Pooja Dhanda hopes to make the most of delayed Olympic wrestling qualification cycle

The 2018 season turned out to be extraordinary for Pooja Dhanda. The worldwide wrestler from Haryana capped the yr with a bronze medal in girls’s 57kg class on the World Championships in Budapest, Hungary. Earlier within the season, she had gained silver on the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games in Australia.

The phenomenal rise added to her confidence however 2019 noticed a gradual decline in her efficiency. The cause being recurring accidents. It spoiled her possibilities to earn a berth in 57kg within the 2019 Olympic cycle. “You have to be super fit. Otherwise it’s difficult to make the cut as the competition is getting tough at the domestic level,” the 25-year-old stated.

Vinesh Phogat (53kg) had gained the quota place within the 2019 Olympic cycle.

First a nagging shoulder damage, which she had sustained through the 2018 World Championships, flared up. “Then it was knee injury. It was bit difficult to progress. For the major part of the 2019 season, I was just busy undergoing rehab and couldn’t perform up to optimum level. It was big setback as I wasn’t able to click in the pre-Olympic year,” she added.

During the choice trials in January, the final likelihood to make the grade, Anshul Malik claimed the highest spot within the 57kg group for Asian Olympic Qualifying occasion scheduled for March. The competitors was cancelled on account of outbreak of covid-19. The competitors will now be held in 2021.

Dhanda says cancellation of worldwide calendar and shifting of Tokyo Olympics to 2021, has given her yet another likelihood to remain within the race. “The selection process will start all over again for continental and world Olympic qualifying cycle. It will be one big opportunity for me to bounce back,” she stated of her future plans.

According to Dhanda, sports activities actions have resumed on the native stadium in her dwelling city Hisar however she isn’t speeding again to outside coaching because the state of affairs will not be conducive. “The best place to train at the moment is inside the house and avoid getting infected by the virus,” the 2018 Commonwealth Games silver medallist stated. “I’m doing basic fitness exercise and weight training at home to keep healthy. That’s all.”

Some wrestlers, says Dhanda, might need began coaching on mat however she isn’t eager. “I don’t want to grapple with local wrestlers as I’m not aware whether someone is maintaining social distancing after training or not,” she explains of coaching in isolation.

For mat follow, she believes, it’s going to take six to eight weeks to tune up physique and thoughts to shine abilities. “Slow and steady is the norm at the moment as there is no competition this year. My main focus is to stay healthy and gradually build up for challenging domestic trials next year,” she stated.