The Pro Panja League’s Northeast Trials concluded at the Rukmininagar Auditorium in Guwahati on Saturday.
The event brought together promising arm-wrestling talent from across the Seven Sisters, along with athletes from other states. It was held in partnership with Assamese film production house, Zeal Creations, which came on board as primary sponsor and partner.
The trials gave athletes a platform to compete across multiple weight categories and showcase their strength on the Pro Panja League stage.
Parvinn Dabass, co-founder, Pro Panja League, and Preeti Jhangiani, president, People’s Armwrestling Federation of India (PAFI) and Vice-President, Asian ArmWrestling Federation, attended the trials.
They were joined by Jamil Hilaly, special secretary, Sports and Youth Welfare, Government of Assam. Garima Saikia Garg, wife of the late music icon Zubeen Garg, was also in attendance, along with actors Jatin Bora and Diganta Hazarika, filmmaker Manash Barua, and Dr Hitesh Baruah, founder and managing director, Nemcare Hospital.
The evening featured two high-profile mega matches. In the first, Raymond Khawlhring of Mizoram beat Rituraj Pandey of Assam. In the second, Karaj Virk of Haryana got the better of Arpan Kar of West Bengal.
Winners were also crowned in seven other categories.
In the men’s section, Dibya Jyoti Borah of Assam won the 60kg category and Jimmison Marwein of Meghalaya took the 70kg title. Mizoram’s Vanlal Duata and Biaksiamliana won the 80kg and 90kg categories respectively, while Chandan Mohapatra of Odisha claimed the 90kg+ title.
In the women’s section, Junmoni Das of Assam won the 60kg category and Shireen Bojja of West Bengal topped the 65kg+ category.
Speaking on the conclusion of the Northeast Trials, Parvinn Dabass, co-founder, Pro Panja League, said, “The response in Guwahati has once again shown us the depth of arm-wrestling talent that exists across the Northeast. Our objective with these trials was to create a structured pathway where athletes can compete, get recognised and take the next step in their journey. We are excited to see how many of these athletes progress to the Pro Panja League.”
Preeti Jhangiani, president, PAFI, and vice-president, Asian ArmWrestling Federation, said, “Assam and the Northeast have always been important to Indian arm-wrestling, and today’s competition reflected the talent and passion that exists here. We want to keep creating opportunities for athletes from the region and give them a platform where their performances can open doors to the next level of the sport.”