By Adarsh Chauhan
New Delhi [India], May 15 (ANI): Akhil Gupta, CEO of the Pro Wrestling League (PWL), expressed sturdy confidence within the league, stating that it’ll do much more for wrestling in India than the Indian Premier League (IPL) did for cricket.
PWL, India’s premier franchise-based skilled wrestling league sanctioned by the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), made its return in 2026 after a seven-year hiatus and concluded its reimagined fifth season with resounding success, reaffirming its standing as one among India’s most high-profile sporting properties.
Speaking to ANI, Akhil Gupta stated the Pro Wrestling League has the potential to create a good greater impression on wrestling than the IPL did on cricket, significantly by way of development and recognition.
Notably, since its launch in 2008, the IPL has reworked cricket in India on an unprecedented scale. The league has unearthed younger expertise, offered home gamers with publicity alongside worldwide stars, and considerably boosted the recognition and monetary development of Indian cricket. Today, the IPL stands as the most important and most influential T20 league on the planet.
Akhil Gupta identified that cricket in India had already develop into vastly well-liked after the nation’s historic 1983 World Cup triumph, with the IPL later taking the game to a different stage. Gupta, a cricket fan himself, added that wrestling is a good greater sport due to its unpredictable nature, the place matches can change dramatically within the last moments, and no result’s sure till the very finish.
‘We will do even greater than IPL. But after I say this even greater, it is in share phrases. Cricket was all the time well-known after 1983. Cricket was all the time large after 1983. IPL has made it even greater. Wrestling is a really large sport. To let you know the reality, I’m a really large cricket fan myself. But after I noticed wrestling with my very own eyes, I realised that this sport is even greater. Why? The sport adjustments each 10 seconds. In cricket, you may recognise midway via the place the sport goes. In wrestling, you by no means know in regards to the final 1 minute. You are successful 5-0. If you fall behind within the final 1 minute, you’ll lose it,’ he stated.
The 2026 PWL season culminated with Haryana Thunders being topped PWL 2026 champions, taking dwelling the coveted trophy together with a Rs 1.5 crore prize purse. Runners-up Delhi Dangal Warriors completed a aggressive marketing campaign with Rs 75 lakh in prize cash.
Gupta stated the Pro Wrestling League helps younger Indian wrestlers acquire invaluable publicity by permitting them to coach and work together with high worldwide stars and Olympic medallists.
He cited the instance of Kajal Dhochak spending a month alongside Olympic medallist Yui Sasaki of Japan within the Haryana Thunders crew, studying methods and gaining confidence. Gupta added that a number of different Indian wrestlers additionally benefited from coaching with elite athletes like Tiigers of Mumbai Dangals’ wrestler Aman Sehrawat, and described this change of data and expertise because the league’s largest success forward of main occasions just like the 2026 Asian Games.
Gupta stated, ‘After PWL, numerous new wrestlers will come, numerous new wrestlers will come and practice with worldwide gamers. And there are good possibilities we get slightly greater on the medal tally as properly. The Asian Games are coming. For instance, Kajal (Dhochak) was within the Haryana crew. She was with Yui Sasaki for one month. Yui Sasaki just isn’t a standard title. Where do you get this type of publicity if you end up spending time with an Olympic medallist?’
‘Similarly, numerous different abilities had been spending time with Aman Sehrawat. So the native expertise, other than them, even the worldwide expertise, Yui Sasaki, was telling how you can apply methods. I noticed that Yui Sasaki grew to become the coach for these women throughout the league. Now, the proud second is that they are going to be contesting towards her. So that offers a confidence stage. I believe that is the most important win for us,’ the PWL CEO added. (ANI)