Wrestlers Bajrang Punia and Deepak Punia have decided to skip the upcoming World Wrestling Championships 2023 in Belgrade, Serbia.
The World Wrestling Championships 2023, scheduled from September 16 to 24, is the first qualifying event for the Paris 2024 Olympics.
According to a report by the Times of India, Bajrang Punia (65kg) and Deepak Punia (86kg) have submitted proposals to train abroad and the two Indian wrestlers’ itinerary clashes with the selection trials for the world championships, scheduled to be held at the NIS Patiala on August 25 and 26.
Bajrang Punia has put forth a proposal for a 39-day training camp in Issyk-Kul, Kyrgyzstan, from August 21 to September 28 as a part of his preparations for the Asian Games 2023. He will be accompanied by his coach Sujeet Maan, physiotherapist Anuj Gupta and strength and conditioning expert Kaazi Hasan
Deepak Punia, meanwhile, will be heading to Khasavyurt, Russia, for a 35-day training camp from August 23 to September 28. Deepak will travel with his coach Kamal Malikov and physiotherapist Shubham Gupta.
Both Bajrang and Deepak are in the Indian wrestling team for the 2023 Asian Games, which will be held in September-October in Hangzhou, the People’s Republic of China.
The World Wrestling Championships 2023 will have as many as 90 Olympic quotas on offer – five for each of the 18 Olympic weight categories.
