Guwahati, May 15: Pro Panja League co-founder and Bollywood actor and producer Preeti Jhangiani has been making waves in the world of arm wrestling in India. Recently named the president of the People's Armwrestling Federation of India (PAFI), Jhangiani has been working tirelessly to revolutionize the sport in the country.
"Armwrestling was in limbo when we came into the picture. A lot of athletes were leaving the sport because they saw no future in it and there were no professional tournaments taking place," Jhangiani said. "We saw a huge potential in it as an indigenous Indian sport and one that was understood by the masses which is why we came wholeheartedly into the sport and have made a massive change in the sport, raising the profile of the sport both on the amateur and professional level."
Jhangiani and her team's efforts have certainly paid off, as the Pro Panja League has seen a huge influx of athletes across the country. "India will soon be seen as a major power in World Armwrestling," Jhangiani added.
Assam arm wrestlers:
The arm wrestlers from Assam have been particularly impressive, with Chetna Sharma, Tridep Medhi, Jagadish Barua and Siddharth Malakar all making their mark in the Pro Panja League. Jhangiani believes that this success will help make the game popular in every corner of the country.
"Assam has been a breeding ground for arm wrestlers and now Assam is also going to see a further positive growth of the sport in favour of the athletes," Jhangiani said.
Arm Wrestling as means of women empowerment:
Jhangiani also believes that arm wrestling can be a medium of women empowerment. "Our female champion from Assam, Chetna Sharma, has been a great example of female empowerment. She said in a recent interview that after everyone got to know that she is a national arm wrestling champion, men in the street stopped teasing her," Jhangiani said. "Even official government sites like Amrit Mahotsav have featured her."
Jhangiani also mentioned an arm wrestling tournament held at IIT Mumbai, where Chetna challenged the top male winners to beat her, and ended up besting four huge males in a row.
Arm wrestling is not just limited to Assam. Jhangiani notes that it is also very popular and strong in Meghalaya and Mizoram, with many strong champions coming from these states. "Arm wrestling is also seeing a resurgence in Manipur, Tripura, and Sikkim, and it enjoys government support in Arunachal Pradesh," Jhangiani added.
Jhangiani and her team have big plans for arm wrestling in the Northeast and are planning a Northeast tournament in Guwahati called Pro North East Sports Festival from May 22-24, which is expected to see a huge turnout.
"There is also a huge number of Northeast athletes expected for the PAFI Indian Nationals Championship happening in Mathura, Uttar Pradesh from June 1-4," Jhangiani said.
Jhangiani's efforts have certainly helped put arm wrestling on the map in India, and she hopes that her work will continue to inspire others to take up the sport. "We saw the potential of arm wrestling in India, and we knew that if we worked hard, we could make it a sport that people across the country could love and enjoy," Jhangiani said.
