Mumbai, October 21 : The eighth edition of the Asian Arm-Wrestling Cup and seventh edition of the Asian Para-Arm Wrestling Cup is underway at the Aurika Hotel in Mumbai. The event saw athletes and para-athletes from various countries taking part. A total of 350-400 overseas talent and more than 800+ Arm Wrestlers from India are taking part in this prestigious tournament, that will conclude on October 26th.
Also present at the event were the Co-Founders of the Pro Panja League, Mr. Parvinn Dabass and Preeti Jhangiani, and the cast of the movie “Khosla ka Ghosla”, including the legendary Bollywood actor, Anupam Kher, the lovely Kiran Juneja and Tara Sharma. The chief guests for the event were present for the opening ceremony of the tournament.
Speaking on the occasion, veteran Bollywood actor Anupam Kher opined that arm wrestling has always been a popular sport because of its ease of access. He said, “ I’m from a small town. In small towns, the people who couldn’t afford to play the fancy sports used to play arm wrestling only. Especially in schools, arm wrestling was popular because this is the easiest game to play. You only need to use your arms.”
He also credited the co-founders of the Pro Panja League for their effort to promote the Asian Arm-Wrestling Cup in the country. “The way Parvinn and Preeti have organized this event is commendable. The people that have turned up from Japan, Jordan, Uzbekistan and Thailand to take part in this game shows that there is history to the sport and there is enough interest as well. It is also associated with the Paralympics, so it becomes even more important. The energy and grandeur with which this event has been organized, along with keeping India’s culture in mind with the dhols, it has made me very happy”, he added.
Parvinn Dabass also spoke about how the event being held in India after a huge gap is a significant boost for the sport in the country. His involvement in the sport in India has been noticeable with its popularization, especially with the Pro Panja League over the last year. “Athletes from 9-10 countries are here to take part for the event. It feels amazing to know that India has a strong following of arm wrestling. The effort we’ve put in the last few years is paying off”, he stated.
The Co-Founder of India’s only professional arm-wrestling league also shed some light on how the sport closes the gap on gender equality. “There are very few sports in the world in which the athletes and the para-athletes play on the same platform. This is one of those few sports. The professional league we’ve started, the Pro Panja League is one of the few leagues in the world in which men, women and specially-abled, everyone gets to play on the same platform. People talk about gender equality in terms of pay. In our league, since 2020, we offer the same pay to everyone. So, it’s a very proud feeling that this sport supports are inclusive and supports everyone. The idea of coming into arm wrestling and the Pro Panja League was to create a sense of community for athletes. The journey is ongoing and that has got a boost”, he concluded.
