LUCKNOW, May 2 -- Identifying young wrestling talent in the region will be a top priority for the Sports Authority of India's National Centre of Excellence (NCOE), which is set to become operational by the end of this month at Sigra Stadium in Varanasi. The state-of-the-art NCOE in Varanasi is awaiting the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the state government. Once the MoU is finalised in the coming days, a total of 180 athletes, including 90 girls, will begin training in disciplines such as fencing, boxing, wrestling and shooting. "There is no shortage of wrestling talent in areas surrounding Varanasi. We have already seen several international wrestlers from this region winning medals at the Asian Games and the Commonwealth Games in the past," said SAI's deputy director, Shubhanshu Dwivedi said on Thursday. "Previously, SAI operated a wrestling centre for girls at the Guru Gobind Singh Sports College in Lucknow." "That's why we have devised a hybrid selection process, where we will conduct trials and offer direct admissions," said Dwivedi, an IIT graduate from BHU. "At later stages, we will hold trials across all disciplines, and I believe this hybrid system aligns well with our initial plans." He also said that the NCOE in Varanasi will operate independently but in coordination with the state government-run regional sports office in the city. "In fact, the sporting facilities at the stadium will be shared by SAI and local athletes, as we occupy a significant portion of the infrastructure," he said. In fact, Varanasi's NCOE will function under the umbrella of SAI's regional centre in Lucknow. With its launch, the total number of SAI centres in Uttar Pradesh will increase to five, including centres at Bareilly, Rae Bareli, Saifai and Udai Pratap College (Varanasi). Varanasi's regional sport office is already conducting regular camps for disciplines like athletics, football, boxing, kabaddi, basketball, volleyball, badminton, cricket and gymnastics. "In Uttar Pradesh, one NCOE, five STCs, one extension centre of STC, one NSTC and seven akaharas (through adopted) are already operational. With the launch of NCOE in Varanasi, SAI will be able to cater to the needs of talented sportspersons in a big way," SAI's regional director, Atma Prakash said on Thursday. He further stated that the Lucknow regional centre, operational since 2004, is already nurturing 245 athletes across disciplines such as wrestling, weightlifting, fencing, hockey, and athletics, helping them sharpen their skills for international competitions. The centre also offers facilities for basketball, football, handball, kabaddi, volleyball, and swimming. Meanwhile, the national coaching camp of men's free style and Greco-Roman wrestling commenced on Thursday, featuring 80 athletes and 22 support staff, including coaches. The camp is part of the preparations for the Senior World Championship 2025, scheduled to be held in Croatia from September 13 to 21. The camp has been allotted to SAI, Lucknow under the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS). Earlier, the men's wrestling camp was based in Sonipat. Top wrestlers like Deepak Punia, Sujeet, Vishal Kaliraman, Sagar, Sunil Kumar and others are the star participants, while, Jagminder Singh (freestyle) and Hargovind Sandhu (Greco-Roman) are named as chief coaches....