Asian Olympic Wrestling Qualifiers To Be Held In Kyrgyzstan Cancelled Amid Corona Virus Outbreak Fears

The qualifiers had to originally be hosted in X'ian, China on the same dates before being shifted to Bishkek due to the outbreak of the deadly virus in the country.

Asian Wrestling Championship

New Delhi: The Asian Olympic Qualifiers for wrestling that was to be held from March 27 to 29 in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan has been cancelled so as to fight the spread of corona virus. The qualifiers had to originally be hosted in X'ian, China on the same dates before being shifted to Bishkek due to the outbreak of the deadly virus in the country.

"Today UWW has received the information that the Kyrgyz government has decided to take measures against the spread of the COVID-19, and such measures unfortunately include the cancellation of the Asian OG Qualifier that had been previously reallocated to the city of Bishkek," United World Wrestling (UWW) Secretary General, Michel Dusson, said in a letter to All Asian National Federations. The event was slated for March 27-29 in Kyrgyz capital, Bishkek.

UWW has received a letter from the Kyrgyz government re: preventing the spread of the COVID-19, which unfortunately includes the cancellation of the Asian OG Qualifier. UWW is considering other solutions + discussions with the IOC will be continued next week.

— United World Wrestling (@wrestling) February 28, 2020

In the letter, UWW further stated that they are now considering other solutions, adding that discussions with the International Olympic Committee will be continued next week. The UWW also asked all concerned federations and teams to cancel their travel and visa procedure to Kyrgyzstan.

When contacted, the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) said that it is yet to get any official communication from Kyrgyzstan or the sport's global governing body -- United World Wrestling (UWW) -- on the matter. "We have sent a letter to UWW and we are waiting for their reply. Until we get any official communication on the matter from the international body we won't be able to take any action," WFI assistant secretary Vinod Tomar told IANS. But a report in a Kyrgyz news agency confirmed the same.

"At an operational meeting led by director of the State Agency Kanat Amankulov, it was decided to postpone a number of major international sports events planned in Kyrgyzstan to later dates," said Kyrgyzstan's State Agency for Youth, Physical Culture and Sports of the Kyrgyz Republic in a notice, acccording to the agency. Indian wrestlers who have made it to the team that was to go to Bishkek for the qualifiers will continue their training in foreign countries for the time being, said Tomar. While the frestyle wrestlers are set to train in Makachkala, Russia, the women wrestlers will be training in Kiev, Ukraine. The Greco Roman wrestlers will be training in Baku, Azerbaijan. A 14-member Indian squad, including youngsters Jitender Kumar and Sonam Malik, will compete in the tournament. Ravi Dahiya (57kg), Bajrang Punia (65kg), Deepak Punia (86kg) and Vinesh Phogat (53kg) have already qualified for the Tokyo Games with their medal-winning performance at the 2019 World Championships.