Traditional sports regaining glory, becoming hugely popular: Rana

NC Provincial president Devender Singh Rana declaring winner of the Dangal at Jammu.
NC Provincial president Devender Singh Rana declaring winner of the Dangal at Jammu.

Yudhvir Singh wins Malhori-Jagir Dangal final

Excelsior Sports Correspondent
JAMMU Sept 26: Saying that traditional rural sports are gaining momentum with Indian sports persons leaving an indelible print by their magnificent performance in the international events, more recently in Olympics, Provincial President National Conference Devender Singh Rana today exuded confidence about Jammu youth too excelling in chosen sports given their abundant talent.
“Wrestling is one of the disciplines that has been very popular among youth, who have made several benchmarks over the years”, Rana said after giving away champions trophy to Yudhvir Singh of Delhi who won the finals of Malhori Jagir Pargalta Panchayat Dangal by defeating Rashid of Domana Jammu.
In all 83 bouts took place during the competition witnessed by a large number of sports lovers at Malhori Jagir. The Dangal was organized by the Dangal Committee Malhori, Pargalta.
Prominent among those present on the occasion included Ch. Rehmat Ali, BDC Nagrota, Dr. Uttam Singh, Mohan Lal, Darshan Lal, Kishori Lal, Sham Lal and others.
Rana said wrestling continues to be popular with youth despite certain setbacks to the game at the international level. However, the scenario has changed and Indian wrestlers are now making their mark, which is inspiring for the budding wrestlers of this part of the country as well.
Rana expressed the hope that the fierce competition between experienced wrestlers during the competition would motivate the young wrestlers, who have been putting their hard toil to excel in wrestling. He urged the youngsters to participate in the game in a big way and prepare for various national and international events with a sense of commitment.
“Like any other sport, the youngsters can take wrestling as a profession”, he said, adding that this calls for resilience, devotion and hard work.
The Provincial president expressed satisfaction over the keenness being evinced by rural youth in various sports and said this will not only keep them in good stead physically but also sharpen their mental growth. Sports as a career has emerged as a big option for enterprising youth in this era, he said.
“Jammu has no dearth of talent but the need is to identify and sharpen their skills in a professional manner”, he said and urged the youngsters to benefit from the events taking place in their close vicinities and prepare for big events.