Wrestling in India
Overview of wrestling in India
| Wrestling in India | |
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 United States's Kevin Ahearn and Azerbaijan's Eldar Atakishiyev at the 2007 Military World Games held in Hyderabad, India | |
| Governing body | Wrestling Federation of India |
National competitions | |
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International competitions | |
Olympic Medalists:  Bronze: Khashaba Dadasaheb Jadhav in 1952 Bronze: Sushil Kumar in 2008 Silver: Sushil Kumar in 2012 Bronze: Yogeshwar Dutt in 2012 Bronze: Sakshi Malik in 2016 Bronze: Bajrang Punia in 2020 Silver: Ravi Kumar Dahiya in 2020 Asian Games Champions :  Gold: Yogeshwar Dutt, Bajrang Punia, Rajinder Singh, Maruti Mane, Kartar Singh (2 titles), Chandgi Ram, Satpal Singh, Malwa Singh, Ganpat Andhalkar, Vinesh Phogat | |
Wrestling is one of the oldest sports in India.[1] Several regional styles and variations in folk wrestling exists in the country. Indian wrestlers have won numerous medals at international competitions in freestyle wrestling.
History
Wrestling has been popular in India since ancient times, it was mainly an exercise to stay physically fit. The wrestlers, traditionally, use to wear a loincloth, langota. In Ancient India, wrestling was most famously known as Malla-yuddha. One of the protagonists of the Mahabharata, Bhima, was considered to be a great wrestler of his time, with some of his contemporaries including Karna, Jarasandha, Kichaka, and Balarama. The other prominent Indian epic, the Ramayana, also mentions wrestling in India and Hanuman is described as one of the greatest wrestlers of his time.
During the reign of Mughal Empire, who were of Turko-Mongol descent, the influence of Iranian and Mongolian wrestling were incorporated to the local Malla-yuddha to form the modern Pehlwani, wrestling style popular throughout India, Pakistan and Bangladesh in modern times.[2]
Wrestling in India is also known as Dangal, and it is the basic form of a wrestling tournament. It is also called kushti in Punjab and Haryana. The wrestling in Punjab and Haryana will take place in a circular court with soft ground which in Punjabi is called an "akharha". Two wrestlers will continue to wrestle until the back of one touches the ground. The winner will parade the court with the loser following him.[10] The wrestlers are called Pehlwans who train with modern weights and traditional weights such as a Gada (mace). The aim of kushti is to wrestle the opponent and to block the other player.
Regional variants
- Gatta gusthi, a submission wrestling style common in Kerala.[3]
- Inbuan, a traditional folk wrestling style native to Mizoram.
- Kabaddi, a form of South Asian folk wrestling played in teams.
- Kene, a traditional folk wrestling style native to Nagaland.
- Malakhra, a wrestling common in Sindh (Pakistan) and Gujarat.
- Malla-yuddha, oldest traditional wrestling extant in India.
- Malyutham, a folk wrestling style native to Tamil Nadu.
- Mukna, a form of folk wrestling native to Manipur.
- Pehlwani or Kushti, a Mughal style of wrestling common in North India.
- Vajra-mushti, a folk wrestling form which employs a fist-load weapon.
Tournament records
| Competition | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Olympic Games | 0 | 2 | 5 | 7 |
| World Championship | 1 | 5 | 16 | 22 |
| Asian Games | 11 | 15 | 39 | 65 |
| Asian Championship | 24 | 75 | 122 | 221 |
| Commonwealth Games | 49 | 39 | 26 | 114 |
| Total | 85 | 135 | 203 | 423 |
Notable performances at Summer Olympics
See also
- Akhara
- Musti-yuddha, India's oldest form of boxing.
References
- ^ "Wrestling in India". Retrieved 27 March 2021.
- ^ Burtt, Jon (2010). Mallakhamb: An investigation into the Indian physical practice of rope and pole Mallakhamb (Thesis). p. 32.
In the 16th century, another northern wrestling influence was brought to the Indian sub-continent by the Persian Mughals. This practice combined with the indigenous form to create the pehlwani wrestling style popular throughout India, Pakistan and Bangladesh today.
- ^ S., Priyadershini (27 July 2016). "On the Mat". The Hindu. Retrieved 4 August 2021.
Further reading
- Rudraneil Sengupta, 2016, Enter the Dangal: Travels through India's Wrestling Landscape.
- Joseph S. Alter, 1992, The Wrestler's Body: Identity and Ideology in North India.
- Saurabh Duggal, 2017, Akhada: The Authorized Biography of Mahavir Singh Phogat.
External links
- Wrestling Federation of India
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Wrestling in India 
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Wrestling in Asia | |
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