Kushti Dangal at Village Chhayaca, Haryana

Photos and Videos by Deepak Ansuia Prasad

Sankri Kesari Dangal on September 3

Early Times Report
JAMMU, August 26: The 57th Annual Sankri Kesari Dangal, organized by J&K Indian Style Wrestling Association in coordination with Meer Dangal Committee, shall take place on September three at Sankri Devta, in block Panchari of district Udhampur.
“This dangal is a part of the three-day historic Sankri Mela. A decision to hold a dangal during the mela was taken in a meeting held under the chairmanship of District Development Commissioner, Udhampur, Baseer Ahmed Khan,” Shiv Kumar Sharma, president of J&K Indian Style Wrestling Association told SAN.
Sharma disclosed that about 55 wrestlers from Jammu, Udhampur, Kathua, Rajouri as also those from district Udhampur are expected to take part in day-long wrestling competition.
Those left out wrestlers interested to take part can still submit their entries for participation to Shiv Kumar Sharma on Mobile No. 94191 61880

Salman Khan to Judge Wrestling Match

Hindustan Times

Bollywood's muscle flexing actor, Salman Khan will be seen in his element when he'll judge a wrestling match while in the city on September 5. The actor will be accompanied by brothers Arbaaz and Sohail, co-star Sonakshi, Sonu Sood and Malaika Arora Khan.
In a bid to promote his upcoming film Dabangg where Salman's character Chulbul Pandey wrestles criminals, he will attend a local wrestling match, Mid-day reported.
Buzz is that Salman is extremely excited about judging a wrestling match. A source told the tabloid, "Since kushti is an extremely popular sport in Nagpur, there would be a huge crowd for the event. Also with Salman being the celebrity judge, it would be a great way to kickstart the promotions."
Salman khanTo get the crowd going, the stars might have a live performance of Munni Badnam Hui on stage. "Nothing is finalised as of now, but since the song is a huge hit, there are chances that Malaika might perform it at a later stage."
Not only will Salman judge the wrestling match, he will also interact with the crowd. He also plans on learning some wrestling tactics. The source further added, "Don't be surprised if Salman jumps into the ring and tries some moves with the wrestlers. He has a knack for springing surprises."

KUSHTI MATCH AT HARYANA DANGAL

Kushti Newspaper Article from Maharashtra

From: Dattatray Jadhav 9594205050

KUSHTI at Sang Dhesian Tournament, Jalandhar

Sahyadri, Lakshya Team Up to Help Wrestlers

Indian Express

In an bid to bring about a wider recognition of the popular Indian sport of wrestling, Sahyadri Industries has teamed up with city-based nonprofit sports organisation Lakshya to offer support to a couple of talented budding wrestlers, and plans to further their potential and help see them in the big leagues someday.

The two wrestlers that have been chosen for the SIL Sponsorship are Ranjeet Nalawde, gold medallist at the 2008 Commonwealth Youth Games, and Sagar Birajdar, who is not only the Junior National Champion, but also the son of renowned wrestling coach and Dronacharya awardee Harishchandra Birajdar, under whom both the boys are currently training.

Sahyadri Industries will take care of all aspects of the duo’s training and competition sponsorship, while Lakshya’s role will be to administer and guide their blossoming careers.

“We have identified new talent, will add value to their talent and take them to the next level, and we will assist these young stars in any way we can, to capitalise on their potential and realize their dream of winning laurels for our country.

Mr Patel added that his company had conducted a deep study of the sport and found that India could be one of the superpowers of wrestling if the players were supported early.

“We will take care of all the allied support to Nalawde and Birajdhar - whether physical training using modern methodology, their diet plans, or their mental toughness in consultation with their coach,” he stated.

Rustam e Pakistan Shahid Pahlwan

Kushti Match: Sardarji vs. Local Wrestler

Videos by Deepak Ansuia Prasad









This is the final sequence of the sardarji (turbaned) sikh wrestler fighting with a local wrestler from palwal, in the sequence the hand of the opponent of the sardarji wrestler got broken from joint. pls do not watch if you feel uncomfortable. The match had to be stopped , as I was closest to the wrestler and saw the hand of the wrestler being twisted, it was sadistic, I stopped filming then and helped to stop the bout. The bout was declared un decided and consolation money were given to them. The event had not medical facilities, as usual, and the wrestler has to depend on himself for the treatment. He wrapped his hand in a makeshift cloth bandage and seen leaving the venue in much pain.

Kushti Dangal To Raise Funds for Pakistan Flood

The Nation

LAHORE – Khadam-e-Aala Punjab Imdadi Dangal is being organised to raise funds for the flood affectees.

Convener of national style wrestling Mohsin Arshad said that the dangal would be held after Eid at the Wrestling Stadium. He informed that no money from the government would be taken for holding the competitions and the money would be raised for the noble cause. The prices of the tickets for the dangal will be decided later.

The event will be organised by the Lahore Wrestling Association and all the money raised through the event will be given in the Chief Minister Relief Fund.

Mohsin said that top wrestlers of the country were being contacted for the event.

Kushti Dangal at Village Chhayaca, Haryana

Photos and Videos by Deepak Ansuia Prasad

Sushil, the Iron Man

Indraneel Das, Hindustan Times

Mangled ears; sweat, dripping like a rivulet down his face; a soft groan every now and then, give you a hint of the pain he is enduring. All this to maximise power, flexibility, reflexes and to get a firm hold in place to rattle the best in the business. Yet, after a hard day's work, he smiles and

believes he can do it. Welcome to the world of Sushil Kumar, when he's not grappling for a piece of metal.

Mere words will never surmise the toil he and his fellow wrestlers undergo everyday. No one can comprehend the amount of time and energy an athlete spends training when he is not playing; because no one sees him train. It's behind-the-scenes that an athlete puts in the maximum sweat and blood, because the harder you train, the easier it gets to face opponents who are often bigger, stronger and given more opportunity.

More than 70 per cent of Olympic bronze medallist Sushil Kumar's life is spent behind-the-scenes in a place he calls his sacred space.

The day begins at the break of dawn and ends at dusk. And the time in between is what makes him the wrestler he is. For Sushil, nothing else matters.

"I train hard and the results come," says Sushil with a glint of excitement in his eyes. For him, training is as good as competition.

"It's a world where I get my body to follow my mind. It's here where I make myself and prepare for the best and the worst — mentally as well as physically."

At least six to eight hours are spent in training everyday. Now, Sonepat is home. There, Sushil has has access to one of the most sophisticated fitness centres and is one of the many wrestlers who are in the National camp.

He can lie down on a massage table as a masseur helps him out with recovery. He can consult a sports medicine specialist and his diet and training regimes are watched over by nutritionists and physios.

Not long ago, he was training in an akhara, where the equipment was primitive, wooden mace, iron dumbbells, wrestling in an arena that resembled a mud dungeon. But now, things have changed. He has access to some of the best facilities in the world and he thinks that should bring about a positive change in the sport.

"Things have changed since the Beijing Olympics," says Sushil. "Earlier we used to train in akharas, but since the Olympics, we have been getting better facilities. We are getting help from the government. Now we have masseurs, physios and good coaches."

A disciple of Hanuman, Sushil starts his training rituals with an invocation of the Gods.

"I have faith in my god and that gives me the courage to beat all adversities," he says with a shy smile.

After the Olympic bronze in Beijing in 2008, Sushil has started dreaming big. He may have missed out a medal at the World Championships last year, but in his heart is the belief that he can pull off one of his best performances at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi in October.

"I hope to do well," he says. "Not just me, the entire team will perform well and I believe if we perform to our potential, we can end up with a lot of medals."

The next time you see him on the mat grappling against an opponent think about the years of sweat Sushil Kumar has put in to become the champion that he is.

Rohit Patel Tasgaon Dist Sangali

Contributed by Dattatray Jadhav

KUSHTI MATCH

Wrestler Sunny of Punjab wins Dalhousie Kesari Dangal

State Times

JAMMU: Sunny of Jallandhar clinched the “63rd Annual Dalhousie (H.P), Kesari Dangal title beating wrestler Sonu of Nurpur in Hamachal Pardesh in the main bout played at Samadhi Sathal Panj Pulla in Dalhousie on the other day.
This Dangal was organised by Desh Bhagat Sardar Ajit Singh Memorial Sabha in memory of uncle of Saheed Bhagat Singh Late Sardar Ajit Singh. Being organised since 1948, dangal was part of the annual mela at Dalhousie. Winner of main bout Sunny received a cash prize of Rs 8,100 in addition to a Gurj (Gadda) from president, J and K Indian Style Wrestling Association, Shiv Kumar Sharma, who was chief guest on the occasion. Runners-up, Sonu got Rs 6,100. Pappu Lakri of Katra was guest of honour in this Dangal. Speaking to the gathering, Shiv Kumar Sharma lauded the efforts of organising committee of the Sabha in making Dangal a success.

Kushti Dangal at Chahyaca Village, Ballabgarh Haryana

By Deepak Ansuia Prasad

To celebrate India’s Independence Day on 15th August 2010, Chhayaca Village Panchayat Committee in Ballabhgarh, Haryana organised a big sporting event featuring the two Indian sports of kushti and kabbadi. The event was inaugurated by sitting MLA Raghubeer Singh Tevatia at the fully packed playground of the village high school. Wrestler from neighbouring states like Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan were invited. Rewards of Rs. 2.0 lakh were distributed among the wrestlers. Most of the prize money was contributed by Jaiprakash ji, the village sarpanch. A cash prize and a shawl, or safi, were given to each winning wrestler, and consolation prizes were also handed out.

The prize distribution was as follows:

• First Level Wrestler Prize 21000 X 1 Bout
• Second Level Wrestlers Prize 15000 X 2 Bouts
• Third Level Wrestlers Prize 3100 X 5 Bouts
• Fourth Level Wrestlers Prize 2100 X 7 Bouts
• Fifth Junior Level 100 X 10 Bouts
• Sub Junior Level 500 X 15 Bouts
• And for young juniors it was 250 into any number of bouts

The village has hosted the event for the past 50 years, said Dr. Ramesh, a resident of the village. He added that the event was first organized by the late Guru Chanderbhan and his akhara. Guru Chanderbhan’s son was helping to promote this year’s event by contributing in the (5 X Rs 1100/-) wrestling matches. The akhara is now run by wrestler Shobharam. Besides wrestling, the celebration includes cultural events followed by the unfurling of the Indian national flag and the playing of the national anthem Dr. Ramesh adds.

All the wrestling matches were outstanding. Well-known champion wrestlers participated in the event, including the Goonga Pahlwan of Samandar Akhara, who posted a spectacular victory. A bout with a Sardar (turbaned) wrestler from Rajasthan was noteworthy for an unfortunate reason, as his opponent got his hand broken. The final bout was between Vikram Pahlwan of Guru Jasram Akhara in Delhi, and Sohan Pahlwan of the Haryana Police. Both wrestlers were equally matched in strength and after a long bout the match was declared undecided by the committee and the reward was equally distributed between both of them.