Bajrang, Vinesh headline India's wrestling pursuit at the CWG

India's star wrestlers have tried their best to play down the tag of favourites in the lead-up to the Commonwealth Games (CWG). That won't alter their pedigree or promise as wrestling competition will be held over the next two days. Led by Olympic medallists Bajrang Punia and Ravi Dahiya, and world bronze medallist Vinesh Phogat, Indian grapplers will aim to repeat the 2018 Gold Coast show when they won a medal in each of the 12 categories.

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With 102 medals, the wrestlers are topped only by shooters and weightlifters in terms of podium finishes in the CWG. India also topped the wrestling medal tally in the last three CWGs, though Canada was adjudged the most successful team in 2014 on account of more gold medals. So, effectively the competition will be more with themselves than their rivals at the Coventry Stadium and Indoor Arena.

Tokyo silver medallist Ravi Dahiya views it as a stepping stone to hit top form for next month's World Championships.

“The competition may not be tough but it is important to give your best each time. A gold here will put me in the right mind space ahead of the worlds,” Tokyo silver medallist Dahiya said before leaving for Birmingham. The 23-year-old heads into his maiden CWG in the 57kg class where he will defend Rahul Aware's gold from 2018. Entering the fray on the back of some fine results—a top finish at the prestigious Yasar Dogu event in Turkey and a golden hat-trick at the Asian Championships in Ulaanbaatar—anything less than gold will be deemed a failure for the world No 2.

Olympic bronze medallist Bajrang Punia is the most experienced male wrestler in the contingent. He eyes a third successive podium finish, having bagged silver and gold in the last two editions. The 28-year-old hasn't had much game time since the Olympics in August last year, where he grappled with a right knee injury. Then he injured his left knee at the Yasar Dogu tournament and was forced to pull out. He won silver at the Asian Championships in Ulaanbaatar and bronze at the Bolat Turlykhanov Cup in Almaty before heading to Michigan, US, for a training camp.

"A lot of people say CWG is an easy event, and there may be some truth in it too, but athletes don't look at competitions that way," the seasoned wrestler said last month. "You have to take each competition seriously and show respect to your opponents. I have competed in two CWGs and I couldn't win gold in 2014."

The women's field will be led by Vinesh Phogat (53kg). Having won gold in 2014 (48kg) and 2018 (50kg), she will aim to become only the second Indian wrestler, after Sushil Kumar, to win three successive CWG golds. She endured a disappointing Olympics last year, crashing out in the quarter-finals. A month later, she underwent surgery on her right elbow. At the CWG selection trials in Lucknow in May, 11 wrestlers entered in Phogat’s weight class, but she prevailed to seal her berth.

Another wrestler on the comeback trail is Sakshi Malik (62kg). The 2016 Rio Olympics bronze medallist will target her maiden gold. Malik ended a five-year wait for an international gold at the Ranking Series in Almaty this June. Last month, Sakshi won bronze at the Tunis Ranking Series, indicating she may have found her groove ahead of the CWG.

World silver medallist Anshu Malik will be in action in the 57kg class. The 20-year-old will hope to go the distance while former Asian champion Divya Kakran (68kg) will aim to better her bronze from 2018 Gold Coast. Pooja Gehlot and Pooja Sihag will round off the 50kg and 76kg classes respectively.

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