New Delhi [India], June 3 : The Asian Paralympic Committee (APC) announced the inclusion of armwrestling as an official sport in the upcoming Asian Youth Para Games. The Games will take place in Tashkent, Uzbekistan in September-October 2025.
This groundbreaking decision highlights the APC's commitment to inclusivity and broadening the spectrum of athletic competition for young para-athletes across Asia. Additionally, the People's Armwrestling Federation India and the Pro Panja League (PPL) has been instrumental in preparing and empowering Indian Armwrestlers for this prestigious event.
"After careful review of the Games' standards and sports federations' requirements, we are pleased to announce the sport programme of the 5th Asian Youth Para Games," Asian Paralympic Committee President Majid Rashed said.
"The Youth Para Asian Games are an opportunity to introduce, grow and promote a new sport in the region. Previously also, we have had the chance to promote a sport in our programmes and there has been a lot of excitement," he added.
Armwrestling, a popular sport in the Asian region and in fact all over the World, will be introduced in the sports programme of an Asian Youth Para Games for the first time in Tashkent. The governing body of the sport, World Armwrestling Federation (WAF), is a recognised International Federation by the International Paralympic Committee. In India, the People's Armwrestling Federation India, is the only affiliated unit of WAF.
Armwrestling, with its dynamic and accessible nature, has a growing following worldwide. The sport's debut at the Asian Youth Para Games is expected to draw significant attention.
One of the key drivers behind the rise of Armwrestling in India is the Pro Panja League (PPL) with its huge viewership of 32 million unique viewers in the very first season. Since its inception, the PPL has played a pivotal role in nurturing and promoting armwrestling talent across India. The league has provided Indian athletes with professional training, competitive exposure, and a robust support system, enabling them to compete at higher levels.
Expressing her thoughts on the same, Preeti Jhangiani, President of People's ArmWrestling Federation India said, "People's ArmWrestling Federation India has been a game-changer for Indian Armwrestlers. Our athletes have benefited immensely from our structured competitions and training programs. As a result, they are now better prepared to take on the international stage at the Asian Youth Para Games. We are proud to support their journey and celebrate their achievements and we look are looking forward to sending Team India to the Games as Armwrestling continues to get accepted in every big competition and hopefully you will very soon see it as an Olympic Sport especially with the views armwrestling is generating in India now."
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