Indian athletes flex their biceps before facing each other in a televised arm wrestling competition. This discipline is trying to find a place in cricket-mad India under the suggestion of two Bollywood actors.
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In the Indira Gandhi Stadium in New Delhi, the opponents battle it out in the spotlight and cheered on by the crowd for the Pro Panja League (PPL) established in 2020.
The Indian Arm Wrestling Federation was formed in 1977, but the sport, called “Panja” in India, was revived by PPL owners Parvin Dabas and Preeti Jhangiani, a Bollywood acting duo.
Photo: AFP
“Our athletes are literally the sons and daughters of our country. One is a civil servant, another is a fitness trainer or mechanic,” Parvin Dabas told AFP.
“They come from all walks of life, from small towns in India. That’s what we like and what attracts the audience,” he continues.
At 23, Shaikh Tawheed worked as a stonemason, mechanic and gym cleaner before finding fame in the PPL category in the 90kg category.
A charming smile and a shapely body contribute to the success of Shaikh Tawheed, who defeats his opponents with a quick punch before blowing kisses to his many fans.
“It’s the dream of living in fancy hotels, eating well and having money,” he told AFP, adding that he has earned around 75,000 rupees ($900), 10 times more, since the competition began his previous income.
“By the Power of the Wrist”
Six teams, consisting of men, women and disabled, compete against each other. The winning team will receive two million rupees (US$24,000).
Launched in 2020 with friendlies and tournaments, it is the first PPL to be broadcast live on Sony Sports Network in India and Willow TV in the US since July 28. The final takes place on Sunday.
Photo: AFP
“Le bras de fer” (“Over the Top”), a 1987 film starring Sylvester Stallone, popularized the discipline around the world, but in India this sport, which is rooted in Hindu mythology, is receiving a lot of attention.
Shaikh Tawheed lived in a single rented room in his hometown of Aurangabad, Maharashtra state. After becoming a local star, he was able to buy a house.
“The exposure I got from arm wrestling helped me in my career as a gymnastics coach, which allowed me to make some money,” he explains.
“Pro Panja has changed arm wrestling,” he argues, “we fly to tournaments instead of traveling in train cars without reservations.”
Photo: AFP
PPL owners are confident that arm wrestling will continue to grow in popularity. The success of sports leagues in the country has enabled ordinary villagers to become stars.
Another PPL figure, Farheen Dehalvi, a 38-year-old mother, went to tournaments in front of television cameras in her team’s colorful jerseys from confidential competitions in the state of Madhya Pradesh.
Years of chores have strengthened the arms of Farheen Dehalvi, who has found arm wrestling a way to train his strength.
“The girls who stay at home, the housewives, are more productive because they work with the power of their wrists,” says Ms. Dehalvi, a part-time teacher and mother of a 17-year-old son.
Olympic dreams
Farheen Dehalvi, competing in the women’s 65kg+ category, won the opening game by beating a 19-year-old on points she had won in several duels.
“I saw an arm wrestling competition in my neighborhood and people who thought I was powerful pushed me to do the sport,” she told AFP.
“In our region, daughters-in-law are not allowed to leave their homes, but my husband encouraged me (…). And here I am.”
Her success has inspired others, she says, and two gyms have opened in her village where girls have started exercising.
The PPL boasts of having foreign coaches for the six teams, mainly from Kazakhstan.
“There are many people in India, there are many people in Kazakhstan,” seven-time world champion and PPL coach Yerkin Alimzhanov told AFP. “Try to bring this sport to the Olympics.”