'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
All set to kick off on December 10th, the PWL serves as an ideal platform for promoting the sport in India with Sushil Kumar being the face of the league Having seen the effects of the IPL over the past 8 years, that has resulted in greater goodwill between International competitors and a further centralization of power in International cricket towards the BCCI, it is also undeniable that especially the t20 format has really caught on like wildfire in India.Also taking into consideration that just the 2nd season of the ISL is already enticing former World Cup winners no less to Indian shores, it seems likely that football and its popularity in the country looks set to follow suit as well.With the success of other such cash-rich mini-leagues already hanging in the backdrop as route markers, the Pro-Wrestling League is the next in line to attempt to make a mark on the dynamic sports-loving market of today’s generation of Indian youth.With well over $3 Million in prize money and 20 Olympic medalists involved with the league, there seems to be no shortage of either the necessary quantity or requisite quality for wrestling to make waves in a sport-crazy nation.That being said, here are 5 ways in which the PWL will look to promote pro-wrestling in India.
#1 Brings the action to your doorstep
One of the most salient features of the inaugural Pro Wrestling League has to be its itinerary that ensures that the tournament is staged at venues all over India.
After kicking off in Delhi, the tournament makes its rounds around the country, also visiting Gurgaon in Haryana, Noida in Uttar Pradesh, Ludhiana in Punjab, Mumbai and Bangalore before staging the semi-final and final match-ups in Delhi again.
While the fixture list ensures that each city visited would ideally get to see their home team compete on the first day stop-over at each venue, what is surely an added bonus is that audiences over the country would get to catch most of the other franchises too, if not all, in action likewise.
With a tightly packed schedule that runs continuously from the 10th to the 27th of December non-stop, audiences and wrestling aficionados can look forward to an action-packed inaugural edition of the PWL, brought right to their doorsteps.
#2 Platform for our unsung heroes
While also featuring some of the best International competition from all over the world, the PWL is an ideal platform for Indian viewers to get accustomed to our home-grown wrestling heroes that have made it a habit, of late, of being successful in International competitions that include the World Championships, Commonwealth games and even the Olympic Games.
While the name Sushil Kumar is more likely than not household by now, Jogeshwar Dutt and Geeta Phogat are undeniably other wrestlers that also ideally should command the same recognition given their achievements on the highest level for the country.
Especially Geeta Phogat, her sister Babita Kumari and their cousin Vinesh Phogat, hailing from the same family, are all trailblazers in their own right who have broken countless cultural and social stereotypes that have plagued the country by not only being amongst the first few women to represent the country in wrestling, but also meeting with considerable success at the highest level while doing so.
The Pro Wrestling League not only serves as a pedestal for these unsung heroes to showcase their talents, but also familiarizes audiences nationwide with them as personalities and sportspersons that should rightly be receiving much more attention than they currently do.
#3 Star Attractions
As has become the won't of such cash-rich mini-leagues that each sport seems to be invoking in India, the star attractions or Bollywood effect seems to be an inevitable element of marketing that is being perused to its fullest potential.
Given the sometimes god-like status that many of these actors achieve amongst the masses in the country, it is indeed pleasant to note that they seem highly involved in giving back to the society through actively participating in sporting initiatives and ventures.
The Pro Wrestling League is no different as it already features Bollywood icon Dharmendra, who is involved in a big way with the Punjab franchise, and is likely to rope in a plethora of other such stars to support the initiative and engender the attention of the general public.
With Sonakshi Sinha being the latest Bollywood addition to hop on the PWL bandwagon, it is quite possible that come December 10th a whole host of other stars would also likely sport the colours of their respective franchises, further promoting the mainstream pull and allure that the event already promises to deliver.
#4 Generating interest for the sport of wrestling
The very fact that a league that features some of the top wrestlers in the world is being conducted in India could do wonders for resurrecting interest levels in what is one of the most ancient sports embraced by our culture.
With 20 Olympic medalists ready to mix it up on the mat for their respective franchises, the PWL creates a perfect opportunity for wrestling fanatics and general fans alike to get behind their respective cities and support the rise of wrestling as a sport that is worthy of the same kind of attention that football and cricket incites.
Easily one of the sports that achieves the most for our country on the highest level, overshadowing the occasional moments of international acclaim that a sport like tennis or badminton encounters, it is inexplicable how our wrestlers and wrestling as a sport often flies under the radar in terms of mainstream attention and publicity.
The inaugral edition of the PWL promises to rectify that malady as it is a golden opportunity for the audiences to be privy to some of the stars of the sport that have earned their stripes for India on platforms like the Commonwealth Games and even the Olympics.
#5 Promoting international goodwill
With 4 out of the 9 wrestlers in each team hailing from outside of India, the Pro Wrestling League provides an ideal platform for Indian wrestlers to assess their International competition from close quarters leading up to the upcoming 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
While the opposite is also true, perhaps the greatest ideal underlined when International stars rub shoulders with the Indian talent and work towards a common goal is that of goodwill and a deeper cultural understanding.
In the recently washed out test match between India and South Africa at Bengaluru, the first South African innings that did manage to find completion saw AB De Villiers score a commanding half century as the rest of his team-mates fell to the demons in either their minds or the wicket.
While it is no surprise that one of the best batsmen in the world played well, the sheepish look on De Villiers face in response to the enveloping chant of ‘ABD!’ emanating from the Chinnaswamy crowd when he reached the milestone, told a story of its own.
Viewed as one of Bengaluru’s favourite sons, thanks to the international goodwill that a tournament like the IPL promotes, perhaps it is these little yet significant moments in sport that truly provide the silver lining that endears sportspersons to our hearts.
The Pro Wrestling League presents an ideal opportunity to establish exactly that, and in many ways, can be seen as the first step to turning India into the international hub for wrestling going forward.
