New Delhi: Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) announced the relaunch of Pro Wrestling League (PWL), the franchise-based competition that had been discontinued since 2019, here on Saturday. PWL ran for four seasons from 2015 to 2019 before being halted due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The latest iteration of the league will begin in January with a number of elite national and international wrestlers set to compete, PWL promoters and WFI said.
The league will have six city-based franchises, each comprising nine wrestlers. There will be five Indian and four foreign wrestlers in each team. All competitions will be held in Olympic weights with five men and four women in action across the nine weight classes. Like the previous editions, bouts will be held only in freestyle and women’s divisions.
The teams will be picked in a player auction with each team getting a purse of ₹2 crore.
While the previous editions of PWL was conducted by ProSportify, the PWL 2.0 — as the organisers called it — will be run by ONO Media with Dayaan Farooqui serving as the new chairman and promoter.
“Wrestlers from 25 nations competed in the last edition of PWL, and we are anticipating similar enthusiasm this time as well. The league will take place from the second or third week of January,” Akhil Gupta, CEO of PWL, said.
The competition will be held in Delhi with IG Stadium as a likely venue although the organisers are looking at other options within the capital. “We will take the league to different cities in the next edition, but this time it will be held only in Delhi,” Gupta said.
Also present on the occasion was former WFI president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who is currently facing allegations of sexual assault from a number of female wrestlers. Singh said he was not involved with PWL in any capacity.
“I am here as a lover of wrestling. No one can take that right away from me. Officially, I am not involved with PWL in any capacity,” he said.
WFI president Sanjay Singh was asked if any of the wrestlers who protested against Brij Bhushan and the earlier WFI dispensation two years back will be allowed to compete in the league, should they wish, and the latter said they could participate.
However, among those who protested against Brij Bhushan Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist Bajrang Punia is currently serving a doping ban while two-time Worlds medallist Vinesh Phogat has entered politics. Sakshi Malik, the Rio Games bronze medallist and the third high-profile protestor, is also out of reckoning.
Aman Sehrawat, the Paris Olympics bronze medallist who was handed a one-year ban for indiscipline after failing to make the weight at the World Championships, will not be considered for participation “as of now”, Sanjay Singh said.
“As on date, Aman can’t participate. But there’s enough time to take a final call,” he said.
