Jr and cadet girls' wrestling nationals starts in Bellary

Bellary, March 19 (IANS) The junior women's and cadet girls' National Wrestling Championships started on Friday at the Inspire Institute of Sport (IIS) in Bellary, Karnataka. The top age-group tournament in the country will see over 500 wrestlers from 26 units competing on three mats inside the state-of-the-art Combat Sport Centre at IIS, a 62mx62m column free indoor arena.Grapplers will compete in 20 weight categories across the three days of competition. Each weight class will awarded gold, silver and two bronze medals. Among the wrestlers headlining the event would be cadet World Champion Komal, Youth Olympic silver medallist Simran from Delhi and former cadet World Championship medallist Sonika Hooda, who will be representing Haryana.The institute, spread over 42 acres in Bellary, Karnataka, has previously hosted the Elite Women's National Boxing Championships and has also been the base for the Boxing Federation of India's elite men's and women's national camps.Wrestling Federation of India president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who is present in Bellary for the event, welcomed the initiative to host the nationals at the IIS. "We are pleased that corporates like JSW are coming forward to host the nationals. The IIS facility is very impressive and professionally run, and this will undoubtedly be a very good experience for all the participating wrestlers," he said.Schedule:Friday, March 199.30 am - 1 pm: Qualifications and RepechagesCadet - 40 kg, 49 kg, 53 kg and 61 kgJunior - 50 kg, 59 kg and 76 kg3 pm - 6 pm: Finals and Award CeremoniesCadet - 40 kg, 49 kg, 53 kg and 61 kgJunior - 50 kg, 59 kg and 76 kgSaturday, March 209.30 am - 1 pm: Qualifications and RepechagesCadet - 43 kg, 46 kg, 65 kg and 69 kgJunior - 53 kg, 57 kg, 68 kg and 72 kg3 pm - 6 pm: Finals and Award CeremoniesCadet - 43 kg, 46 kg, 65 kg and 69 kg Junior - 53 kg, 57 kg, 68 kg and 72 kgSunday, March 219.30 am - 1 pm: Qualifications and RepechagesCadet - 57 kg and 73 kgJunior - 55 kg, 62 kg and 65 kg3 pm - 6 pm: Finals and Award CeremoniesCadet - 57 kg and 73 kgJunior - 55 kg, 62 kg and 65 kg
--IANS rkm/bg