On the occasion of World Wrestling Day, May 23, 100 wrestlers from across West Bengal gathered at Northern Park in Bhowanipore to compete in the 75th West Bengal Wrestling Association State Championship. With their hearts set on putting on a show, rain spoiled the party on May 23, but the competition went on with the bouts taking place on May 24 at Panchanan Bayam Samity in Jorabagan Park.
The event featured a poster reveal for the 75th state championships. (L-R) Pradeep Khemka, Honorary Consul for Brazil in Kolkata; G.G. Dalmiya Honorary Consul for Mongolia in Kolkata; Ganbold Dambajav, Ambassador for Mongolia in India; Maxim V Kozlov, Consul General for the Russian Federation in Kolkata; Gautam Ghosh, WB Wrestling Association President; and Asit Kumar Saha, vice president of the Wrestling Federation of India.
Ganbold Dambajav, the ambassador for Mongolia in India, highlighted the importance of the sport, which is an essential part of both Mongolian and Indian culture, saying, “India and Mongolia both share this love for wrestling because it’s a big part of our culture and identity. Wrestling is also very important for the mind, it’s not just a physical sport.”
Maxim V Kozlov, the consul general for the Russian Federation in Kolkata, spoke to the gathering in Bengali, which surprised all present. He said, “I was really looking forward to watching these kids take each other on. Russia, too, has a great culture of wrestling. Even by the look in their eyes, I can see how hungry they are to compete.”
The 100 wrestlers put on a show for the audience at Panchanan Byam Samity in Jorabagan. 50 girls and 50 boys gave it their all, putting on a show for the fellow wrestlers who cheered on their friends.
The winners posed for a picture together with (centre) Asit Kumar Saha.
Saha, the vice president of the Wrestling Federation of India, handed over kits and shoes to each of the wrestlers to give them a boost of motivation