By Diptayan Hazra
New Delhi [India], August 5 (ANI): As Season 2 of the Pro Panja League returns with renewed power, the league’s co-founder, Preeti Jhangiani, stands on the coronary heart of this distinctive sporting revolution, from her early days in Bollywood to now main the cost for India’s first skilled armwrestling league.
Speaking forward of the league’s resumption, Jhangiani, who can also be the President of the People’s Armwrestling Federation India (PAFI) and Vice President of the Asian Armwrestling Federation (AAF), appeared again at what drew her into this comparatively untapped sport in India.
‘Let me say that once I began working in Bollywood, I used to be very, very younger. So, there was no particular focus. Like any younger particular person, you are simply going with the movement,’ she admitted.
‘Coming into sport, that was a really aware choice that Parveen (Dabas) and I took collectively. We already had our firm collectively, which was producing movies and every part, however we wished to get into sports activities,’ she added.
‘When we had a dialogue collectively, I believe we realised that arm wrestling is that this sport which is essentially undiscovered in India, but is performed at such a big scale. You would not imagine that even at an newbie degree, arm wrestling was being performed for greater than 30 years in India,’ she defined.
‘The groups had been going for worldwide competitions, the Asian Championships had been occurring, the World Championships had been occurring, and no one knew about it. The athletes had no funds or cash. They used to, with nice problem, discover particular person sponsors, and even then, after they received medals, there was no press about it, no news, no accolades. Nothing,’ Preeti mentioned.
‘So we realised that it is a sport that firstly is a ‘desi’, ‘Bharat ka khel’, ‘desi’ sport. Every Indian is aware of about it. The entry degree, the monetary entry degree, may be very low to enter the game. You do not want any particular tools to play. We collectively felt that this sport is ready to burst into the Indian scene, for positive. We noticed potential there for India, with its numbers, to personal the game on the earth. We nonetheless see that potential in ‘Panja’, in arm wrestling. So we determined to provide you with a league format. We determined to return to ‘Panja’ and make it right into a league format with six groups,’ she famous.
As the President of the nationwide federation, Jhangiani has personally travelled throughout India to determine and nurture new expertise.
‘We have 22 states below us and we make it a degree through the district or state championships to attend as many as we will,’ she mentioned.
‘In the final two years, I believe we now have been to each a part of the nation, to each state, as many championships as we will attend, discovering athletes who’ve expertise however possibly not the assets to get forward. We try to help and assist the athletes wherever we will,’ she added.
The league has additionally adopted inventive methods to popularise the game, holding one-day tournaments in entrance of iconic Indian monuments, mixing sport with tourism and leisure to draw sponsors and state consideration.
‘In states like Meghalaya, Mizoram, when athletes win medals, they now get money prizes by the state, even authorities jobs. Kerala is one other state the place armwrestling is recognised. When they win medals in worldwide competitions, they get money prizes, sponsorships and even authorities jobs,’ she shared.
‘Plus, we’re additionally bringing worldwide competitions to India. This is one thing we’re doing, which permits each Indian athlete to take part with simply catching a bus or a prepare. They do not should spend big quantities on travelling to worldwide nations by flight. Practically, the People’s Armwrestling Federation India, by bringing these worldwide competitions to India, they permit a lot of athletes from India to attend, thereby rising, there’s so many issues now for Indian athletes to aspire to. So they work more durable. They have a stage just like the Pro Panja League, which they will aspire to. They have worldwide competitions they will go for. They have big nationwide championships,’ she famous.
Accessibility is a theme that drives every part the Pro Panja League does, together with athlete coaching. In 2022, they opened their first devoted armwrestling academy in Gwalior, and since then, comparable academies have sprung up throughout the nation.
‘So what we have executed is, we have tried to open wherever our athletes are. In 2022, we opened our first armwrestling academy in Gwalior, devoted solely to armwrestling. Since then, armwrestling academies have opened up in varied states. Plus, we have offered tables in virtually each gymnasium. Plus, wherever we do occasions, competitions, the desk that we take there, we go away it there, however we do not go away it similar to that. We go away a few of our athletes there. We’ll man it. Those who know the principles, those that know find out how to prepare the youthful athletes and you will not imagine there’s like, wherever we go away a desk, there’s an enormous crowd that gathers round it after which lots of youngsters who get used to it and are available often for coaching there round these tables. So, now you will see armwrestling tables are like a daily function in so many gyms, even in Bombay, which you’d suppose is a mainstream metropolis through which there wouldn’t be that many athletes, however there are athletes from all around the nation,’ mentioned Preeti.
Her contributions had been recognised on a continental scale when she grew to become the first-ever feminine Vice President of the Asian Armwrestling Federation. It was a second of pleasure but additionally a recognition of the work India is placing into the game.
‘What the Asian Federation and the World Federation noticed is that India is working tirelessly. The degree of manufacturing for armwrestling occasions and the way we’re glamourising and popularising the game globally is unmatched,’ she mentioned.
‘A stage like Pro Panja League would not exist anyplace else on the earth,’ she mentioned.
‘I believe they noticed all of the relentless effort and the work we’re placing into, additionally nurturing athletes and new and new athletes. I believe since we have are available, this was the primary time that India had a podium end on the Asian Armwrestling Federation,’ she added.
‘This was the primary time that India got here second on the Asian Armwrestling Championship. Last yr, Abhas Rana received a gold on the World Championships, the primary ever for us,’ she mentioned.
When requested about how her journey can encourage different ladies in sports activities management, she was sincere and refreshingly direct.
‘I do not need to give phrases of inspiration to ladies. I simply need ladies to get on the market and do the work,’ she mentioned.
‘I simply need ladies to get on the market and do the work. When you get on the market and also you do the work and you do not really feel encumbered, I believe instances are altering and households are supporting ladies throughout. I personally have a powerful help system as a result of I’ve my mom, my sister, and my husband. Yes, he is as busy as me, however wherever we will, we help one another. It solely works if the lady is handled as equal in every single place, whether or not it is work or workplace and it stays for the households and the boys additionally to contribute in that,’ she famous.
‘We struggle for our ladies,’ she asserted.
‘There are many instances when we now have to really persuade households, persuade husbands,’ she added.
She recalled one incident that completely captured the ability of sport to shift mindsets.
‘One of our athletes from Haryana, her husband was completely refusing to let her take part within the league as a result of it meant staying away from household for 17 days. He was telling our Haryana state head, Yogesh Choudhury, ‘You’re going to spoil my spouse, do not take her and do not go,’ however finally, we satisfied him,’ Jhangiani mentioned.
‘When she began profitable matches and showing on Sony Sports, he put up an enormous display screen in his village and referred to as everybody to observe, proudly saying, ‘Look, my spouse is on display screen and take a look at her and she or he’s profitable,’ so many such inspiring tales,’ she added
‘One of our feminine athletes informed us, ‘ I haven’t got a spot to coach. I’ve no gymnasium or something shut by, however I work in my home, and I do all my housekeeping, and look, I’m stronger than anyone else right here due to my housekeeping.’ So they take pleasure of their housekeeping they usually take pleasure in no matter work they do,’ she mentioned. (ANI)