PUNE: Rising competition for government jobs under the sports quota is prompting some athletes from traditional wrestling backgrounds to explore disciplines such as Kurash, Judo, Ju-Jutsu and Wushu, where their existing physical skills can be adapted through specialised training.
International-level Indian athlete Pooja Dhanda, for instance, had trained in judo before establishing herself in wrestling. She has spoken about the similarities between the two sports and how her judo background helped her in wrestling. Similarly, Pincky Balhara, an Asian Games silver medallist in Kurash, later chose to focus on judo. Neither athlete, however, switched disciplines with the aim of securing a government job. “It is not as easy as it looks. We have to learn the sport from the basics, and it is not easy to gain mastery in a new discipline.
Established examples exist of athletes moving between combat disciplines, although these moves were not necessarily linked to government employment, according to him. She has said that while Kurash gave her recognition, judo remained her first sporting preference. Speaking to Hindustan Times, Amol Sathe, a Kurash coach from Satara, said the recent revision of the sports-quota policy could influence whether athletes continue to switch disciplines. If these sports are not eligible for the quota, then there is no point in switching from one sport to another,” he said. It is completely wrong to say that we are changing sports only for the government quota,” he said, requesting anonymity. Not every athlete chooses a particular sport with the aim of securing a government job, according to him. The discussion comes amid the recent investigation into an alleged fake Kurash certificate racket in Pune, in which police have said certificates were allegedly used to secure government jobs under the sports quota.
“Yes, there was such a trend earlier, but after the recent revision of the sports quota policy, we have to see what actually happens.
