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Indian wrestlers, led by Vinesh Phogat, are all set to put their skills to the test at the upcoming Poland Open Rankings Series. It is the last ranking tournament ahead of the Tokyo Olympics.
The team will leave for Warsaw on Saturday night via Paris and will have to enter isolation upon arrival. The Poland Wrestling Federation (PWF) has arranged accommodation and travel for the touring teams, who will begin their campaign on June 8.
A Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) official told Sportskeeda:
“They came to Delhi on Friday and will leave tonight (June 5) at 1 am via Air France."
Eight Indian wrestlers have so far confirmed quotas for the Tokyo Olympics, which begins on July 23. However, only four of these athletes will participate in the Poland Open Rankings Series.
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From India, Ravi Dahiya (57kg) and Deepak Punia (86kg) along with women wrestler Anshu (57kg) will fly to Warsaw. Vinesh Phogat (53kg), on the other hand, will join the team directly as she is currently training in Hungary.
Poland Open Rankings Series: What are the arrangements?
The PWF has set up a bio-bubble for the Poland Open Rankings Series. In its official competition release, the PWF has instructed wrestlers to submit their body temperatures upon checking in at the hotel.
The guidelines read:
“Hotels will be dedicated only for the participants during the championships. Meals will be provided at the hotels."
A separate training room has been designated at the hotel and the Indian team will be given a slot for training. Moreover, the organizers have provided transport for teams from the airport to the hotel, with each team getting a separate bus.
Poland Open Rankings Series: Why is this competition important?
The Poland Open Rankings Series is part of the United World Wrestling’s Tokyo Olympics cycle. It is the last tournament where wrestlers can improve their rankings for the Summer Games. The final rankings will then help in the seeding. The higher the seeding is, the fewer the chances will be of clashing with a stronger opponent in the early rounds of the Olympic Games.
Points Available
- 1st Place 08 points
- 2nd Place 06 points
- 3rd Place 04 points
- 3th Place 04 points
- 5th Place 02 points
- 5th Place 02 points
Vinesh Phogat is currently World No. 1 in 53kg by a long margin. She has an 11-point lead over second-placed Assylzat Sagymbay of Kazakhstan. Anshu Malik, on the other hand, is placed second in the 57kg category.
Meanwhile, Ravi Dahiya is ranked second in 57kg men’s freestyle. However, the young wrestler has decided to compete in 61kg at the Poland Open Rankings Series, which is a non-Olympics weight division.
Bajrang Punia, Sonam Malik (62kg), Seema Bisla (50kg) and Sumit Malik will not be participating in the tournament. While Bajrang Punia has decided to travel to Russia for a training-cum-competition camp, Sonam Malik and Seema Bisla have withdrawn to nurse their respective injuries.
Sumit Malik, who was scheduled to participate in the Poland Open Rankings, has been suspended by UWW after he failed a dope test.
The Indian team will stay in Warsaw after the competition for a training camp.
