JK to host arm wrestling championship

Abid Khan 

Srinagar, Mar 31: Jammu Kashmir will host 31st National Arm Wrestling championship. The event would be held in Srinagar from June 19 to 23.
Indian Arm Wrestling Federation (IAWF) has allowed J&K Arm Wresting Association to host national meet in which 300 players from 20 states are expected to participate.
Giving details about the mega event, general secretary, of the Association, Riyaz Ahmad said, “It is first time that our state will be hosting national event. We have short listed Sheri-Kashmir Indoor Stadium and Tagore Hall and the participants would be lodged at Youth Hostel, which is in close vicinity to both the expected venues.”
“The competitions would be held in both men and women category. IAWF is also thinking of including the junior categories and if that is finalized then it will be bigger than what we are currently planning as the number of participants would be much higher” he said.
He said that the special attraction of the event would be the competitions of physically challenged persons and senior citizens.
Arm wrestling is the only sports discipline in which physically challenged competitors compete with equal competitiveness.
About the arrangements, former Mr Bangalore and president of the Association, Tanveer Ali Irfan said, “Earlier the event was scheduled to be held in first week of May, but due to Lok Sabha elections we were forced to reschedule it. We were waiting for re-conformation of dates.”
He said that Association is approaching the corporate houses for sponsorships.
For selecting the state contingent open selection trials would be held soon,
“We’ve huge potential in arm wrestling and that is why we are going to conduct open selection trials. We want to give chance to every talented player at the national event,” Irfan said.
About the arm wrestling as a sport he said, “ Arm wrestling competitions are not as simple as it seems to spectators, but involves a test of one’s physical strength, willpower and skill as upper body strength and muscle power of the arms come into play. The competitions themselves are quite tough, with two opponents facing each other across a specially designed wrestling table, provided with elbow and touch pads. The right or left hand of the rival is gripped as may be the case and the other hand grabs the hand pegs. When a competitor’s hand is pinned on the touch pad on either side, the competition is over. Though there is no time duration for the competitions, the world arm sport federation has formulated 30 rules to make it more interesting and tougher.”
Irfan regretted that arm wrestling is not recognized sports despite being played in India from 1977. “ It was in 1977 the IAWF was founded and it is affiliated with the World Arm Sport Federation. The game is very popular in countries like the USA, Canada, China, Indonesia, Germany, France, Russia, Britain, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Malaysia, Netherlands, Israel and Egypt” he said.
“The first World championship was held in Canada in 1979 in which over 50 countries participated. India had hosted the World Meet thrice in 1980, 86 and 1997. Arm Wrestling was a special exhibition event in the 1994 World Games, and had won the appreciation of all” he added.

published in greater kashmir on Feb 31-2009 http://www.greaterkashmir.com/full_story.asp?Date=1_4_2009&ItemID=4&cat=4