From Our Special Correspondent
GUWAHATI, July 3: The Pro Panja League and the People’s Armwrestling Federation India (PAFI) on Friday announced the league’s arrival in Assam and introduced 18 arm wrestlers from the state who have been named in the Indian contingent for the World Armwrestling and Para Armwrestling Championships in New Delhi later this year.
The announcement was made at a media interaction in Guwahati.
Actor and Pro Panja League co-founder Parvinn Dabass, PAFI president and Asian Armwrestling Federation vice-president Preeti Jhangiani, and president of the People’s Armwrestling Association Assam Kailash Sarma jointly made the announcement and interacted with the Assam members of Team India.
The Assam arm wrestlers named in the Indian contingent are Debangana Bordoloi, Sumit Mali, Ujjal Gogoi, Dimpal Kalita, Payal Bhowmick, Anisha Sarma, Kumalika Das, Ismritom Boruah, Raj Hazarika, Rituraj Pandey, Bittu Kalita, Parishmita Gogoi, Anju Kumari, Monoj Debnath, Kritika Das, Nayan Bora, Diganta Kumar Phukan and Mrinmoy Patgiri.
Three of them, Parishmita Gogoi, Payal Bhowmick and Rituraj Pandey, have also earned Golden Tickets to the Pro Panja League.
The 47th World Armwrestling and 28th Para Armwrestling Championships will be held at the Leela Ambience Convention Hotel in New Delhi from October 26 to November 7, 2026, with over 2,000 athletes from more than 75 countries expected to compete.
The same venue hosted the Asian Armwrestling and Para Armwrestling Championships in 2025, where India finished second with 176 medals.
For the Assam players in the squad, the championships offer the rare chance to compete for a world title in front of a home crowd.
PAFI president and Asian Armwrestling Federation vice-president Preeti Jhangiani said, “Hosting the World Armwrestling and Para Armwrestling Championships in New Delhi is a landmark moment for the sport in India, and the athletes from Assam will be right at the centre of it.”Pro Panja League co-founder Parvinn Dabass said, “Every time we have held trials or events in the Northeast, the depth of talent has surprised us. The region needs a professional structure, and that is what the Pro Panja League brings, with proper rankings, prize money and a route into the national squad.”President of the People’s Armwrestling Association Assam, Kailash Sarma said, “Our wrestlers have trained in modest halls and local akharas for years, winning at the national level without much notice. Today, that changes. The Pro Panja League’s arrival gives Assam’s arm wrestlers a stage in their own state, and seeing 18 of our boys and girls in India colours for a World Championship is a moment of genuine pride for every sports lover in Assam.”
The Guwahati announcement is part of the league’s push to widen its base beyond the metros ahead of the championships.
