Concentration the biggest challenge for Vinesh Phogat, says coach Woller Akos

09/17/2019

India’s biggest hope at the World Wrestling Championships, Vinesh Phogat would be having concentration lapses as her biggest challenge to conquer, revealed her personal coach Woller Akos. Akos also stated that it was the perfect time for the wrestler to shift weight categories from 50 to 53kgs.

After the glorious season that Phogat has had so far, in 2019, the wrestler would be the clear favourite for India despite shifting her weight category from 50kg to 53 kg. This would be Phogat’s fourth World Championship after her previous stints in 2013, 2015, 2017, but with the shift in weight could see things getting trickier.

Phogat won the gold at CWG as well as in the Asian Games last year with Asian Championships the only exception where she won a silver medal. And Akos, who has been Phogat’s coach since February this year, has stated that triumphing in the 53kg would be more mental than physical.

“She needs to keep concentration from zero to six minutes. This is very important. As of now it’s like a wave, up and down,” said Akos, reported PTI.

“There are two parts to this. One is physical, which is easy. You do aerobics and train according to match-time (six minutes). If she can hold the tempo from zero to six minutes in training she can do that on mat also. The second part is mental. And that is the job of sports psychologist and she is taking help,” the Hungarian coach added.

Akos delved deeper into the techniques of Phogat, especially the motion circle arm action. “There was not much motion circle, not much arm-work. She waited very much for the action. Now it’s better. The physical preparation, I would say, is perfect.”

“You control your opponent with this. You take back your arms, you take control by under-hook position from head-lock position,” Akos explained.