Wrestlers should not lack preparation

Press, 15 February 1986, Page 80

Wrestlers should not lack preparation

By

BOB SCHUMACHER

A programme designed to have the New Zealand amateur wrestling team match hardened and at peak fitness for the Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh has been shaped by the national coach, Kevan McLaughlan, of Christchurch. If arrangements proceed according to plan, the New Zealand Games wrestlers will have an intensive month’s build-up overseas before the ultimate competition at Edinburgh. Mr McLaughlan said yesterday that there were several options, but the schedule most likely to be followed starts with the Canada Cup tournament in Toronto at the end of June. “This is a competition involving the world’s best

countries, then we intend to go to Switzerland for top-level matches. The Swiss are strong, about on par with New Zealand, and we had narrow victories against two of their top clubs last year.” Mr McLaughlan said that between three to five matches against top clubs were envisaged in Swit-' zerland before the team went to its final port of call before Edinburgh—the Challenge Cup tournament in Manchester. “Twenty countries will be at this tourney including the powerful Europeans, it is imperative we get those hard matches before the Games. I wouldn’t like to see the team go away with anything less than planned at present,” he said. The Commonwealth Games trials

will be held on March 22 after which the nominations will be given to the New Zealand Olympic and Commonwealth Games selectors. Mr McLaughlan expects wrestling to nominate six to eight competitors. That New Zealand lost the four recent internationals against Canada, all by 7-0, does not present a true picture of New Zealand’s strength according to Mr McLaughlan. “The public get a false view of the New Zealand standard. Canada is now world ranked, most of them are full-time athletes just training in their sport. “But the bouts did allow the guys to gauge what they need to do. It helped immensely in that they now know what standard they can expect at top international level and

that means against Soviet and United States wrestlers.” Mr McLaughlan added that the New Zealand teams differed for. each contest and that it was just as important to give the third and fourth ranked wrestlers the opportunity to fight as it ms the top ranked

grapplers. “Several of the top wrestlers that we are looking at for Games nominations did perform creditably,” he said. Mr McLaughlan added that he deemed the contests against the Canadians as “pre-season internationals.” "It was like the All Blacks going into a test without even playing club rugby. Most of the guys were having their first match for the year and their first since last July."

As a further lead-up to the Commonwealth Games, the country’s top wrestlers will have the two-day Oceania championships in Auckland on May 16 and 17 to which Australia, Fiji, Niue, Western Samoa, Hawaii, Taiwan and the United States have been invited.

As well there will be a couple of training camps after the team has been named in April. Mr McLaughlan is keen to keep abreast with developments in wrestling coaching and techniques and to this extent will be leaving for the United States on February 25. His three-week “educational” tour will take him to California, Arizona and Hawaii, and he will study wrestling at all levels, from high school to the top division. “Overseas coaches come here but never stay long enough. What I learn will stay here. You have to keep up to date and study techniques which, though you might not use yourself, you can recognise if they are used against you,” said Mr McLaughlan.