Wrestling returns to Maharashtra

In an effort to bring back kusti to the state, Maharashtra State Wrestling Association (MSWA) has announced a Kusti Champions League which will feature local Maharashtra wrestlers. The league will go on from October 7 to October 28 and its live telecast will be aired on the television.

KCL will be played by six teams consisting of 72 players in total. KCL has selected over 300 players from across Maharashtra for an auction process for the six teams.  Each team will consist of eight men and four women who are professionally trained in Kusti.

The participating cities are Mumbai, Pune, Nashik, Aurangabad, Nagpur and Kolhapur. The league is structured with six weight categories – four categories for men and two for women. A total of 90 matches across 21 days will be played on mat and soil at Balevadi Stadium, Pune in Maharashtra. The telecast of all matches will be available on COLORS Marathi.

Maharashtra was once a cradle of wrestling. Balasaheb Langde was in the front seat of that era before the northern part of the country became the superpowers of wrestling. He feels that this league will bring similar success like Kabaddi since both sports are equally admired in the state. “Prior to this, Kabaddi has been viewed in league format which was a commercial success for both the players and the organizers. Similarly, to ensure that this Kusti League is a successful initiative, we would require the support of the people of India,” said Landge unveiling the league on Tuesday in the city.

“This league will play a vital role in the player’s morale for the 2020 Olympics. Through this league, we invite all the positive suggestions that can be incorporated. We give our best regards to all the players and teams participating in this league,” added Langde who is also the General Secretary of Maharashtra State Wrestling Association & Maharashtra Olympic association.

Earlier this year, in January, a similar league was taking place with international players being  part of it. Wrestlers from eight different nations were competing with Indian wrestlers.

The sponsors have changed and so have the format and the title. KCL is completely different from the one earlier in the year. Somewhat similar to ‘Maharashtra Kesari’, which hosted battles on mud and dirt; KCL will be a commercial version of the same. “We want to take wrestling to every nook and corner of Maharashtra, give it the deserved fame and subsequently, create an international platform for the sport,” said Pushkaraj Kelkar, founder of the league.

All the matches will be aired live on COLORS Marathi. Ravish Kumar from the channel says the sport of wrestling and its audience ‘deserves’ it. “With this endeavour in mind we have collaborated with the Kusti Champions League to air these matches on COLORS Marathi, thereby bringing the excitement of kusti into millions of homes across Maharashtra. Moreover COLORS Marathi, with its strong equity, deep cultural roots and history of innovative programming, is the perfect platform for this sport to find the audience it truly deserves,” he said.

The league is formulated by MWCL Sports LLP with MSWA.