Aiming to improve on the bronze medal she won in the previous World Championships, Olympian woman wrestler Geeta Phogat said she is slightly wary of the new rules and regulations that await her at the marquee event scheduled from September 16 to 22 in Budapest, Hungary.
"It was a great feeling after winning a bronze at the Worlds. That too after a not so good Olympics. I really want to better my performance in the upcoming event. Going into the championships as a medal winner will definitely motivate me. Winning back to back medals will be great," Geeta told PTI in an interview.
The 24-year-old, however, is a little perturbed as senior wrestlers have not participated in any competition since sweeping changes were made in the bout rules by FILA, which is fighting for the re-entry of the sport in the Olympic movement.
"It would have been better had we played a competition with new rules. Unfortunately it didn't happen. But we have a two-week training session prior to the World Championships at Budapest which will be very crucial. But I feel the new rules would be beneficial for our wrestlers and we hope to easily adapt to them," said the 59kg category grappler.
The Indian wrestlers were to play under the new rules at the Commonwealth Wrestling Championships, which was supposed to be held in July at Glasgow, but the hosts declined to hold the event citing unpreparedness.
Geeta said she is also keen to put the disappointment of the Asian Championship behind her
After helping India finish fifth in the World Cup in March this year, Geeta, the first Indian woman wrestler to have qualified for the Olympics, suffered a shock first-round exit at the continental event here a month later.
