Bill Soberanes, a young journalist founded the organized version of the sport of arm wrestling in 1952 in the United States. In India it’s been present as a sport for 40 years, and Rita Priyanka from Palahalli, near Mysuru, is the country’s new poster girl of the sport. Fakruddin Hussen, Staff correspondent, Newskarnataka.com, caught up with her during her training for the Asian Arm Wrestling Championships and explored her journey into the sport.
Until I met Rita Priyanka, the State and national champion in the women’s 70 kg category in a unique sport – arm wrestling, all I knew of the sport, was what I remembered from my school days – a game we use to play to pass the time and a method used occasionally to settle petty disputes in a friendly way. I came away from the meeting, a fan of Rita, the sport and importantly, an enlightened man. I learnt that it was indeed a full fledged sport with a long history of more than 50 years globally and around 40 years in India. I also learnt that it was a sport that required high technical skills, muscular strength and most importantly mental strength.
Rita, a native of Palahalli nearby Mysuru, the daughter of a traditional farmer, was training for the Asian Arm Wrestling championships to be held in Dubai in August when I met her. Her coach since the 90’s, K Vishwanath, who was giving her tips as she went about her weight training, told me, ”Arm wrestling is an old game but it has not got its due in terms of recognition. In India it has been there from past 39 years and in Karnataka I m working for recognition for the sport, since 3 years by forming an association”.
He was extremely proud of his ward, Rita, and predicted her victory at the Asian championships. “I’m 100% confident that Rita Priyanka will win gold in the upcoming Asian arm championship in Dubai in August and World Championship in Italy in November and definitely Arm wrestling will get recognition worldwide” he averred. Maybe he was right, for its mostly the male gender that is associated with the sport, and when a female athlete takes up the sport and wins handsomely, people do start to pay attention. He said, Rita, along with another ward, Raju, a three time state champion, will take part in the Asian Championships’ in the Men’s 82 Kg Category.
What sparked Rita’s interest in this unusual sport?
I turned my attention to Rita, who had just finished her weight training. Rita, I asked, “how did you become interested in a game like arm wrestling which is usually played by men?” She proudly attributed her interest and success to her father. “My father Anthony Raj is a wrestler, but I was not all that interested in the sport. However my interest spiked when, at a wrestling event, my name was called accidently, and I accepted the challenge. Later my father trained me in wrestling and then I took this game seriously.”
Rita told me that playing games like volley ball and Kabbadi at school helped her maintain her physical fitness, and her hard and dedication made her the wrestler she had become. Indeed all these qualities were visible at a glance.
Rita had taken to wrestling like a duck to water – but that was the wrestling we all know. I was curious as to why she shifted her focus to arm wrestling. “When I won the wrestling competition, during Dasara 2014, K Vishwanath, who is my present Arm wrestling coach approached me to take up arm wrestling, as women were not interested in the sport in Karnataka. I thought I could improve this game and make it popular, and so here I am”. A noble motive indeed. “I don’t find much difference because to win in both the sports we must be mentally and physically strong. Arm wrestling requires strong arms and concentration”, she added when queried about the difference between wrestling and arm wrestling.
The making of an athlete – studies, practice, and support
In India, athletes find it difficult to make a career out of a sport and a degree is a must have fall back. But often, circumstances are such that an athlete has to choose one over the other and I wondered if Rita had to make that choice too. “ Well, I was not bad in studies, I was an average student, so I did not find it difficult when I was in school, and during my preuniverstiy days, but when I entered college for my BA degree, I wanted to concentrate more on wrestling, as the competition was getting tougher. But I put in a lot of effort and managed to complete my BA degree in 2nd class”. A great achievement indeed.
Family support is the key to success, whether it be in sport or academics, and in a sport like arm wrestling, unusual in itself, for a woman, it becomes crucial. I asked Rita, “Do you get adequate support from your family, neighbors’ and friends? Pat came her strong reply, “ My father is wrestler so he doesn’t have a problem and he was there for me always. He supported me from scratch but to due the poor financial status in my family now a days I am finding it difficult to keep my fitness. Also my brother’s health is not that good and he needs my support”. It was obvious, that she had all the mental and emotional support she needed to succeed, but financial support was something she needed desperately. This impression was strengthened when she told me that neighbors’ and friends do praise and support her emotionally and mentally, “but at the end of the day, money matters for everything”
Sport, any sport, requires practice, for practice maketh a man perfect and Rita puts in some serious hard work. “I usually practice 2 hours in the morning and 2 hours in the evening but the logistics are getting me down – I need to travel 20 kms up and down for my work outs”. She added, “When it comes to my diet, I usually take nutritious food items, dry fruits and non-veg thrice a week, but as a championship approaches I need more nutritious food. This is a problem because the cost can go up to Rs: 10 to 15 thousand, but in my family’s present financial condition, this is rather difficult”.
Celebrity status and the motivation to achieve glory
Rita seemed happy that both the sport and she herself were something of a celebrity in the media now a days. “ I feel good when people recognize me and even when someone calls me in public I stop and speak to them gently without any problem. They appreciate me for my achievement which fills me with confidence, which is good for me”, she said with a smile on her face.
But despite the hardships, the lack of recognition what motivates her to carry on? “Yes, I m aware of it, but my goal is to make it familiar, work for the development, upliftment, recognition and popularity of the arm wrestling sport all over the country, as it is not an Olympic sport. My coach is struggling hard for its popularity and I want to support him in this endeavor and also make a name for myself. I too am working hard for the upcoming Asian arm wrestling championship in Dubai in August and the World Championship in Italy in November 2015, but do need some sponsorship to achieve glory for my country, which is dear to me”.
Future plans
She continued, “in the long run, I do have a dream of opening an exclusive gym for women where I can train women in both wrestling and Arm wrestling but before that I have to think of my family and my future too so I should get a Govt. job. To be frank, a few of my family members and neighbors are interested to send their kids to me for training”.
I asked her if her achievements in the sport would help her get a government job under the sports quota, to which she replied with despair, “I’m desperate to get a Govt. job as my family’s financial status is critical and I did appear for many Govt. exams, but unfortunately, they don’t consider Arm wrestling as a sport at all. Many lobby for the sports quota and I suspect that’s the reason, I’m missing out on getting a job under the quota”.
As she made ready for her long journey home, she batted strongly for all sports being treated equally by the media and the government.
