Inclusion of grappling in 2010 Commonwealth games welcomed

Pune, Aug 19 (UNI) Pune, once a cradle of age-old art of wrestling and the grappling fraternity, whole heartedly welcomed the re-inclusion of the sport into the 2010 Commonwealth games scheduled to be held in New Delhi.

The Commonwealth Games Federation Committee, which met, took the initial decision to include wrestling along with six other disciplines in the 2010 games. The games committee, however, will be meeting in October to ratify the decision at Delhi It was the supreme efforts of Khasaba Jadahv who gave grappling a new direction by winning a bronze medal in the 1954 Helsinki Olympic Games and since then the Indian grapplers have been performing creditably in the Asian, World and Commonwealth games.

The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) now in a state of limbo- Secretary General Prof Balasaheb Landge, however, welcomed the inclusion of wrestling discipline in the 2010 games at Delhi.

Prof Landge who has been serving the national federation in various capacities was the most happiest man told UNI here today that the re-inclusion of grappling into the Commonwealth Games will once again give Indians an opportunity to garner medals.

Recalling fruitful showing of Indian grapplers since Lila Ram won the gold in the 1958 Cardif Games in England, their graph went higher and higher. In 2002 Manchester Commonwealth games India won a total of six medals - three silver and three bronze medals. Prof Landge pointed out.

But the Indian grapplers were certainly denied when wrestling was dropped from the disciplines in the Melbourne Commonwealth Games held in March 2006.

Prof Landge who has attended the Olympics and the Commonwealth Games during the past two decades as referee and judge congratulated the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) President Suresh Kalmadi (MP) and the Union Agriculture minister Sharad Pawar in pursuing the efforts which has paid the dividends.

''I am indeed very grateful to both Mr Pawar, who is also the President of the Maharashtra State Wrestling Association (MSWA) and Mr Kalmadi.'' The credit to include Wrestling and Table Tennis in the 2008 Commonwealth Games to be held in Pune also goes to them, Prof Landge added.

The WFI, which came under cloud for political reasons has since been functioning under the IOA appointed observers. Things would be sorted out very soon and fresh election will held, said Prof Landge said to clear the present scnerio.

Former gold medal winner and Rustom-e-Hind Harishchander Birajdar who is also a SAI coach also expressed his happiness. ''Indian grapplers have always done well in the Commonwealth Games and now at their home ground they will certainly garner more medals,'' Coach Birajdar said.

Under his coaching several Maharashtra grapplers won medals in various international events -both in junior and senior categories.

Former Olympians Baban Dawre and Maruti Adkar also echoed similar sentiments and added that the sport will get further boost.

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