Wrestling: Bay teens set for Youth Olympics

Tyler Corbett, 16, has been selected to compete at the Youth Olympic Games in Nan Jing, China, in August. In the background are fellow Katikati wrestlers Ronin Ainsley (left), 14, and Sural Singh, 14. Photo/Andrew Warner

The Western Bay's pre-eminent position as a wrestling powerhouse was further strengthened at last month's Oceania Continental Wrestling Championships held in Pago Pago, American Samoa.

Merinda Bramley, Tayla Ford (Mount Maunganui Wrestling Club), and Tyler Corbett, Sural Singh, Ronin Ainsley and Ryan McCormick (Katikati Wrestling Club), came home with multiple medals.

Bramley and Corbett, both 16, achieved the goal all the young athletes were chasing in Pago Pago - to represent New Zealand at the Youth Olympics in Nan Jing, China, in August.

Bramley weighs in at just 46kg and trains twice a week with national senior coach Mark Greyling. She qualified for China by winning gold in the women's freestyle 48kg division.

Corbett, who started wrestling as a 4-year-old and attends Katikati College, won gold in both cadet 54kg and junior 55kg free-style.

He is looking forward to testing himself against the higher-standard wrestlers in China.

"It is going to be pretty intense," he said.

"I am looking to learn new moves as all the different countries have different styles ... It will be cool to mix some of their wrestling into how I wrestle.

"I am going to take lots of videos so I can adapt my way of wrestling."

There was also a strong Katikati connection in the management group at the championships with team manager Andrew Roche and national junior coach Ross Tanner both lifetime residents of the pretty mural town.

Both were disappointed that Ainsley missed a place in China through a technicality. Three New Zealand wrestlers were eliminated because they were too young, despite winning their respective divisions.

Athletes born in 1997, 1998 and 1999 are eligible to compete in the cadet category of the Oceania Championships, but in a confusing decision by FILA (the world governing body for wrestling), only those born between January 1, 1996, and December 31, 1998, can compete at the Youth Olympic Games.

"It was a bitter blow for Ainsley considering he completely dominated his 50kg Greco-Roman weight class," said Roche.

Ainsley won four gold medals in the cadet and junior free-style and Greco-Roman divisions. He did not have a single wrestling point scored against him in the entire competition and according to Tanner, was the dominant wrestler of the tournament.

Another Katikati wrestler Ryan McCormick also won his division but New Zealand is only allowed to nominate five wrestlers for the Oceania.