Wrestlers bid for slots in Olympic Games

MANILA, Philippines - Wrestling officials are still entertaining thoughts of participating in the London Games as SEA Games champions Margarito Angana and Jason Balabal bid to make it through the tough qualifying meets in the coming months.

Angana, back-to-back SEAG gold medalist in 55-kgs Greco-Roman, and Balabal, ruler of the 84-kgs Greco-Roman competitions, are being groomed for the final three trials for the London joust, according to Wrestling Association of the Philippines secretary general Karlo Sevilla.

The two are set to vie for slots in the Asian Qualification Tournament on March 28-April 2 in Almaty, Kazakhstan, where the champion advances; the first World Qualification tournament on April 24-30 in Taiyung, China, where the top three finishers move forward; and the second World Qualification tournament on May 4-6 in Helsinki, Finland, where the two finalists will proceed to London.

Only 15 wrestlers per weight class will be accommodated in the 2012 Olympiad. The top six in each weight class are already filled up after their standings in the World Championships in Istanbul, Turkey last September.

“Although they are champions in the SEA Games, it remains to be seen if they are good enough to barge into the Top 15 (and qualify). But we’re exerting all efforts to achieve this goal,” said Sevilla. 

According to him, WAP’s plan is for Angana, 32nd placer in his weight in the Turkey worlds, and Balabal to undergo training in Bulgaria or Cuba prior to the qualifiers. Or they will arrange for Korean coach and 1988 gold medalist Han Myung-wu and a group of Korean grapplers to come to Manila for a joint camp.

Before the qualifiers, Angana and Balabal will have to compete at the Asian championships in South Korea next month, a requisite for those looking to join the last three tryouts.

Phl wrestling, which brought home two gold, three silver and three bronze medals from the last Indonesia SEAG, is looking to send a representative to the Olympics for the first time since 1988. Florentino Tirante (52kg freestyle and 52kg Greco-Roman) and Dean Carlos Manibog (68kg freestyle) competed in Seoul at the time it was still an open competition.