In a choke hold

Sitting on the adjacent chair,Raj Singh,WFI’s secretary general,a former national coach and wrestler,whispers loudly in Mander’s ears. “Sir we need to draft a letter for Delhi government’s grant.”

Next up on the agenda is the brief discussion with Jain sahib,who will once again help set up the mats,platforms and other infrastructure needed for the tournament. The same gentleman and his team had helped the federation with last minute arrangements during the Hari Ram Grand Prix.

As the bustle and the hurry convey (even in matters as critical as financing and infrastructure,things do not seem to be resolved),the WFI’s amateurish way of running the game has once again come back to haunt the federation. In a way,these shortfalls also explain what is wrong with one of the oldest sports on the Olympics programme and why it was put on the chopping blocks by the International Olympic Committee.

As Asia’s first major international tournament post the IOC executive body’s nay for its continuation in the 2020 Olympic Games,this was a big opportunity to show what was good about the sport and how it remains popular even at the village level. But in truth,the ground reality is no different from that of the 2003 Asian Championships that India had hosted. The low-key affair was plagued by several problems,one of which was that the air-conditioners did not work during the length of the tournament.

The 2010 edition of the tournament,the last time it was hosted by India,was a success,but it was largely due to the fact that it was also one of the Test events for the Commonwealth Games and the government had taken an especial interest.

No hype,sponsor

This time,though,all those ingredients are missing and so is the hype. The last minute deliberations of the federation gives the impression that what is being organised is a national event and not a major international meet. Among things that have not been finalised by the WFI is the title sponsor for the event. In their own words,it is extremely unlikely that a sponsor will come on board any time soon,at such short notice,after efforts to bag one for months has yielded no results. Again,public sector undertakings like SAIL,ONGC,MTNL and BSNL are their last hope.

No sponsor support means that as of now,there has been very little PR to publicise an international event. Banners and posters are yet to be printed. “They will be put up by the 15th,” assures Jai Prakash,former Olympian and now the general secretary of Delhi Amateur Wrestling Association (DAWA). Most probably,Jai Prakash will be putting in his own money,and in return,will have his photo featured on the posters,alongside those of WFI president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and WFI general secretary Raj Singh.

Over 180 rooms have been booked for teams and their officials at the Hilton and Double Tree hotel in Mayur Vihar for the event. However,the boarding and lodging expenses will have to be borne by the teams themselves. Even excluding that,the federation is in need of between Rs 1 and 2 crore to fund all the expenses that would be incurred during the tournament. Despite nobody seeming to have an idea about where from or how the money will be raised,Raj Singh is not panicking. “We are confident that we can pull this off. WFI president and others will somehow manage the money that we need,” he says.

Stars stay away

Part of WFI’s problems is that the stars have chosen to stay away. Both Yogeshwar and Sushil are not part of the tournament. Yogeshwar has only recently shaken off his knee injury and Sushil is nursing a shoulder strain. With the local favourites out,it will be even more difficult to pull in the crowds. “Yogeshwar is injured and so is Sushil. It would be foolish for us to force them to participate and risk a long lay-off. But despite all this,you will see a full house in the stadium,we are not worried at all,” Raj Singh says.

One of the reasons for him being upbeat is the federation’s tried-and-tested formula of allowing spectators free entry. But it doesn’t always translate into success. The KD Jadhav indoor stadium was empty during the first Hari Ram GP tournament when both the icons decided not to participate.

Even the broadcasting deal hasn’t been sorted out yet and as with the main sponsorship,on this issue too the federation will have to be bailed out by the state-run DD Sports. By way of explanation,Mander turns to the oft-repeated ‘cricket vs the other sports’ grouse.

“Many of my friends are running corporate companies. They told me they can’t sponsor wrestling as they won’t get any mileage out if it. Its madness,they are willing to spend more than Rs 30 to 40 crore on cricket,but can’t spare 2-3 on wrestling. It is shameful.”

“The only corporate that I really respect in this matter is Subrata Roy (Sahara). I could get Rs 1 crore within minutes if I ask him. Now is not the right time as he is under stress because of the SEBI investigations. Despite all his problems he has been supporting all the sports disciplines.”

But the late Chandgi Ram’s son Jagdish Kaliraman says the blame for the lack of sponsorship lies elsewhere. Former wrestlers,who are now part of the WFI executive,are only equipped to handle the gaming aspect of the sport and aren’t really the kind who could pitch it to sponsors. “What will the staff do if he is asked to look at ways to market the game? He will be clueless. We need professionals,people who can sell the sport to sponsors. We have heroes in Yogeshwar and Sushil,and a professional will do a better job in using their appeal to land a deal somewhere,” Kaliraman says.

The BFI Model

The model that Kaliraman says wrestling should turn to is the one successfully implemented by the Basketball Federation of India. The BFI,after years of planning and presentations,have bagged lucrative partnerships with IMG and Reliance.

What helped the basketball body was a combination of the very urban audience the game attracts and basketball’s inclusion in school and college curriculum. Sponsors lapped it up. “Part of the problem with wrestling is the fact that it has no urban appeal. It is also not part of the curriculum in either schools or colleges. The sport is being run only in akhadas. It is also one of the reasons why none of the big corporates see the game as having any potential,despite having star-draws like Sushil,” says Roopam Sharma,BFI’s CEO.

Roopam says even in the US,where wrestling has a strong presence and is a part of the curriculum,sporting houses rarely sign grapplers.

“Basketball is the biggest game in the US and big draws like Kobe Bryant have big contracts with shoe companies and apparel majors. How many wrestlers do you know have the same kind of deal with them? The answer is none,” says Roopam.

The fix

One idea that the federation could look into,could be simplifying the rules for mass consumption. During meets,especially in India,most commentators fail to explain how a play was made because of their own lack of knowledge. A former wrestler,perhaps,would explain it better. Also,as has happened with the BFI,the technical know-how among the officials too have to be improved. The sporting terminology could be simplified too.

And more importantly,Roopam says,the game will have to shed its rural image and then make a serious and professional effort at wooing corporates.

“Firstly I would say,they need to find a way to raise awareness in the Metros as it has huge potential. This the wrestling body has to figure out. If you ask me,we had to work very hard with our presentations and meetings to convince the sponsors. It took the basketball federation years. After all,the sponsors too would take time to evaluate it. This breakthrough partnership was signed in June 2010. But before it happened we had to spend money from our pockets to bring the right people in and increase the technical abilities of our officials.”

The Indian contingent for the Asian Championships

Amit kumar (55kg):Nicknamed Bhura,Amit had an outstanding 2012 after breaking through to the senior team. He won the Dave Schulz Invitational Tournament to kick-start his career. He was also the first to make the cut for the Olympics by bagging gold in the qualification tournament in Astana,Kazakhstan. In London he exited at the quarterfinals. Has has already won a bronze in the Asian Championships held in Gumi,South Korea in 2012.

Bajrang (60 kg):Another of the young recruits out of the famous Chhatrsal akhada run by Satpal Singh,the 18-year-old will take over from London bronze medallist Yogeshwar Dutt (out injured) in the team. He did earn his place,though,by beating Rajneesh — who is normally the one to replace Dutt in the team — in the trials. Bajrang was the Junior Asian champion in 2011 and was given his first chance during the Dave Schulz Invitational Tournament this year.

Amit Dhankar (66kg):Initially named a reserve,Dhankar will replace Sushil Kumar for the tournament. After winning the Commonwealth Championship in Jalandhar,2010, Dhankar had been out of the reckoning. Last year,the Haryana Police inspector won silver at the Nationals held in Gonda to re-launch his career.

Praveen Rana (74 kg):Only 21 years old,Rana,again from the Chhatrasal akhada,has jumped a weight division. Last year he had won a couple of medals — bronze in Gumi,South Korea,2012 and gold at the Hari Ram GP tournament — in the 66kg category. But has had a history of struggling to maintain his weight.

Narsingh yadav (84 kg):The Railways’ grappler won the championships when it was last held in New Delhi in 2010. Few months later he did the double (like Sushil) by winning at the Commonwealth Games. Narsingh has long wanted to shift a weight division,and has finally got his wish after a forgetful 2012. Last year,he surprised many in winning a place for the Olympics,only to go out in the opening round.

Parvesh (96 kg):Parvesh is not looked at as a serious prospect by the coaches. mainly due to his age. Already,29,the Sonepat resident won gold in the Senior Nationals last year to be called up to the national camp.

Hitender (120 kg):Has the talent to become a huge prospect in this heavy weight category. Won the Junior Asian Championship in 2011 and had beaten Hitesh to win his place in the team.