Wrestlers first to get to grips with new arena

Just a few hours after Tauranga's new $41 million TECT indoor arena is christened today, chairs will be replaced by giant mats as Mt Maunganui hosts the national wrestling and grappling championships.

National coach Mark Grayling's Mt Maunganui club will host the nationals and provide a fifth of the 180-200 wrestlers expected at the championships, which begin with tonight's weigh-in, with the on-mat action taking place tomorrow and Saturday.

Grayling, who led the New Zealand team at last year's Commonwealth Games in Delhi, said the new facility was ideal for a multi-discipline sport like wrestling, with grappling joining freestyle and the ancient art of Greco-Roman over the two days.

"It's probably a bit flash even for what we need but we'll be able to spread out rather than having three mats crammed together."

Tomorrow will see junior grappling and freestyle and senior Greco-Roman, with Saturday dedicated to cadet and senior freestyle, junior Greco and senior grappling.

Grayling said grappling was a relatively new addition to the international wrestling organisation. "It's a cross between Brazilian jiu-jitsu and wrestling and a stepping stone to the old UFC cage fighting.

"Only a certain type of mentality head that way and grappling is still relatively new for a lot of wrestlers and only really done in certain pockets around the country. It's still in the building stage and won't be big at this tournament but it's under Wrestling New Zealand's umbrella so we have to help foster it."

Experienced Tauranga grappler Kate Aroa will do both disciplines (there is no Greco-Roman for women) and is likely to face clubmate and national champion Megan Candler in the senior female under-67kg gold medal bout, possibly in grappling and freestyle.

"At the last national here two years ago Megan won the freestyle and Kate the grappling and I don't see anyone to threaten either of them advancing to the final in both again," Grayling said.

Kellyn Chapman also looms as a gold medal prospect across three divisions, wrestling up a division in Greco and freestyle to get tougher competition. Ditto Mount's Merinda Bramley in the cadet and under-52kg freestyle.

Commonwealth Games wrestler Sam Belkin will compete for Grayling's club, even though he's based in Christchurch. Auckland-based Jatinder Sandhu stands in the way of gold for Belkin in Saturday's 96kg senior freestyle.

Katikati will send eight wrestlers to the nationals, with Caylen Greenwood (junior 74kg) and mini (12-13 years) wrestlers Ryan McCormick and Tyler Corbett defending national titles.

Grayling said most of the competitors would be North Island-based, with cost making Mt Maunganui a difficult destination to get to.