Wrestling against the demolition drive

New Delhi: Have you ever heard of a sport being threatened for the sake of a sporting spectacle? Sounds odd, doesn't it?

But thats exactly what is happening to the wrestlers at Delhi's oldest wrestling school.

Wrestlers in Delhi's Chandgi Ram Akhara have hit the streets to protest against the demolition of a certain part of their long existing akhara (wrestling ground) as part of the Delhi government's plans to beautify the city for the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

Says Chandgi Ram, owner of the akhara, "We don't have any documentation or papers for these places. We don't even know who constructed these akharas. They were built ages ago ever since the tradition of wrestling began. I don't understand why these have to be removed."

There are more than 50 akharas on the outskirts of River Yamuna and more than a thousand wrestlers practice in these everyday.

Many of them are also preparing for this year's Doha Asian Games as well, but they will have no place to practice once these places are demolished.

Another wrestler Jagdish Kaliraman says, "All the wrestlers in Delhi practice here. If these places shut down a wrong message will go to the people who like the sport. The players will not get the encouragement that they should and will not be able to prepare themselves for the Doha Asian Games and will not be able to get the medals they should."

Interestingly, wrestling is not a part of the Commonwealth Games, but as Indian wrestlers have usually done well in international competitions, it seems the Delhi Government is planning for the future at the cost of the present.

(With inputs from Vidhanshu Kumar)