New Delhi, Monday, August 20, 2018: In a bid to motivate children towards a home-grown sport, akhada wrestling; Guru Chiranji Akhada organized a prize-winning wrestling competition between children and professionals alike on Sunday, August 19, 2018. This event turned out to be a viable platform to foster grass-root level wrestling and expose the young, local talent in India towards professional wrestling as a career option.
This special event also paid a tribute to honourthe strategic life of Bharat Ratna, Ex-Prime Minister of India, Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ji. A Mahayagya saw a number of people commemorating the life and legacy of a man who empowered the country with his revolutionary spirit. The timeless values that defined his character and leadership skills, taught us the importance of dignity, humility, and service to mankind.
The Mahayagya was followed by an akhada wrestling competition which was a spectacular scene to watch. Mr. Vajpayee Ji was an ardent sports follower and was always seen at the akhada motivating and boosting the morale of the players. This competition saw a number of children, men and women battle it out in their respective category to clinch the title of the ultimate akhada wrestling champion. The energy and enthusiasm of the players were intense and the matches were a thrill to watch for the spectators. However, showcasing much prowess in each grip and excellence in every bout, it was Rohit Pehelwan, from New Delhi’s Tej Singh Akhada who won the prize money of 51,000 rupees as well as the competition’s title. Second in the competition was Kapil Dhama, who belonged to Guru Hanuman Akhada. Interestingly, every participant walked away with a prize. A certain amount was given to them as a motivating gesture to join this acclaimed sporting event. Present at the event was former MLA Surendar Singh, former member of the Parliament, Shri. Jai Prakash Agarwal, and from the Religious Ramleela Committee there was Mahanand Prakash Sinha and BJP’s Municipal Councillor Ravi Captain.
This ground-breaking initiative was a collaborative effort by Mr.Prashant Rohatgi (Babu Kalifa), Parveen Goel, Vikram Vishisht, Adv. Surendra Kaliraman, Vikas, Arjun Sood, and Sanjay Verma. With the immense talent that lies in the hinterlands of the country, they aim to train young children, men and women to keep this dying tradition alive. After all, it is this very illustrious culture of wrestling dating back to the ancient mythology that has shaped the successes of two Olympians today. It is them who have transformed one of India’s oldest rural sports into something big while keeping in pace with modern techniques.
This historic event culminated at Guru Chiranji Akhada, Civil Lines, Delhi today evening Around 100 women wrestlers and 150 men wrestlers from various states participated in the event. The visual treat and palpable excitement justified the success of this competition in every way.
