Indian freestyle wrestler Bajrang Puniya, who won bronze medal at 2020 Tokyo Olympics has received his visa for travel to the United Kingdom for the Commonwealth Games 2022, which will be hosted in Birmingham between July 28 and August 8. Bajrang’s UK visa was awaited owing to which he was unable to leave for his training in the US. In an exclusive conversation with The Daily Guardian he gave insights about his preparation for The Commonwealth Games. Excerpts:
Q: Tell us about your preparations for the Commonwealth Games.
A: Commonwealth Games preparations are going quite well. There is a camp at Sonepat for the training. I’m hoping to repeat my 2019, 2020 and 2021 performance and get off to a strong start at the Commonwealth Games. I have also recovered from the injury that I had.
Q: You will be heading to the US for training before the Games, so tell us why did you choose US as your destination for preparations?
A: I chose the US because we have partners there, the facilities are great, and I used to travel there before. There would be distractions if I lived in India because there may be wedding parties and birthdays which I will be forced to attend . So the focus is to concentrate on training atleast for a month or a month and a half so that I can give my best performance.
Q: Who according to you will be your biggest opponent, and trickiest opponent in the commonwealth games?
A: As you can see, when athletes compete for their nation, they do so just for the medal, and they practice for it as well. Therefore, we should not consider any of the opponents to be weak. These six minutes on the mat determine who is good. I haven’t seen the list of opponents; once I do, I’ll know who they are and how to compete against them.
Q. How much has Pro Wrestling League helped you in preparing you for tough challenges?
A. I believe there have been four seasons of the Pro League since it began, giving Indian wrestlers a wonderful opportunity to compete with Olympians and World Champions. PWL was one such platform where we had the chance to further correct our mistakes. I’m hoping they just start Pro League again and Indian players will get an opportunity to participate in it and help India to reach new heights.
Q. What do you feel about these kinds of leagues in general, do they play a major role in uplifting sports in the country?
A. Whenever I compete I always try to give my best since I have the support of 130 crore Indians as fans. I, therefore, believe that whether I compete in small or big events, I should bring a medal back home. Since I believe that everyone in my country hopes that Bajrang will win a medal, I don’t feel any pressure, but feel proud to be in a position where people have lot of expectation from me. This inspires me to play for my nation with dedication.
Q. You have split with your coach – Shako Bentinidis with whom you have won Olympic bronze and Asian games gold, what is the reason? And how is your new coach Sujeet Maan’s technique different from Shako?
A. Look for the three and half years to four years that we worked together, Shako was a really terrific coach, and I really enjoyed working with him. Every player has a different style of play, regardless of whether the coach is Indian or foreigner. The year 1974 saw Shako and Sujeet both play for India; Sujeet is the number one player and is a recipient of the Arjuna Award. Sujeet Maan, who has a lengthy history of working with the India team, is another excellent coach. And now that he is associated with me. I’m making an effort to do what he instructs and am hoping to follow some of his lessons. Shako had some excellent fighting techniques. I’m trying to learn and get experience from everyone who knows wrestling, no matter how little or big they are. Naturally, both coaches are excellent.
Q. What is your favourite technique?
A. I think the best technique is the one that is applied correctly and helps us win the wrestling match. I believe I should wrestle for six minutes, therefore I give my best and do not give up till the last minute. Therefore, for me, the technique that is used on time is the best.
Q. Tell us something about your training how is it going and do you think that the training is sufficient?
A. I train in the morning and the evening. There is a lot of effort being put forward. Due to an injury, I had to miss a lot of training, and I had to recover from it and start performing again. I am working with my coach and physio for atleast three and half hours in the morning and evening. I’m hoping to get back in shape and bring home medals for the nation.
Q. How does it feel to have your life partner around you in these tournaments?
A. She is also from this field, so when we work together on anything, we really benefit from each other’s expertise. She also comes from the wrestling family, the very renowned Phogat family. She is also a wrestler, which has greatly aided in mutual understanding.
Q. What is Bajrang Puniya planning to convey to his junior Bajrang Puniya?
A. We will try to put our kids in wrestling because we are familiar with the sport and can apply our experience. It is up to him or her to make the decision. We will make every effort to perform wrestling, but we will also support him in whatever he/she chooses to do.
Q. What message would you like to give to parents who sometimes discourage their children from playing sports and ask them to concentrate on their studies?
A. I won’t claim that you force your kids to play sports. But allow them to play for 1-2 hours for their health and fitness. Sports are crucial, too, in addition to education. And the notion that sports have no future was once prevalent. The state and federal governments both support the child’s participation in sports. Numerous modifications have occurred. Because women are now also winning medals, parents’ perspectives are shifting.
Q. How is that feeling when you run to the stadium with the flag and win a medal?
A. Look, that feeling cannot be expressed in words, it is the best moment for a sportsperson, and it feels great when all the countrymen proudly salute the flag we are holding. I don’t think there can be anything better in the life of an athlete.
Q. Bajrang If you tell us how your routine is, many sportspersons and wrestlers want to be like you, then they will be happy to know your routine.
A. Discipline comes first, followed by diet, and most importantly, hard work. Only when you combine all these factors can you achieve success in any industry, including sports. I am very fortunate that I have got a good coaching staff. You need to follow strict routine if you have to progress in life.
Q. Bajrang you come from a humble background and belong to a middle-class family, how has the journey to reach here?
A. Despite the ups and downs, it has been a wonderful experience. I feel fortunate because I think God has brought me to this point. I feel fortunate to get the blessings and wishes of people around me. And no matter in whatever field anyone is working, every man should put in a lot of effort. God undoubtedly rewards us for the work we do by giving us something in return. No matter what field you are in, keep working hard because you will undoubtedly see benefits.
Q. Any memorable moment that you still remember?
A. My family wasn’t really sports-savvy when I first started playing when I was a kid, but they were still quite encouraging. My father used to farm, my mother was a homemaker, and my older brother also stayed at home. I might have been farming or doing a job if I wasn’t wrestling. I am grateful that my parents, who worked so hard have helped me advance so much, never advised me to give up wrestling because they couldn’t afford it.
Q. We recently heard that you are troubled by visa-related issues, what would you like to say about it?
A. I lost my visa, but the authorities can tell more about it than I can. There was a news story today claiming that Bajrang is angry, but that is not at all the case. Simply put, I am missing my training because of this visa. My visa arrived today, and in the evening I received word that your visa had also arrived. I wasn’t upset at all; I was nervous that the training would be excellent if the visa were in place.