Few funds, Olympic-sized dreams in Jhajjar’s akharas

Jhajjar district has earned the reputation of being the hub of wrestling in Haryana. Known for having the highest number of akharas (wrestling rings) in the state, the district has brought immense pride to the nation by producing two Olympic medallists — Bajrang Punia and Aman Sehrawat — in wrestling. Another rising star, Deepak Punia, had narrowly missed out on the bronze medal during his Olympics debut at Tokyo 2020.

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“Jhajjar has more than 50 private akharas, of which around 45 are officially registered. Over 3,000 young wrestlers are at present training here, many of whom have already made their mark at national and international levels in both junior and senior categories. Most of these akharas are operated by former wrestlers and attract trainees not just from across Haryana, but from other states as well,” said Arya Virendra Singh, who runs the Lala Diwan Chand Modern Kushti and Yoga Kendra at Chhara village.

This Akhara has gained national attention for producing Olympic bronze medalist Bajrang Punia and Commonwealth Games 2022 gold medalist Deepak Punia. Bajrang, who hails from Khuddan village here, began his wrestling journey at the akhara at the young age of eight before his family moved to Sonepat. Deepak is a native of Chhara itself. At present, the akhara trains nearly 100 boys and also provides boarding facilities.

The Lala Diwan Chand Modern Kushti and Yoga Kendra, which was setup in 1995, received unexpected attention when Congress MP Rahul Gandhi made an impromptu visit in December 2023. “Rahul interacted with the wrestlers, joined them in exercises, even tried his hand at wrestling and enjoyed a traditional Haryanvi meal,” recalled Arya, a former wrestler and now a physical education lecturer in the Delhi Government. “The passion for wrestling among the youth in Jhajjar is so intense that many villages have multiple akharas. For instance, Chhara village alone is home to five active wrestling akharas,” he added.

Arya said the youngsters here begin their training with Olympic dreams in mind, which is why many of them are now making their mark at international levels.

While Jhajjar continues to dominate the national wrestling scene by nurturing Olympic medallists and producing promising young athletes, local coaches and budding players say that lack of sufficient financial support is posing serious challenges to the development of grassroots talent.

“While the state government offers diet amount to those selected for nursery programmes, the amount is far from sufficient. It’s like a drop in the ocean. The cost of training and maintaining a proper wrestling diet is far higher. The government must step in with greater financial support and enhanced facilities at the grassroots level to truly nurture and develop future champions,” said a trainee wrestler.

Mannu, a wrestling coach, also echoed similar concerns as others in the wrestling fraternity. “At present, the government provides a diet amount of Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,000 per month for each trainee selected for its nursery programme. However, the actual monthly expenses per trainee, including boarding, training and diet, range between Rs 25,000 and Rs 35,000. This gap forces trainees to bear the costs themselves, which is hard for those from economically weaker backgrounds. The government must increase the stipend significantly so young athletes can focus on their sport without financial stress,” said Mannu.

Jaibir Lohchab, a wrestling coach with the Haryana Government, who trains aspiring wrestlers at his akhara in Bupania village, pointed out that wrestling was not the only sport gaining attraction in the district.

“There is also a strong interest among the youth in sports such as shooting. Jhajjar’s Manu Bhaker, for instance, has won two Olympic medals and several other girls and boys from the district have brought laurels in shooting and other disciplines at the international level,” he added.

“At present, our akhara trains over 125 youths, including 87 who live on-site — most of whom hail from other states such as Punjab, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Jammu. Many of our wrestlers have won national and international medals across various age categories—sub-junior, junior, and senior,” said Jaibir, a former wrestler himself.

When asked about the support system in place, Satyender, District Sports Officer, Jhajjar, stated that the district had five government wrestling coaches deployed at various places while a total three wrestling nurseries were being run at different villages, where private wrestling coaches were hired to train the boys.

“Each selected trainee receives a monthly diet amount of Rs 1,500 for those under 15 years of age and Rs 2,000 for those above 15. Additionally, the government provides wrestling mats and other necessary equipment to akharas on request. These facilities are made available at all official nurseries in the district,” he claimed.