Gift Business School

Gift University Gujranwala, Pakistan

MBA 2016

Pehlwani (khusti) as national identity and practices as

compared to India
Nasir Nadeem, Abdul Razzaq, Jaweria, Kiran, Rabia, Niaz has wrote this literature solely to provide
material for studying the reasons and to take 1 st initiative to help the traditional game of Gujranwala
to rebuild its image again.
Gift business school prohibits any form of reproduction, storage or transmission without its written
permission. Reproduction of this material is not covered under authorization by any reproduction
rights organization.

Introduction:

Kusti is Pakistans traditional wrestling on soil. This ancient sport used to hold great

importance in Pakistani societies, its popularity over the recent years however, has dwindled

tremendously

Kushti is particularly famous in the Punjab which has bread and flourished many famous

internationally renowned players of the last century. One of these is Gama Phailwan who was

awarded World Heavyweight Champion in 1910 by India. He also remains the only

undefeated Kushti player in the history of Pakistan during his whole career. Interestingly,

Kulsoom Nawaz, the wife of Nawaz Sharif (President of Pakistan) is the grand-daughter of

Gama Phailwan.

History:

Lahore is one cities where Kusti seems to be thriving. The sport is as popular as ever in the

villages that surround the city. When matches are held, as many as 20,000 spectators attend.

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Despite its popularity there are only a handful of known Akharas in or around the city, where

both young and senior enthusiasts from different sects of the society come together

irrespective of their cultural setup.

Gruelling daily training, strict diet and celibacy for the duration of their careers are

necessary if they hope to ever achieve their dream to become a champion phailwan

(wrestler). But as modernity sweeps Pakistan and Western sports like cricket become more

popular, some Akharas are being abandoned and left without any financial help.

After prayers are said and the pit prepared, the wrestlers rub their faces and bodies,

and those of their opponents, with red dirt, which serves both as a blessing and to improve

grip during the bout. The wrestlers spar for several hours. They eat and rest and, in the

evening, the routine is repeated.

Using the soil to reduce impact and improve movement, wrestlers intertwine their

bodies in complex techniques.

Before training, the floor is raked of any pebbles or stones. Buttermilk, oil, and red ochre are

sprinkled to the ground, giving the dirt its red hue. Water is added every few days to keep it at

the right consistency; soft enough to avoid injury but hard enough so as not to impede the

wrestlers movements. Every match is preceded by the wrestlers throwing a few handfuls of

dirt from the floor on themselves and their opponent as a form of blessing. Despite the

marked boundaries of the arena, competitors may go outside the ring during a with no

penalty. There are no rounds but the length of every bout is specified beforehand, usually

about 25-30 minutes. If both competitors agree, the length of the match may be extended.

Match extensions are typically around 10-15 minutes.[5] A win is achieved by pinning the

opponents shoulders and hips to the ground simultaneously, although victory by knockout,

stoppage or submission is also possible. In some variations of the rules, only pinning the

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shoulders down is enough. Bouts are overseen by a referee inside the ring and a panel of two

judges watching from the outside

For many Kushti is a route out of poverty, a striving for status, for the rural poor.

Nearly 90 per cent of them are from poor farming families, says Kadam in Kolhapur. The

rest are the children of landless labourers, carpenters, and so on. Only a handful are from the

educated classes. Wrestling is also a passion. Barely five per cent of pehelwans make it to

higher levels.

Wrestling competitions, known as dangal, are held in villages and as such are variable

and flexible. The arena is either a circular or square shape, measuring at least fourteen feet

across. Rather than using modern mats, South Asian wrestlers train and compete on dirt

floors.

Despite the many champions theyve produced and despite top political leaders

heading their federations the gurus of kushti have received little support from government.

Its a complaint across western Maharashtra that Punjab and Haryana treat their wrestlers a

lot better.

Changes in society and culture, the decline of small-holder farming, a recurring water-

crisis and State neglect have combined to undermine what is perhaps the most deep-rooted

sport in the rural economy. A wrestlers life, says Andhalkar, is a kind of invisible tapasya.

A small injury to a cricketer will play a thousand times in the media. A wrestler dies, no one

cares..

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Tanning:

Although wrestling in South Asia saw changes in the Mughal era and the colonial period, the

training regimen has remained the same for over 150 years. Fledgling wrestlers may start as

early as 6, but most begin formal training in their teens. They are sent to an akhara or

traditional wrestling school where they are put under the apprenticeship of the local guru.

Their only training attire is the kowpeenam or loincloth.

Vyayam or physical training is meant to build strength and develop muscle bulk
and flexibility. Exercises that employ the wrestler's own bodyweight include
the Surya Namaskara, shirshasana, and the danda, which are also found in
hatha yoga, as well as the bethak. Sawari (from Persian savri, meaning "the
passenger") is the practice of using another person's bodyweight to add
resistance to such exercises.

Working done by Indian in comparison:-

An old Indian pehlwan exercising with Indian clubs near Varanasi.

Exercise regimens may employ the following weight training devices:

The nal is a hollow stone cylinder with a handle inside.

The gar nal (neck weight) is a circular stone ring worn around the neck to add

resistance to danda and bethak.

The gada (mace) is a club associated with Hanuman. An exercise gada is a heavy

round stone attached to the end of a meter-long bamboo stick. Trophies take the form of

gada made of silver and gold.

Indian clubs, exercise clubs introduced by the Mughals.

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 Exercise regimens may also include dhakuli which involve twisting rotations, rope

climbing, log pulling and running. Massage is regarded an integral part of a wrestler's

exercise regimen.

A typical training day will go as follows:

3 AM: Wake up and perform press-ups (danda) and squats (bethak), as many as 4000.

Run for 5 miles, followed by swimming and lifting stone and sandbags.

8 AM: Teachers watch as the trainees wrestle each other in earth pits continuously for 3

hours. This is around 25 matches in a row. Matches start with the senior wrestlers. The

youngest go last.

10 AM: Wrestlers are given an oil massage before resting.

4 PM: After another massage, trainees wrestle each other for another 2 hours.

8 PM: The wrestler goes to sleep.

m press-ups (danda) and squats (bethak), as many as 4000. Run for 5 miles, followed by

swimming and lifting stone and sandbags.

8 AM: Teachers watch as the trainees wrestle each other in earth pits continuously for 3

hours. This is around 25 matches in a row. Matches start with the senior wrestlers. The

youngest go last.

10 AM: Wrestlers are given an oil massage before resting.

4 PM: After another massage, trainees wrestle each other for another 2 hours.

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 8 PM: The wrestler goes to sleep.

Diet:

According to the Samkhya school of philosophy, everything in the universeincluding

people, activities, and foodscan be sorted into

three gunas: sattva (calm/good), rajas (passionate/active), and tamas (dull/lethargic).

Food as important resource: -

Ghee, amongst the most sattvic of foods consumed for wrestlers

As a vigorous activity, wrestling has an inherently rajasic nature, which pehlwan counteract

through the consumption of sattvic foods. Milk and ghee are regarded as the most sattvic of

foods and, along with almonds, constitute the holy trinity of the pehlwani

khurak (from Persian khork-e pahlavani), or diet. A common snack for

pehlwan are chickpeas that have been sprouted overnight in water and seasoned with salt,

pepper and lemon; the water in which the chickpeas were sprouted is also regarded as

nutritious. Various articles in the Indian wrestling monthly Bharatiya Kushti have

recommended the consumption of the following fruits: apples, wood-apples, bananas, figs,

pomegranates, gooseberries, lemons, and watermelons. Orange juice and green vegetables are

also recommended for their sattvic nature. Some pehlwan eat meat in spite of

its tamasic nature.

Ideally, wrestlers are supposed to avoid sour and excessively spiced foods such

as chatni and achar as well as chaat. Mild seasoning with garlic, cumin, coriander, and

turmeric is acceptable. The consumption of alcohol, tobacco, and paan is strongly

discouraged.

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Techniques:

It has been said that most of the moves found in the wrestling forms of other countries are

present in kushti, and some are unique to South Asia. These are primarily locks, throws, pins,

and submission holds. Unlike its ancient ancestor malla-yuddha, kushti does not permit

strikes or kicks during a match. Among the most favored maneuvres are the dhobi

paat (shoulder throw) and the kasauta (strangle pin). Other moves include

the baharli, dhak, machli gota and the multani

Rules:

Wrestling competitions, known as dangle or kushti, are held in villages and as such are

variable and flexible. The arena is either a circular or square shape, measuring at least

fourteen feet across. Rather than using modern mats, South Asian wrestlers train and compete

on dirt floors. Before training, the floor is raked of any pebbles or stones. Buttermilk, oil, and

red ochre are sprinkled to the ground, giving the dirt its red hue. Water is added every few

days to keep it at the right consistency; soft enough to avoid injury but hard enough so as not

to impede the wrestlers' movements. Every match is preceded by the wrestlers throwing a few

handfuls of dirt from the floor on themselves and their opponent as a form of blessing.

Despite the marked boundaries of the arena, competitors may go outside the ring during a

match with no penalty. There are no rounds but the length of every bout is specified

beforehand, usually about 2530 minutes. If both competitors agree, the length of the match

may be extended. Match extensions are typically around 1015 minutes. A win is achieved by

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pinning the opponent's shoulders and hips to the ground simultaneously, although victory

by knockout, stoppage or submission is also possible. In some variations of the rules, only

pinning the shoulders down is enough. Bouts are overseen by a referee inside the ring and a

panel of two judges watching from the outside.

Official titles awarded to kushti champions are as follows. Note that the title Rustam is

actually the hero's name of the Persian Shahnameh epic.

"Rustam-e-Hind": Champion of India. Dara Singh from Punjab, Krishna Kumar

from Haryana, Muhammad Buta Pehlwan, Imam Baksh Pehlwan, Hamida Pehlwan,

Vishnupant Nagrale, Dadu Chaugle and Harishchandra Birajdar (Lion of India) from

Maharashtra, Mangla Rai from Uttar Pradesh and Pehlwan Shamsher Singh (Punjab

Police) held the Rustam-e-Hind title in the past. Vishnupant Nagrale was the first wrestler

ever to hold this title.

"Maharashtra Kesari": Lion of Maharashtra. Maharashtra Kesari is an Indian-style

wrestling championship. Narsinh Yadav (three-time winner)[7]

"Rustam-e-Punjab: (also spelled Rustam-e-Punjab) Champion of Panjab. Pehlwan

Shamsher Singh (Punjab Police) Pehlwan Salwinder Singh Shinda was a six time

Rustam-e-Panjab,

"Rustam-e-Zamana": World Champion. The Great Gama became known as Rustam-

e-Zamana when he defeated Stanislaus Zbyszko in 1910.

"Bharat-Kesari": Best heavyweight wrestler in Hindi. Recent winners include

Krishan Kumar (1986), Rajeev Tomar (Railways), Pehlwan Shamsher Singh (Punjab

Police) and Palwinder Singh Cheema (Punjab police).

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 "Hind Kesari": Winner of 1969 Hind Kesari Harishchandra Birajdar (Maharashtra)

(Lion of India); Winner of 2013 Hind Kesari, Amol Barate (Maharashtra); Winner of

2015 Hind Kesari, Sunil Salunkhe (Maharashtra)

References:
J.K.Johnson B.L.(2007), Practical Nelson Measurements for Evaluation in Physical Education.

Third Edition, Delhi, Gurjeet Publications.

www.dsysodisha.gov.in/pdf/rules/kabaddi.pdf
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/flexibility(anatomy)
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/agility
sports.indiaprss.org/kho-kho.phq
perweb.firat.edu.tr/personel/yayinar/fua-3/3-5759.pdf1. Kamlesh.M.L.(1985), Methodology of

Research in Physical Education and Sports New Delhi.

Garret.H.E.(1981), Statistics in Psychology and Education,Delhi Paragon International

Publishers.
Fox.E.L,Mathew D.K.(1985), The Physiological Basis of Physical Education and Athletics. Third

Edition, Philadelphia, Sounders College Publishing Halt.

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 Mc Ardle W.D.,Katch F.I.Katch V.L.(2011), Exercise Physiology. Nutrition,Energy and Human

Performance, Seventh Edition, Baltimore, Lippincott Williams and Wilkins.

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