Tashkent, Uzbekistan, November 7, 2022: The Olympic Council of Asia Development Programme for coaches and referees in Tashkent will be a watershed for Sri Lanka wrestling predicted Lasantha Pradeep an official from the island-nation.
Wrestling referee Pradeep was lavish in his praise for the OCA initiative, and believes the information gathered by himself and three other compatriots in the sport – another referee and two coaches – will prove invaluable in time to come.
“This has been such an educational experience for all of us from Sri Lanka. We have had top-class instructors who did a great job, and mixed around with other coaches and referees who have had Olympic experience. This know-how is priceless,” Pradeep pointed out.
“We came from different countries, but we ended up friends and worked together as a family. This has been an outstanding experience for me personally and I hope to apply all what I learned with the people back home,” Pradeep said.
Sri Lanka broke into the international wrestling limelight only earlier this year when teenage girl Nethni Ahinsa from a small rural village became the first medallist in the sport at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.
Ahinsa, 18, defeated Australian Irene Symeonidis in the freestyle 57kg category to bring home the bronze medal and become the youngest champion the island had produced at the Commonwealth Games.
That result was more a case of individual talent than a well-functioning system, which Pradeep admitted to.
“We have struggled in wrestling for years. But what Ahinsa did was gave the country a wake-up call and show us that we can do it. And together with the technical skills we have learned here, I believe the sport has reached a turning point,” Pradeep said.
“Hopefully, we can now look forward to the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China next year, more confidently,” he added.