Bajrang trains in Moscow for busy 2022

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 27

Wrestler Bajrang Punia, bronze medallist at the Tokyo Olympics, has landed in Moscow to start his training for next year’s gruelling calendar. Apart from a few ranking series, the 27-year-old will try to retain his Commonwealth Games and Asian Games gold medals.

Bajrang injured his knee in the run-up to the Tokyo Games at the Ali Aliev tournament in Russia. Now fit, the grappler is also eyeing the elusive gold at the World Championships, to be held next year. “I am fully fit now and I had started full training in India while awaiting travel documents,” Bajrang told The Tribune from Moscow today. He reached the Russian capital this morning.

“This is a big year for all of us and I will try to perform well again. Damdaar tarike se wapsi karna chahta hoon (I want to make a strong return),” Bajrang added.

His first tournament after the Tokyo Games would be the Matteo Pellicone ranking series in Rome from February 3 to 6. Bajrang’s 21-day training programme has been approved by the Sports Ministry’s Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS). The Mission Olympics Cell has approved his trip at an overall cost of Rs7.53 lakh.

Wrestlers Jitender and Anand Kumar have gone with Bajrang as his sparring partners, apart from a physiotherapist. After the Italian ranking series, Bajrang will head to Istanbul for the Yasar Dogu ranking series. “I will compete in the ranking series in Italy and Turkey this February and then the Asian Championships in Mongolia in April. I’m going to give my best,” Bajrang said.