Sans govt aid, city wrestlers struggle to keep their legacy alive

Charanjit Singh Teja

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, October 6

Amritsar, which was well known for wrestling and its wrestlers in undivided Punjab, is now struggling to keep its legacy alive. The young generation has several names to count who made the city proud and proved their mettle in the past, but it is disappointed about the present state of the main sport of Punjabis.

“The haves don’t want to come in the ring and the have nots can’t afford the diet. This is the apathy the sport suffers from,” said a veteran wrestler. Office-bearers of the District Wrestling Association observed that support of government can save wrestling. The ground realities present a contrary picture than the claims of the Punjab Government.

Around 30 years ago, the Municipal Corporation had constructed a building, a ring and an open stadium for the wrestlers. The office-bearers of the District Wrestling Association alleged that the government did not release a penny for the renovation of the building during the past several years. The building is now in a dilapidated condition and requires maintenance.

Earlier, there were around 25 wrestling ‘akharas’ in the city where hundreds of budding wrestlers used to practise in the morning and evening. The ‘akhara’ of Chacha Ganda Singh near the bus stand, Ghugi Ustaad da Akhara at Chatiwind Chowk and Kallu Pehlwan da Akahra were famous. Now only 10 akharas are functional in the city. Due to lack of concern of the government and inflation, the number of trainee wrestlers is also decreasing.

Manohar Lal Anthony, a veteran wrestler and president of the District Wrestling Association, said, “Around 400 boys and 35 girls practise at the Gol Bagh Akhara daily. We manage the expenses on our own. The government has to support the budding wrestlers and the akharas. One wrestler needs a diet of Rs 1,000 daily. Most of the wrestlers cannot afford this. We are losing ground”.

“As far as the infrastructure is concerned, we have a unique building, a ring and a stadium. No such infrastructure exists anywhere else in the state. But now the building needs renovation,” added Anthony.