CHENNAI: After initially looking like it won’t happen, the 2020 edition of the Pro Wrestling League is back on the calendar. It’s now scheduled to start by the end of May. This was confirmed by Wrestling Federation of India top officials on Friday.
The PWL season was originally supposed to start in January but a dispute between the Wrestling Federation of India and league promoters ProSportify had reportedly put a spanner in the works.
With the war of words between the federation and promoters escalating, it seemed like the league wouldn’t be held before the Olympics in July. But, on Friday, WFI president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh said that the situation had been resolved and the league would now be held towards the end of May. “We are now planning to hold it from the end of May to mid-June. The issue with the promoters have been resolved,” he said.
Interestingly, the event will be held with just over a month to go before the Olympic Games start in Tokyo. Though it could be seen as a potential disruption for Indian athletes preparing for the Games, the WFI president said there is nothing to worry and it would ensure no wrestler gets affected. “It would not be a disruption for them,” he said. “On the contrary, it would aid them.
They are going to have better competition in the league as top wrestlers would compete.” Four Indians have already qualified for the Olympics while others will get the chance to qualify at the Asian qualifiers. That tournament was supposed to be held in China in March but will now likely be shifted elsewhere following the outbreak of coronavirus in the country.
He also brushed aside concerns that top wrestlers from across the world would be reluctant to participate in May, given that most of them have already finalised their preparation plan for the Olympics. “The top international wrestlers are more than willing to come,” Singh said. “There will be no difficulties in their availability.”
The Pro Wrestling League was first held in the 2015 and the six-team tournament has since been a regular fixture on the wrestling calendar. Over the years, it has featured the top Indian wrestlers going up against some of the best in the world. Ever since its inception, the league has proved to be a windfall for Indian wrestlers. When the auctions for the league were held in January last year, Olympic medal hope Bajrang Punia had been drafted in by Punjab Royals for `30 lakh. Mumbai Maharathi had snapped up Vinesh Phogat for `25 lakh while Rio bronze medallist Sakshi Malik had `20 lakh.