Wrestlers ready to rumble
[WRESTLING] A junior competition for youngsters aged 16-17 called the Asian Cadet Wrestling Championship will be staged at the Nimibutra Building at the National Stadium from August 9-13.
The wrestling competition has the backing of the Royal Thai Air Force and the Thai Amateur Wrestling Association. With FILA's permission - the international body which oversees the sport world-wide - Thailand will host the international contest for the first time. The competition will be divided into three categories - men's freestyle 10 heavyweight, women's freestyle 10 heavyweight and Greco-Roman 10 heavyweight. Wrestlers from 19 Asian countries - Japan, Laos, United Arab Emirates, Taiwan, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Iran, Uzbekistan, Cambodia, Turkmenistan, China, South Korea, India, the Philippines, Indonesia, Mongolia and Thailand - have entered the tournament. More than 400 wrestlers and staff are expected at the tournament. Up to 40 Thai male and female juniors have already been selected to join the competition and are now sharpening their skills in Suphan Buri. "The purpose of this program is to support this sport and expand it to a larger group of people," said the president of Thai Amateur Wrestling Association, Air Chief Marshal Chalit Pukbhasuk. "It also helps show the potential of Thailand in being a host of such an important contest. In addition, this is considered as the 60th anniversary celebration of His Majesty the King's accession to his throne."
Waree Theptoranintra The Nation
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