THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The two-day wrestling clinic and test for referees organised by the State Wrestling Association saw young sports at a tussle with the theory of the game of might. While amateurs and aspiring professionals were seen sweating it out to master the right moves, 11 seasoned wrestlers, including two women, attended the test to qualify as certified referees at the camp held on November 13 and 14 at the State Sports Council, GPO.“The role of a referee is an easy job. It involves judging the merit of each move and technique. There are a lot of technicalities involved in deciding on the points earned by contestants. Professional coaching is an absolute necessity for the making of a good referee,” says V N Prasood, state secretary of the Association.In the absence of adequate qualified referees to officiate championships, the clinic sought to attract more professionals into the field. “Wrestlers retire from the game at a very early age, men at 25 and women at 23. They usually go on to become coaches. Due to the dearth of referees, coaches often double up as referees too which affects the transparency of the game,” says Prasood.The official wrestling coaches of Sports Authority of India and Sports Council were among the participants of the clinic apart from young players who looked forward to picking up a few tips from the veterans. However, only those who completed the stipulated age (25 for men and 23 for women) were allowed to take the written examination.Of the two women participants in the clinic, Anjana U Rajan has served as the captain of the state team and Thusharakala has represented the state during meets. Those who pass the test, the results of which will be announced by the end of the week, will qualify as state-level referees.The candidates who score lesser grades will be qualified to officiate over district-level championships. Association president G Varghese, former coach of the Sports Council, also spoke to the participants of the camp.
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